Archive for 'Learning'
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…
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…
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…
Maquiagem Posted by Rachel on Feb 26, 2011
In Brazil, the cosmetics industry is huge, and many women of all socioeconomic levels invest in beauty. Maquiagem, or make up, is something of an art, and you can learn cosmetics vocabulary, as well as slang and other useful words, from watching some of these how-to videos. Listening Comprehension 1. What’s a pincel? 2. How…
Ticket In Portuguese Posted by Rachel on Feb 25, 2011
Sometimes, a vocabulary word is a little easier to learn in a language. Ticket, in this case, is a bit easier in English, since it is used for a variety of different types of situations. But in Portuguese, ticket has different vocabulary words depending on the type of ticket it is. Let’s take a look…
Está servido? Posted by Rachel on Feb 9, 2011
Eating with friends and family is an important part of Brazilian culture, so it’s important to learn phrases and expressions that deal with meals. Está servido is a useful phrase to know for eating with others, and it can be a little confusing if you hear it for the first time. Literally, this expression means…