Learn Portuguese: Tools for Self-Teaching from David Rogus
The following below is something I pulled together as an informal primer, an aid, to make Brazilian Portuguese a bit more accessible for Americans who are more familiar with Spanish.Beyond the following, I have an archived series of about ten short emails – anecdotal, amusing and even valuable – on customs and language in Brazil that I send to folks traveling there for the first time. Titles include Confederados trekked to Brazil after Civil War; In Brazil, All May Not Be as Relaxed as It Seems; and Cachaça: It’s the essence of Brazil in a bottle. I don’t want to fill your inbox with these notes, as interesting as they sound, unless you’d like copies. If you travel to Brazil, though, I’d suggest reading them before going.
Cheers!
Counselor, U.S. Foreign Service, Ret. | President
David Rogus & Associates | Rio de Janeiro – São Paulo – Washington
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Transition from Spanish to Portuguese is easier than from English. In Brazil, avoid Spanish as Brazilians feel a great deal of pride in their own language and the warmth of their openness toward visitors gets even warmer when newcomers use Portuguese no matter how much they might struggle initially to do so. Unlike the characteristic often attributed (unjustly in my experience) to the French regarding their tongue, there is no arrogance exhibited by Brazilians toward foreigners who err with their Portuguese or its pronunciation. Much to the contrary.
There are a few basic hints for transitioning between Spanish and Portuguese that can be very helpful at the beginning. You may already know them. And all of it is easier with a good tape. Sounds are hard to replicate on paper. As an additional sound acclimation guide for the serious student, Brazilian television is now available via satellite and Verizon FiOS in the Washington, DC area as well as online
Articles: el = o (pronounced like ooh as in the French exclamation ooh-lah-lah): los = os ; la = a ; las = as
– em (neutral and used before certain words*, governed by some rule of grammar but which you might just have to memorize): — *like São as in São Paulo “em São Paulo” –;
– no before most nouns of the masculine gender — like Brasil as in Brazil “no Brasil”, in the car “no carro”, etc. (Combines em with o = no)
– nos before masculine nouns in the plural form: nos carros (Combines em with os = nos)
– na before most nouns of the feminine gender — like in school “na escola” (Combines em with a = na)
– nas before feminine nouns in the plural form: nas escolas (Combines em with as = nas)
–The same pattern is followed with de – from or of: do (more often pronounced like due in English) dos, da and das.
– The numbers one and two – um e dois — and their sequences like twenty one, etc., also have masculine and feminine forms, singular and plural: um, uns (some), uma, umas (some); dois, duas.
– The letter “J” is usually pronounced more like it is English but not exactly, closer to the “ZS” in Zsa Zsa Gabor. José is pronounced zsoh-ZEH, not ho-ZEH.
– Often, especially in Rio, the final S in a word picks up an “sh” sound.
– Often, and very especially in Rio, the letter D sounds more like the American English J or G.
– Often, especially in Rio, an R at the beginning of a word is pronounced more like an H in English, although a slight hint of an R at the very beginning may be perceptible.
To illustrate these concepts, Rio de Janeiro (River of January) when spoken by a Carioca (someone from Rio) sounds something like this, fast and altogether:
HE-oh gee ZSA-nay-ro
Rio de Janeiro
– Often, especially in Rio, when a word ends in a consonant preceded by a vowel it picks up an additional but unwritten syllable. For example, my name David is pronounced:
DAY-vee-gee. Not: dah-vee-deh. Not: dah-VEED. (But if I were Jewish, that latter pronunciation would be used in Brazil.)
–English no is não. Pronounced more like “now” in English but with a very heavy nasal sound.
–Yes is sim. But, unlike in Spanish or even English, when an answer to a question, it is rarely used without the active verb to repeat and confirm the thought:
For example in response to the question “Are you (an) American?” (Você é americano? [Brazilians very rarely use norteamericano.]) the answer would not be simply “Yes” (“Sim”). It would be “Yes, I am” (“Sim, sou.”) or preferably just “I am” (“Sou.”)
– “se ” means if and is pronounced like si in Spanish. It also is the third person singular reflexive pronoun, himself, etc
– “e ” — pronounced like y in Spanish, means and.
– “é “ — pronounced “eh”. This is the third person singular — “is” – of the verb to be — “ser.”
There are many false cognates among and between Spanish, Portuguese and English. For example:
– exquisito in Portuguese generally means funny as in odd or rare.
– embaraçado means embarrassed not pregnant. Pregnant is grávida.
The letter Ç – c cedilha — is something like c or z or a combination of c and z Spanish. French too. Same sound.
ão generally equates to “ión” in Spanish. A sound something like the OU in ouch with a heavy nasal sound and with a strong hint — but just a hint — of an N at the end.
corazon in Spanish = coração in Portuguese.
constitución = constituição.
lh generally equates to “ll” or “j” in Spanish.
consejo = conselho
millón= milhão
nh generally equates to “ñ” in Spanish.
montaña = montanha
o often equates to “ue” is Spanish.
escuela = escola
The “L” at the end of a word has a quite distinct yet subtle pronunciation. Brasil is pronounced something like: bra-ZEEu . mil (thousand), something like MEEu.
Double r – “ rr “ – is pronounced more like h in English or j in Spanish. Carro sounds like cah-ho. There is still a hint of r sound at the beginning of the “rr” sound, but just a hint.
And Tom Jobim (oddly, pronounced with an M sound at the end not with an N as is usual in Brazilian Portuguese) is not Antônio Carlos Jobim’s brother, nor his cousin. It’s just Jobim’s nickname. Go figure.
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Some dictionaries:
Larousse Concise Dictionary Portuguese-English, Inglês-Português, Larousse, Paris 2005
The Oxford-Duden Pictorial Portuguese and English Dictionary, (More advanced and technical, not a good general dictionary)(DK has a richly illustrated compact pictorial English-Portuguese dictionary published in 2010. But its Portuguese is exclusively European.)
Cambridge Word Routes Inglês-Português, Michael McCarthy, Martins Fontes, São Paulo, 1999
English Dictionary for Speakers of Portuguese - Password K Dictionaries, New Edition, Martins Fontes, SP 2001
Dicionário de Gíria e Inglês Coloquial (English slang and colloquialisms), Fernando B. Ximenes, Edições de Ouro, Rio de Janeiro 1979
Some are better than others, but I have tried to list them in order of contemporary value to people who seek that additional nuance or clarification. None are perfect, especially in their English translations, but they all have something to offer. Gíria (slang) and insultos (insults) are always changing. Guides that are meant to orient Brazilian Portuguese speakers to English usage and translation work just as well – sometimes even better – in the opposite direction.
Como dizer tudo em inglês, (26ª edição ou mais recente), Ron Martinez, Editora Campus / Elsevier, SP 2000
Como dizer tudo em inglês os negócios, (3ª edição ou mais recente), Ron Martinez e Cristina Schumacher, Editora Campus / (Elsevier), Rio-SP 2003
Como dizer tudo em inglês em viagens, (3ª edição ou mais recente), Ron Martinez, Editora Campus / (Elsevier), Rio-SP 2006
How to Say Anything in Portuguese / Como dizer tudo em Português, (4ª edição ou mais recente), Ron Martinez, Editora Campus / (Elsevier), Rio-SP 2003
American Idioms, um guia prática e atual de expressões idiomáticas americanas, Joe Bailey Noble III and José Roberto A. Igreja, Editora Disal, São Paulo 2006
Vocabulando, Vocabulário Prático Inglês-Português, Isa Mara Lando, SBS – Special Book Services, SP (2000?)
Cartas Comerciais em Inglês, Langenscheidt, Martins Fontes, SP 1999
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Still more for serious students of the language:
Novo Aurélio – O Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, Século XXI, 3ª edição, 4ª impressão, Aurélio Buarque de Holanda Ferreira e editores, Editora Nova Fronteira, Rio de Janeiro 1999
Dicionário de Gíria, (Slang) Modismo Lingüistico, O Equipamento Falado do Brasileiro, 6ª edição, J.B. Serra e Gurgel, Brasília 1999
Dicionário Brasileiro de Insultos, Altair J. Aranha, Atelié Editorial , Cotia, SP 2002 (also catalogs a spectrum of vulgarities)
Gírias de Todas as Tribos, Kárin Fusaro, Panda Books, SP 2001
A Dictionary of Informal Brazilian Portuguese, Bobby J. Chamberlain & Ronald M. Harmon, Georgetown University Press, 1983 (expensive, dated, but still quite a volume, catalogs, among other vocabulary, a spectrum of vulgarities — while this aspect is unappealing since language is beautiful without resorting to this level, it is helpful to know.)
Dicionário de Dificultades da Língua Portuguesa, Domingos Paschoal Cegall, Editora Nova Frontera, Rio de Janeiro, 2ª edição, 1999
Novíssima Gramática da Língua Portuguesa, Domingos Paschoal Cegall, Companhia Editora Nacional, 43ª edição e mais recente, São Paulo 2000
O Dito pelo Não Dito, Dicionário de Expressões Idiomáticas, Aristides Fontes Filho, Libratrês, São Paulo 2006
Websites: www.sualingua.com.br; http://www.transparent.com/wotd/today/portuguese.html; http://www.transparent.com/portuguese/; http://www.gringoes.com/
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Guide Book
Eyewitness Travel Brazil, Aruna Ghose, ed., Dorling Kindersley, New York 2007
Learn Portuguese: Tools for Self-Teaching
| from | AJ | |
| to | Elena with Atlantico Books | |
| date | Wed, Aug 31, 2011 at 8:30 PM | |
| subject | Help with your catalog? | |
Portuguese students at Princeton
Hi Elena,
Can you recommend some books / CDs to:
1. Learn Brazilian Portuguese (from beginner through intermediate / advanced levels) – grammar and pronunciation. I appreciate workbooks and practice books … but _only_ if there are answers published for any exercises since I am an adult self-learner with no classroom resources.
2. Learn grammar (reference books)
I am not fixated on them being Portuguese only, in all cases. I understand the benefit, but in the case of grammar books sometimes I like some English mixed in. If there are multiple books with particular strengths, I’d like to know about them. Thank you for suggestions. –AJ
************************************************************************************************************************************************
Atlantico Books at the Portuguese Language Feira do Livro (Book Fair) at UMass Dartmouth
Hi AJ!
Thanks for your inquiries! There is a great grammar book that I learned Portuguese with, in English and Portuguese, Portuguese: An Essential Grammar. It has many examples and was written by a Portuguese professor I’ve met at conferences, Anna Klobucka. Another wonderful grammar book (all in Portuguese) is the very concise handbook, Portugues Descomplicado.
Since you are teaching yourself Portuguese, another idea is the DVD-series Brazilian Portuguese, Level 1, 2-DVD set. It is fun because it’s like a Brazilian telenovela, with language instruction and a fun storyline.
The Novo Avenida Brasil Book & CD set (3 levels) is all in Portuguese, but there are answer keys in the back for exercises, and the method is very good. It’s a newer edition of the books I learned from:
Novo Avenida Brasil 1 Book + CD
Novo Avenida Brasil 2 Book + CD
Novo Avenida Brasil 3 Book + CD
I like Novo Avenida Brasil a lot because it’s a complete set in each book: text, exercises, audio-CD. But if you just want to get started and use a good Brazilian textbook, I have small quantities of these Portuguese textbooks on-hand:
Brasil! Lingua e Cultura (in English & Portuguese)
Passagens – Portugues do Brasil para Estrangeiros Livro Texto
Sempre Amigos: Portugues para estranjeiros (Portuguese for school-children)
Tudo Bem? V1 Portugues para uma nova geracao (Portuguese for young-adults/adolescents)
A great challenge would be to read Missa do Galo e Outros Contos (classic Brazilian short-stories) while listening to the Missa do Galo e Outros Contos Audiobook (a Brazilian voice reading the first 3 stories).
Thank you and have a terrific day!
Take care,
Elena Como
Atlantico Book Importer, Inc.
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Phone: 1-718-880-9024
Fax: 1-718-726-5007
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Learn Portuguese: Listen to & Read Harry Potter in Portuguese
pai e filha lendo livro
I’ve been on a Portuguese and Brazilian young-adult literature kick. Even though I am a lover of Brazilian and Portuguese literature, every once in a while it’s fun to read a book that is simple and doesn’t challenge my Portuguese vocabulary too much, and in the summer it’s nice to read some fantasy!
A great little library I work with in Massachusetts got Como Treinar seu Dragão, Diário de um Banana, Harry Potter, and Crepúsculo (Twilight) for the Portuguese-speakers in its community.
I was a hold-out against the whole Harry Potter craze, until I started reading Harry Potter e a Pedra Filosofal (from Brazil); then I was hooked. I’m currently reading the third Diário de um Banana book (Diary of a wimpy kid). And I also love young adult books by Brazilian authors Ana Maria Machado, Jose Mauro Vasconselos, and my good friend Jo Duarte.
Harry Potter in Portuguese: Book & AudioBook together
Harry Potter e a Câmara Secreta
Another really fun way to “read” in Portuguese is to listen to audio-books in Portuguese. If you have a long road-trip ahead, why not listen to Harry Potter in Portuguese along the way?
It’s fun to read familiar books in your second or third language, and children’s or young adult books are easy. That’s why the students I met at UMass Dartmouth’s Summer Portuguese Program were more interested in reading books like O Pequeno Principe (which is also fun to listen to) than Brazilian classics like Dom Casmurro.
So whether you’re looking for a fun book to read this summer or fall, or a fun book to read with children, I highly recommend Brazilian children’s literature and young adult books in translation, many of which have been translated into the European Portuguese and the Brazilian Portuguese. Reading Harry Potter or Diary of a Wimpy Kid in Portuguese is a great way to connect with younger readers and a fun way for grown-ups to maintain their own Portuguese language skills.
Top 10 Places to Speak Portuguese
I’ve traveled a bit, but not enough. Learning Brazilian Portuguese certainly made my experience of Brazil and Portugal much more interesting. Here are some of the places I’ve used my Portuguese, and some that I want to go to still!
- Rio de Janeiro. Ipanema & beaches, the beautiful and tropical Botanic Garden, an exciting soccer game at the Maracanã, or the sparkly illusion of Rio Carnaval. There are so many great reasons to go there, but a picture is worth a thousand words, so here you go:
Rio Carnaval!
Carnaval at the Sambodromo (Rio de Janeiro)
Rio from above at Pão de Açúcar
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. - Lisbon: Read my post Lisbon sites to see to find out about the beauty of Lisbon! It’s a city that sparkles and gleams, with a castle, beautiful waterfront, interesting museums, and one of the best travel-deals in Europe (cheap vacation!). Go to Lisbon! You won’t regret it!
- Salvador da Bahia (Brazil): Salvador is the most musical place I’ve been to, and, like Rio de Janeiro, has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Salvador throws its own amazing carnaval each February (or March) and it’s a major cultural home, destination, and hub of Afro-Brazilian music, arts, and culture. Go to Salvador and learn capoeira!
- Cape Verde (African Island Chain): I haven’t been yet myself, but I’m tempted by my friend, Ted’s Virtual hiking tour of Cape Verde it’s another beautiful and friendly (for the most part) place to practice speaking Portuguese.
- São Paulo: It’s a big city, and somewhat confusing since there are multiple “downtowns” and no city-center. Still, more and more people are going to São Paulo, often for work. One way to immerse yourself in the culture and language of Brazil is to visit the Museum of the Portuguese Language. But first learn enough Portuguese to read this blog-post: Learn Brazilian Portuguese: O Museu da Língua Portuguesa (em São Paulo)
- Boston, Providence, New York, San Diego, Miami: Among the many US cities that have big populations, some of my favorites are in the Northeastern USA. These cities have lots of Portuguese-speakers and Portuguese programs at the universities.
- Maputo, Mozambique: Certainly an interesting place! I read an article in the new book Ao redor do mundo: leituras em português about the Projeto Transformação de Armas em Enxadas, a wonderful project in Mozambique designed to collect the guns left from past Mozambican violent wars and turn them into beautiful artwork. Here are some things to see in Maputo: The National Art Museum has a small but good collection of Mozambican art, including several large canvases by the world-renowned Malangatana. The Jardim Tunduru is a very pretty (albeit small) botanical garden. The Mercado Central in the Baixa district has fresh fish, crabs, calamari, fruits and vegetables, and many household staples. Safe, lively and recommended, especially if cooking for yourself. Walk up Avenida Julius Nyerere. Start from the Hotel Cardoso or Natural History Museum along R Mutemba to Nyerere then left (north) to the Polana Hotel. Boutiques, restaurants, curio vendors, video stores, etc. to be seen in the relatively upscale Polana neighborhood.Praça dos Trabalhadores is a building built by Gustave Eiffel.
- Goa, India: Goa is India’s smallest state, and was part of the Portuguese overseas territory of Portuguese India for about 450 years until it was annexed by India in 1961. Tourism is generally focused on the coastal areas of Goa. In 2010, there were more than two million tourists reported to have visited Goa, about 1.2 million of whom were from abroad. Goa has two main tourist seasons: winter and summer. In the winter time, tourists from abroad (mainly Europe) come to Goa to enjoy the climate. In the summertime (which, in Goa, is the rainy season), tourists from across India come to spend the holidays.
Learn Portuguese: Textbooks to learn Portuguese
Aqui estão vários livros para aprender o português do Brasil. Here are some suggestions to help you learn Brazilian Portuguese.
A hand grammar book (in English & Portuguese): Portuguese: An Essential Grammar
BELOW TITLES ARE ALL PORTUGUESE-ONLY:
Ao Redor do Mundo & Missa do Galo e Outros Contos KIT These are “readers,” with study-guides & comprehension questions. They are more like ‘supplemental reading’ for Portuguese class.
Advanced Portuguese Textbook
For Beginners:
Novo Avenida Brasil 1 + CD
Passagens – Portugues do Brasil para Estrangeiros Livro Texto
Tudo Bem? V1 Portugues para uma nova geracao
More advanced:
Novo Avenida Brasil 2 Book + CD
Novo Avenida Brasil 3 Book + CD
Portugues Via Brasil Livro-texto Ed. Revista e ampliada
This one is more for business (quite advanced): PANORAMA BRASIL – INTERMEDIARIO/AVANCADO ENSINO DO PORTUGUES
1.) Tudo Bem e Bem-Vindo são da editora SBS. Foi um grupo de professoras/autoras (Maria Harumi Otuki Ponce, Susanna Florissi, Silvia Burim) que escreverem os dois livros, mas escreveram Tudo Bem para jovens que aprendem português, e Bem-Vindo para alunos universitárias. Mesmo assim, alguns professores de português que eu conheço ensinam com Tudo Bem em universidades. As mesmas autoras também fizeram “Panorama Brasil” que é bem mais avançado (2o ano de português), e tem muitos artigos sobre agronegócios, turismo, estilo de vida. Eu fiz uma aula de português na ONU que usou Panorama Brasil, e eu gostei muito. Acabei aprendendo muito vocabulário de negócios, e imagino que este livro seria super-útil para alunos profissionais e avançados.
2.) Eu também recomendo a série nova chamada Nova Avenida Brasil (1-3). É muito legal porque cada livro vem com o “livro texto” (primeira metade do livro) e depois o “livro de exercícios” e o CD de exercicios orais (para acompanhar tudo). Eu aprendi português utilizando Avenida Brasil 1 e 2. Nova Avenida Brasil 1 é uma nova edição–o livro do aluno junto com o livro de exercícios, com o CD audio. Como agora vem tudo junto–fica bem mais barato para o aluno!
3. Eu também quero recomendar “Entre Nós 1” para os alunos que já falam espanhol. Existe um pacote que vem o livro texto com um CD-audio e também o livro de exercicios com audio. Esta série é publicado em Portugal, por uma editora muito grande de livros academicos, a Lidel.
4. Ah, claro que também sugiro nossa primeira publicação, Missa do Galo e Outros Contos, Volume 1, que é uma coleção de 8 contos famosos de Machado de Assis, junto com notas de rodapé, ilustrações, e guias de estudos (feitos por professores de português nos EUA). Acabamos de lançar 2 audio-livros (MP3s para download de iPod) associados com “Missa do Galo” e “A Cartomante“! Acho que é muito útil para o aluno escutir o audio do conto enquanto le, e depois pensar e responder às perguntas. Eu mesma fiz muitas das notas de rodapé, junto com a Selma Vital da Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri (ela também escreveu a tese de doutorado sobre Machado!).
E vocês, do mundo do ensino de português, o que vocês gostam de utilizar nas suas aulas? Algum dicionário, livro de gramática, ou livro texto para ensinar português??
Books in Portuguese
A long-time friend of Atlantico Books, Professor Sandra Dixon, has recently established her Portuguese program at West Virginia University. She’s been working for a long time to get students studying Portuguese at WVU, and I commend and congratulate her efforts!
As she builds her program, I am working with her to choose some books for her classes. Here’s our latest discussion, and some bilingual (Portuguese-English) Brazilian literature she might use in her classes.
Boa tarde, Elena!
Thank you so much for your wonderful updates!
I am very happy to say that here at WVU, we have started our beginning (Brazilian) Portuguese program. I am coordinating the 101, 102, 203, 204 series, and at present I am working with one graduate teaching assistant who is from Vitória, ES.
In the fall, I’ll be teaching a F(oreign) L(iterature) I(n) T(ranslation) course on Brazilian literature. It will be taught in English, and hopefully will have a high enrollment (i.e., approx. ? 50). I plan to present an overview of Brazilian literature and I want to include works from all genres. When I taught this course about 20 years ago, I had the students read a bilingual edition of Paulicea Desvairada (Hallucinated City, trasl. Jack E. Tomlins), J. Amado’s Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon, and M. de Assis’ Dom Casmurro as well as other translated works from the colonial period.
I need to come up with a draft of a course syllabus in the next few weeks.
Therefore, I would greatly appreciate any suggestions for books–preferably anthologies that are reasonably priced–that I can use in my course. I plan to have students read a J. Amado novel, of course, but I want them to have a wider overview of 20th century Brazilian literature that just Amado’s works. I am searching for books that can be considered for adoption.
Thank you for any help that you can offer!
Sandra Dixon, Ph.D.
West Virginia University
Here is my reply to Sandra!
Hi Sandra!
That’s great news, congratulations!As for bilingual books, there’s a new collection that might be good for your class, the River of January books:
Alma Encantadora das Ruas *Bilingual Edition*,
Casa Velha *Bilingual Edition*,
Memorias de um Sargento de Milicias *BILINGUAL EDITION*
Those are the ones that come to mind immediately, but let me know if you have any specific authors in mind, so I can do more research. I’m not aware of bilingual anthologies of Brazilian literature, though there are some great ones in Portuguese, like Missa do Galo e Outros Contos, Vol. 1, A Literatura Brasileira Atraves dos Textos and Os Cem Melhores Contos Brasileiros do Seculo XX.
Thank you and have a terrific day!
Take care,
Elena Como
Atlantico Book Importer, Inc.
Get Portuguese Books Fast: these items in stock now!
Phone: 1-718-880-9024
Fax: 1-718-726-5007
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Atlantico Books Portuguese Scholarship has been awarded for 2010!
Learn Portuguese: FAAP in Sao Paulo
I was recently in São Paulo, Brazil, and was very pleased to be invited to visit a Portuguese class at FAAP, Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado. Textbook author and Pedagogical Coordinator Silvia Andrade Burim met with me at her office and escorted me to a Portuguese class on the campus. FAAP is a pretty little campus in the fancy, hilly area not far from the neighborhood where I was staying, Consolação.
The students are professionals, diplomats (or spouses of diplomats), and others who want to spend time immersing themselves in the language and culture of South America’s largest city, and the financial capital of Brazil, São Paulo.
The Portuguese students at FAAP were a diverse crowd, from France, Germany, the USA, Korea, China, and other parts of the world. The class I visited, Portuguese for Beginners, had 14 enthusiastic Portuguese students!
Assisti a aula de português para iniciantes dos professores Rita e Edson. Os alunos estavam aprendendendo cumprimentos, e praticaram primeiro em grupo e depois individualmente. I observed a Portuguese class for beginners taught by professors Rita & Edson. The students were learning greetings, and the practiced them as a group and then individually:
“Olá! Prazer em conhecê-lo!” (Hello! Nice to meet you!)
“Muito prazer!” (My pleasure! or With pleasure!)
Os alunos praticaram a pronúncia do “nh” no verbo “conhecer.” Depois eles revisaram números, os dias da semana e do mês. Perguntaram “Quando é seu aniversário?”
Students practiced the nh sound, which is sort of like the ni in onion–>an NY sound. They then went over numbers, weekdays, and the days of the month. They practiced the simple conversation asking “When is your birthday?”
Eles leram e recitaram o alfabeto depois. Eu fiquei impressionada com a atenção que o professor Edson deu para cada aluno, concentrando na pronúncia e na compreensão de cada um. They then read and recited the alphabet. I was impressed with the amount of attention Professor Edson gave to each student, concentrating on his or her pronunciation and comprehension.
A Silvia me disse que várias vezes por mes, os alunos fazem passeios culturais, conhecendo lugares interessantes em São Paulo, como o Museu da Língua Portuguesa, o Museu do Futebol, e restaurantes especiais para conhecer as comidas regionais do Brasil. Silvia told me that several times a month the students go on cultural fieldtrips, where they get to check out interesting parts of São Paulo, like the Museum of the Portuguese Language, the Soccer Museum, and restaurants that serve the different regional cuisines of Brazil.
Como estavam na semana de nivelamento ainda, o grupo tinha alunos mais avançados e menos avançados, mas depois iriam mudar as turmas para criar grupos de alunos de um nível mais igual. As they were still in the week of establishing what level of Portuguese each student had prior to classes, the group had some more advanced students, but after the first week they were going to change the groups around to create classes with more similar levels of Portuguese.
Learn Portuguese: Portuguese Audio and Books in Portuguese
A great way to learn Portuguese is by listening and reading the language. When you’re learning a foreign language, often the hardest part is getting the pronunciation right. If your pronunciation is off, it doesn’t matter how good your grammar is because native speakers won’t understand you.
A combination of listening and reading is sure to hone your skills. Use books in Portuguese, Portuguese audio, and Portuguese video resources.
Here’s a recent email from a client of Atlantico Books:
I live north of England. I have been visiting Brazil for 2 years now and have a girlfriend and I am a little disapointed in my progress so need to step up a gear.
What I would find very helpful is a book of portuguese text complete with audio for that text and also a english translation. Does that exist?
Regards
Keith M
And here are some great options for Keith to step up his study of Portuguese!
Book in Portuguese + Portuguese audio
“Missa do Galo e Outros Contos” MP3s and book This collection of classic Brazilian short stories by Machado de Assis includes 8 contos, with the first 3 contos available as audio-downloads.
Clarice Lispector’s A Hora da Estrela is available as a package: 2 CDs with the book (an entire reading).
Jorge Amado’s Morte e a morte de Quincas, Berro dÁgua, is available as Portuguese audio as well as in paperback. Get book and the CD, then use both together.
O Pequeno Principe (Le Petit Prince) was very popular in Brazil, and it’s available as both a book and audio CD: O Pequeno Principe, O Pequeno Príncipe Audio CD.
Most of these have been translated into English. Contact me if you need more information.
There are also plenty of options for bilingual (Portuguese and English) books:
3 great novels are: Alma Encantadora das Ruas *Bilingual Edition*, Casa Velha *Bilingual Edition*, Memorias de um Sargento de Milicias *BILINGUAL EDITION*
I’ve been reading Memorias de um Sargento de Milicias, and it’s great! I highly recommend it.
**These may have associated audiobooks in Portuguese, and I’d be happy to check on it if you’re interested!**
Two More Bilingual Books:
This is for kids: A Missão de Sofia no Planeta Terra / Sophia’s Mission on Planet
And this is non-fiction: Brazilians Working With Americans (Brasileiros que trabalham…)
As you can see, there are plenty of great resources to help you learn Portuguese, both through Portuguese audio and books in Portuguese. Happy studies!
Learn Portuguese: Listen to AudioLivros
About 2 years ago, I began work on Atlantico Books’ first adventure in publishing, Missa do Galo e Outros Contos, Vol 1, a collection of eight short stories by Machado de Assis, along with comprehension & grammar questions and footnotes. And we even got some nice illustrations for a few of our stories, contributed by friends in the Portuguese-language community (fans of Machado de Assis). I was inspired to publish contos by Machado de Assis because it was the 100th year since his death, and there were celebrations of Machado’s work going on all over the world. The world was ready for more Machado, and the professors on my email-list were happy to contribute their own material to the book. Since that time, Missa do Galo e Outros Contos, Vol 1 has been taught at several different universities, including Rutgers, St. Marys University, and Florida International University. We have plenty on-hand, get your copy now! It also makes a great Christmas (or Chanukah) gift. 
Then about one year ago, I thought it would be fun to add an audio portion, a series of “audiolivros” to accompany each story. I was very lucky to find Sumaira Tennent, a Brazilian professional voice-over artist based in Florida. Sumaira has lent her voice to Atlantico Books for these wonderful classic stories. Listening (and reading along) is a great way to practice your Portuguese and learn the correct pronunciation. In the past year, we’ve release three of the eight original stories:
Missa do Galo:
“Missa do Galo” (by Machado de Assis) is the story of a young man and his encounter, late on Christmas Eve, with an older woman who may (or may not) be seducing him. This masterpiece of the Brazilian conto was written by Machado de Assis, who is known all over Brazil for his brilliant story-telling. The file is almost 18 minutes of “Missa do Galo e Outros Contos, Vol 1.“– the first conto, “Missa do Galo.” The story is told in Portuguese.
A Cartomante Audio:
“A Cartomante” is the story of a love-triangle and a fortune-teller. Is Rita foolish to trust her fate to the fortune-teller? Has her husband discovered her infidelity? This story will keep you guessing and listening! Over 22 minutes long, and a classic of Brazilian literature. A Cartomante é o segundo conto do livro de contos de Machado de Assis, Missa do Galo e Outros Contos, Vol. 1. A Cartomante é a história de Vilela, Camilo e Rita. Os três estão envolvidos em um triângulo amoroso.
O Espelho Audio:
“O Espelho” is the story of a young man who is promoted to “Alferes” (in the military) and becomes obsessed with his new identity. He finds himself always in uniform, even on his day off, and always looking at himself in o espelho (the mirror). This audiobook is over 25 minutes of listening, and a classic of Brazilian literature. O Espelho é o terceiro conto do livro de contos de Machado de Assis, Missa do Galo e Outros Contos, Vol. 1.
Learn Portuguese: A Cartomante Audio File Now Available!
A Cartomante de Machado de Assis
A Cartomante is the 2nd Conto in Atlantico Books’ first publication, Missa do Galo e Outros Contos, Vol. 1. This one was my introduction, years ago, to the prose of Machado de Assis. If you learn Portuguese or teach Portuguese, A Cartomante is a good choice for intermediate Portuguese classes. While Machado de Assis’s vocabulary can be tough for beginning students, the book Missa do Galo e Outros Contos, Vol. 1 comes with study guides and footnotes to help students along.
Sumaira Tennent is a professional Brazilian voice-over artist, based in Naples, Florida. Her reading of A Cartomante is speedy, but a natural speed for Brazilian Portuguese. This MP3 is an excellent way to practice your Portuguese pronounciation and Portuguese listening & reading comprehension.
A Cartomante é o segundo conto do livro de contos de Machado de Assis, Missa do Galo e Outros Contos, Vol. 1. A Cartomante é a história de Vilela, Camilo e Rita. Os três estão envolvidos em um triângulo amoroso. A história começa numa sexta-feira de novembro de 1869 com um diálogo entre os amantes, Camilo e Rita. Camilo nega-se veementemente a acreditar na cartomante e desaconselha Rita de maneira jocosa. A cartomante está caracterizada neste conto como uma charlatã, destas que falam tudo o que serve para todo mundo. É um personagem sinistro, que não tem o seu nome revelado (característica machadiana). Rita acredita que a cartomante pode resolver todos os seus problemas e angústias. Camilo, no fim do conto, quando está prestes a ter desmascarado seu caso com Rita, no ápice de seu desespero, recorre a esta mesma cartomante, que por sua vez o ilude da mesma forma como ilude a todos os seus clientes, inclusive Rita. A mulher usa frases de efeito e metáforas a fim de parecer sábia e dona do destino de Camilo, que sai de lá confiante em suas palavras. A Cartomante é um conto psicológico, examinando os pensamentos e desejos de Camilo e Rita.