Archive for 'Learning'
Sloth in Portuguese Posted by Rachel on Nov 16, 2010
While you may remember that preguiça means laziness, it can also be used to describe a famous Brazilian animal: the bicho-preguiça, or the sloth. This animal, which in Portuguese is pronounced bee-shoo preh-gee-sah, not only lives in the Amazon, but also throughout Brazil, particularly in the Mata Atlântica. This sweet, slow-moving creature prefers to hang…
Breaking Dawn in Rio de Janeiro Posted by Rachel on Nov 10, 2010
This week, the stars of the Twilight Saga are in Brazil filming scenes for the final film in the series, Breaking Dawn. While some teenage carioca girls were overjoyed, not everyone was happy about the shoot. Today we’re going to read two stories about the film production in Rio de Janeiro from Brazilian news sources…
Paulistanês: Speaking Like You’re From São Paulo City Posted by polyana on Oct 18, 2010
Continuing with our “getting to know Brazilian accents & regional sayings,” series, I realized I hadn’t written about Paulistanês, the “language” spoken in São Paulo city, where I’m currently living and hear everyday! The funny thing about people who live in the city of São Paulo is that they think everyone else has an accent…
Listening Practice: Nutrition Posted by Rachel on Oct 12, 2010
While searching for interesting videos in Portuguese, I came across this one, and I really liked how clearly and relatively slowly the presenters speak, which is especially useful for those learning a language. In this short TV segment from the Band channel, the speakers discuss nutrition, and recommend some natural foods. They discuss some of…
Reading Comprehension: Social Networking Posted by Rachel on Oct 8, 2010
Social networks are huge in Brazil, and the country has become one of the fastest growing markets for some of the world’s most popular social websites. Today we’re going to learn a bit more about trends in social networks in Brazil with two short pieces from the Brazilian news. Facebook cresce mais de 400% em…
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…
Portuguese Idioms… Translated? Posted by polyana on Sep 21, 2010
Have you ever wondered how some expressions or idioms sound so silly if you were to translate them literally? Imagine explaining “get off your high horse,” or “blow a lid off” to someone who doesn’t speak English… Well, if you think idioms in English are bizarre, imagine those in Portuguese!! There’s a great “dictionary” that’s…