Archive by Author
Putz Grila! Posted by Rachel on Dec 28, 2010
One of the best ways to speak like a native is to pepper your speech with colloquial phrases and slang, which is why we’ve been focusing on these expressions lately. Awhile back, we learned about some exclamations, including putz. This word means oh no! or darn it! or uh oh! and is used as an…
Brazilian Christmas Songs Posted by Rachel on Dec 23, 2010
It’s Christmastime in Brazil, and you’ll find that some of the holiday songs sound a little familiar! Have a listen to these festive songs and have a great holiday! Noite Feliz (Silent Night) Então é Natal (So It’s Christmas) Bate O Sino (Jingle Bells) Brazilian Acoustic Version of Noite Feliz and O Velhinho (The Old…
Brazilian Christmas Recipes Posted by Rachel on Dec 21, 2010
Want to add a few Brazilian dishes to your Christmas feast, or just interested in learning about Brazilian cuisine? Take a look at some of these delicious recipes that are popular for the holidays. Rabanada – Sugared French Toast Panetone – Milan Fruitcake Peru de Natal – Christmas Turkey Pernil de Porco Ao Vinho –…
Para Variar Posted by Rachel on Dec 20, 2010
There’s an interesting slangy expression in Portuguese that is used to express sarcasm, and it’s a helpful one to know to throw into conversation to sound more like a native. Let’s take a look at how it’s used. Para variar literally means “for a change,” but when used in conversation, it actually means the opposite…
Lula on Wikileaks Posted by Rachel on Dec 17, 2010
Last week, President Lula took a moment to discuss Wikileaks and his thoughts on the controversial website. There are subtitles available in English, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese but you can also watch the video without them to practice your listening comprehension. Have a look and see if you can answer the questions. Questions 1. What…
Carimbó Posted by Rachel on Dec 14, 2010
One of the reasons I love learning about Brazil is that just when you think you know all about its culture, you’ll discover a new art or music or dance form that you never knew about. Today was one of those days, when I discovered carimbó. Carimbó is a type of Brazilian music and dance…
New Brazilian Commercials Posted by Rachel on Dec 8, 2010
Brazil is known for having excellent PR firms which produce some really cool commercials, so here are a few recent ones for you to test your listening comprehension skills: Havaianas Flip Flops Part PSA, Part Commercial Why are the guys in flip flops in trouble? Brastemp A beautiful video that went viral Who organized the…