Archive for August, 2011
Learning By Association Posted by Rachel on Aug 17, 2011
Since Adir has been giving some tips recently about learning techniques, today I have one of my own to offer. We all learn languages in different ways: some people are more visual, while others learn more easily by listening. One of the ways I learn best is learning by association: remembering a word or phrase…
Video: The Alphabet in Portuguese Posted by Adir on Aug 16, 2011
Oi! Tudo bem com você? Vamos começar o fim de semana (let’s start the weekend) com este vídeo sobre o alfabeto em português (with this video about the alphabet in Portuguese). Lembre-se de (Remember to) sempre repetir as palavras (repeat the words) para praticar a pronúncia (to practice the pronunciation), ok? Dá uma olhada! (Check…
Red Hot + Rio 2 Posted by polyana on Aug 15, 2011
Have you guys heard of the Red Hot Organization‘s newest album, Red Hot + Rio 2? First off, the organization is a non-profit which helps AIDS and HIV organizations all over the world through music. The newest album is a collection of Brazilian songs from the Tropicália movement, with some improvisation and international artists to…
Learning tip: Making good use of the mother tongue Posted by Adir on Aug 12, 2011
Hey, there! How’ve you all been? I want to share a learning technique I’ve used throughout the years with my students and I’m sure it’s going to be very useful for you: translation! Ok, don’t yell at me because your language teacher told you that translation is bad and all that stuff; you’ll see that…
Listening Comprehension: RS Móvel Posted by Rachel on Aug 11, 2011
I found a funny promotional video on Update or Die, an excellent Brazilian tech blog. The video helps promote a mobile and tablet app created by the Rio Grande do Sul government. Be warned – it’s purposely cheesy. Watch the video and answer the questions. Questions 1. What are some of the things you can…
Writing Informal Emails in Portuguese Posted by Rachel on Aug 9, 2011
Recently, we learned how to write formal emails in Portuguese. Now we’re going to learn how to write informal emails in Portuguese. These are the types of messages you’d send to co-workers, friends, or acquaintances. 1. Salutation You can use Caro (or Cara, for a female) for dear, as in Dear André. Similarly, you can…
Pronunciation: “-lh,” “-ão,” “-em,” & “r” Posted by polyana on Aug 7, 2011
I bet you’re all on pins and needles waiting for this post on tough stuff to pronounce that I promised on Monday. From what I saw in the comments, the hardest sounds tend to be: “-lh,” “-ão,” “-em,” “r,” & “ões” – So let’s see if I can help you all out, and once I’m through…