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…
Rio De Janeiro Samba Schools Posted by Rachel on Mar 6, 2011
Já é Carnaval! Recently, we learned about Carnival in São Paulo and Minas Gerais, and we’ve learned about Carnival in Rio and Recife before. Today begins Rio de Janeiro’s samba school competition, when the city’s top twelve schools compete against each other at the Sambodrome. A samba school is a group that develops original songs…
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…
Carnaval 2011 Countdown: Folia in Minas Gerais Posted by polyana on Feb 28, 2011
The most famous Carnaval celebrations in Minas Gerais are usually in the historic towns of Ouro Preto, Diamantina & Mariana. However, there are many other parade and parties in numerous small towns around the state. These are usually called, Carnaval de Rua, where there are parades called blocos carnavalescos and sometimes stages set in the middle of…
Rio O Filme Posted by Rachel on Feb 27, 2011
While everyone’s talking about the Oscar movies this week, as well as Waste Land, there’s another movie that has Brazilians excited: Rio, The Movie. It’s coming out in April, and showcases the natural beauty of Rio de Janeiro and a bit of Brazilian culture in an animated full length feature film. Although it was made…
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…