The science of language acquisition has already proven that people tend to learn more and better in a relaxed environment and with funny material. That’s why I’m gonna talk about comedy in Brazil. More specifically about standup comedy.
Brazilians are famous for being a happy people and having good sense of humor. However this kind of comedy is somewhat new to “brazucas” (a funny alternative for “Brazilians”). I risk saying that its boom took place in the second half of this decade. Two main reasons may be behind the scenes for that matter. The first and maybe the most important reason is the advent of large video sharing networks. This made possible that artists and fans could share gigs and shows on video. The second reason is that lately it started to become popular on TV, since many comedians started hosting TV shows.
Nowadays in Brazil there are lot of good standup comedians and other comedy groups. Besides traditional standup comedy something relatively new has also caught on in Brazil: “improviso” – improvisation. Maybe you know it from the popular American TV show “Whose line is it anyway”.
Below there’s a video with a presentation of a game that’s part of the show “Improvável” (improbable) and a link to their channel on YouTube. If you’re an intermediate or advanced student this might be very interesting to you. Besides featuring a wide range of vocabulary, much of Brazil’s popular culture pops out in these gigs. Tell me what you think…
Hi, guys. I think you might want to check my new blog, http://www.deepbrazil.com, that is somehow complementary to yours. Take care, Regina
Jay:
Hi all, I realize repetition is the key to learning verb conjugation but what are the better processes one can use? Right now, I conjugate and memorize lists of common words in my grammar book. Fortunately, there are patterns within the various tenses and we do not have to practice conjugation of every verb but my concerns are those verb tenses that break the pattern. I am very early in the process so, I’m not sure how many verbs I will need to conjugate until I have enough of a base. I look forward to hearing from those of you. Have a great one! J
Sarah:
Hey, Jay. As an American who lives in Brazil and is learning portuguese, I think what worked best for me was studying on my own like you’re doing at first. You really do need to memorize the verb conjugations so you feel more comfortable speaking and understand, especially since many times ppl don’t say the pronoun- like “You want,” they’ll just say “want” in the corresponding conjugation.
Obviously, the more verbs you memorize, the better your chance of understanding and speaking, and the more confidence you’ll have. With practice listening and speaking portuguese, you’ll remember more and more every day. Boa sorte!
cholle:
Jay,
We’re on the same boat, I think. What I’m doing now is remembering the conjugations for the commonly used tenses (simple present, simple past, present progressive), and the definitions of the verbs. This is helpful especially when reading. But I realized I will definitely need more conjugations when I start conversing in Portuguese.
All the best!
Jay:
Hi Cholle,
Thanks for the reply. Perhaps all the experienced folks wanted me to think this through and solve the problem on my own. (lol) I did recall that it is helpful to write sentences for new words. Once I applied this, it seemed to come together. Yet, I think we have a long way to go.
Tchau,
Jay
Jay:
Sarah,
Somehow I missed your post the other day. Thank you very much for the thoughts. I will certainly follow through with your advice. By the way, it is 35 degrees here in Philly. I wish I was on a beach in Brazil.
Comments:
Regina:
Hi, guys. I think you might want to check my new blog, http://www.deepbrazil.com, that is somehow complementary to yours. Take care, Regina
Jay:
Hi all, I realize repetition is the key to learning verb conjugation but what are the better processes one can use? Right now, I conjugate and memorize lists of common words in my grammar book. Fortunately, there are patterns within the various tenses and we do not have to practice conjugation of every verb but my concerns are those verb tenses that break the pattern. I am very early in the process so, I’m not sure how many verbs I will need to conjugate until I have enough of a base. I look forward to hearing from those of you. Have a great one! J
Sarah:
Hey, Jay. As an American who lives in Brazil and is learning portuguese, I think what worked best for me was studying on my own like you’re doing at first. You really do need to memorize the verb conjugations so you feel more comfortable speaking and understand, especially since many times ppl don’t say the pronoun- like “You want,” they’ll just say “want” in the corresponding conjugation.
Obviously, the more verbs you memorize, the better your chance of understanding and speaking, and the more confidence you’ll have. With practice listening and speaking portuguese, you’ll remember more and more every day. Boa sorte!
cholle:
Jay,
We’re on the same boat, I think. What I’m doing now is remembering the conjugations for the commonly used tenses (simple present, simple past, present progressive), and the definitions of the verbs. This is helpful especially when reading. But I realized I will definitely need more conjugations when I start conversing in Portuguese.
All the best!
Jay:
Hi Cholle,
Thanks for the reply. Perhaps all the experienced folks wanted me to think this through and solve the problem on my own. (lol) I did recall that it is helpful to write sentences for new words. Once I applied this, it seemed to come together. Yet, I think we have a long way to go.
Tchau,
Jay
Jay:
Sarah,
Somehow I missed your post the other day. Thank you very much for the thoughts. I will certainly follow through with your advice. By the way, it is 35 degrees here in Philly. I wish I was on a beach in Brazil.
Tchau,
Jay