Archive for March, 2011
Obama’s Visit to Brazil – Como Foi? Posted by polyana on Mar 21, 2011
So how did Obama’s visit to Brazil go? Many will argue it was somewhat “worthless,” in terms of international politics, while others call it a great step in Brazilian-American diplomacy. One of the highlights of the visit was the speech made at Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro last night. There are many videos online…
Restart Interviews Posted by Rachel on Mar 17, 2011
Restart is a popular Brazilian pop band especially popular with teenagers. Today, we’re going to listen to some of their interviews to practice listening comprehension. The band recently got into trouble because of this interview. Why is that? In this interview, the guys talk about how they got started. When did the idea for the…
Obama’s Brazil Trip Posted by Rachel on Mar 15, 2011
President Barack Obama is headed to Brazil this week in his first ever visit to Brazil, and in his first official trip to Latin America. He will spend a day in Brasília, where he will meet with President Dilma Rousseff and government officials, and then he will spend a day in Rio de Janeiro, where…
Brazilian Recipes – Comida Vegetariana Posted by polyana on Mar 14, 2011
So I’ve been a vegetarian for about… 5 days. And it’ll last another 35, as I’ve given up meat for lent. But in order to take this on for a person who loves meat and lives in a country that loves meat, I’ve been looking up a few fun vegetarian recipes that are not only…
Listening Comprehension: TEDx Posted by Rachel on Mar 10, 2011
I recently discovered that there are dozens of TED Talks from independent events in Brazil available online, and they’re not only fun and interesting, but they’re a perfect opportunity to practice your listening comprehension skills. It’s a great way not only to listen to a short speech, but to also pick up some slang and…
Rio De Janeiro Samba Schools Posted by Rachel on Mar 6, 2011
Já é Carnaval! Recently, we learned about Carnival in São Paulo and Minas Gerais, and we’ve learned about Carnival in Rio and Recife before. Today begins Rio de Janeiro’s samba school competition, when the city’s top twelve schools compete against each other at the Sambodrome. A samba school is a group that develops original songs…
Bora and Embora Posted by Rachel on Mar 3, 2011
Embora is a very helpful word for everyday use in Portuguese, and bora is a nice slangy expression that comes from it, one that will make you sound like much more of a native speaker. Let’s take a look at how they are used, and then to practice. Try writing a sentence of your own…