Archive for 'Geography'
Better Know Santa Catarina Posted by Rachel on Sep 24, 2010
In a segment akin to Jon Stewart’s Better Know a District, except a bit more serious, Brazil’s big nighttime news show is featuring different states and cities leading up to the elections. Here’s one of the recent episodes, where they discuss the state of Santa Catarina and one of its cities, Joinville. Watch the video…
Best Cities to Live in 2010 – Lisbon & São Paulo Posted by polyana on Apr 20, 2010
Yesterday, AskMen.com released their annual “Top 29 Cities to Live In,” report and in this 2010 edition, 2 Lusophone cities were chosen: Lisbon, Portugal (at #18) and São Paulo, Brazil (at #16)! I mention these because for someone learning Portuguese and is considering studying or working abroad, there are certain factors one must take into account…
Pico do Jaraguá Posted by polyana on Feb 22, 2010
Yesterday was a gorgeous sunny day in São Paulo. This hasn’t been the case recently, so my friend and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and do something outdoorsy. We decided on the Pico do Jaraguá, São Paulo’s city’s highest peak, since we’d never been and figured the view would be gorgeous…
Brazil’s States and Capitals Posted by Rachel on Jan 22, 2010
It’s important to learn the Brazilian states and their capitals, especially if you plan on traveling in Brazil. Today, we’re going to review them and also see what some of the states and cities mean in English when translated from Portuguese. Acre – Rio Branco [sharp, pungent, acrid] [White River] Alagoas – Maceió Amapá –…
Documentary: Curitiba Living Posted by Rachel on Oct 8, 2009
Here’s a great video for intermediate speakers, since there are subtitles and the narrator speaks in English. It’s a fantastic short documentary about Curitiba and its high quality of life, due largely to excellent city planning and making people–not cars–a priority. Check it out! Questions: Checking Understanding 1. How do you say “a person from…
Rio de Janeiro vs. São Paulo Posted by Rachel on Oct 6, 2009
One sure way to get Brazilians and Brazilophiles talking is by asking the controversial question: which city do you prefer, Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo? So for today’s interactive feature, that’s the question at hand! The question isn’t intended to imply that one city is better than the other (although some people from each…
Listening Practice: São Paulo Graffiti Documentary Posted by Rachel on Aug 27, 2009
Today, we’re going to do a listening comprehension activity with a great thirteen minute documentary on graffiti art in São Paulo. Watch the video clicking the link above (which has subtitles) and then take a look at the questions to see how well you picked up on vocabulary in the video. Photo: Alexandre Orion (artist…