Tá Falado: Brazilian Portuguese Pronunciation for Speakers of Spanish

Grammar Lesson 20: This Just Isn't Spanish, Adapting to Handicapped

asset title: Grammar Lesson 20: This Just Isn't Spanish, Adapting to Handicapped filename: tafalado_gra_20.mp3 track number: 46/46 time: 11:03 size: 7.77 MB bitrate: 96 kbps Oh man, where did this word come from? After a whole series of lessons in pronunciation and grammar ... and now we learn a whole bunch of words where Spanish and Portuguese are totally different. If Tá Falado is supposed to show learners the similarities between these two languages, well, this lesson just won't do that. To...

Grammar Lesson 19: Present Perfect, Naming People

asset title: Grammar Lesson 19: Present Perfect, Naming People filename: tafalado_gra_19.mp3 track number: 45/46 time: 16:09 size: 11.36 MB bitrate: 96 kbps One of life's great mysteries is if a Brazilian marries someone from Venezuela, how do you figure out what their official name will be? We ought to be politicians because we spend the whole lesson talking about last names, middle names, and given names, but we never actually answer the question! In this lesson Michelle talks about what it ...

Grammar Lesson 18: Word Order, Buses and Services

asset title: Grammar Lesson 18: Word Order, Buses and Services filename: tafalado_gra_18.mp3 track number: 44/46 time: 10:56 size: 7.69 MB bitrate: 96 kbps So how weird would it be to be a Brazilian in the United States and see for the first time a bicycle attached to the front of a city bus? Sure enough, that would never happen on a bus in Brazil. These are the kinds of observations that North Americans would never make because, well, we think it's normal. It's all a matter of perspective. Th...

Grammar Lesson 17: Também x Também não, Online Activities

asset title: Grammar Lesson 17: Também x Também não, Online Activities filename: tafalado_gra_17.mp3 track number: 43/46 time: 9:44 size: 6.85 MB bitrate: 96 kbps Spanish speakers who are used to saying tampoco will now have to learn how to say também não in Portuguese. It just sounds cute somehow. Culturally, Michelle and Valdo talk about all the things that are offered online in the United States, much more than in Brazil. In this lesson we also mention the sensitive subject of toll roads in Austin, Texas. We are still getting used to the idea, so forgive us if we're a little touchy about it. It may be common in other places, but we still don't like it, even if you can make payments online!DialogPortugueseValdo: Esse fim de semana eu tive que renovar os livros que eu tomei emprestado da biblioteca.Michelle: Que coincidência, eu renovei os meus também. Ainda bem que aqui a gente pode fazer isso online.Valdo: É verdade! Aqui nos Estados Unidos as pessoas usam a Internet também pra pagar contas, comprar coisas, pedir filmes, fazer lista de presentes ...Michelle: Mas infelizmente não consegui fazer minha matrícula para o próximo semestre porque o sistema estava fora do ar.Valdo: Que interessante, eu também não consegui. A hora que eu tentei estava fora do ar também.Michelle: Pois é, e eu também não pude pagar o pedágio online. Vou ver se faço isso hoje à noite.SpanishValdo: Este fin de semana yo tuve que renovar algunos libros que tomé emprestado de la biblioteca.Michelle: Qué coincidencia, yo también renové los míos. Que bueno que aquí se pueda hacer eso online.Valdo: Es verdad! Aquí en los Estados Unidos las personas usan el Internet también para pagar las cuentas, comprar cosas, pedir películas, hacer listas de regalos ...Michelle: Pero infelizmente no pude hacer la matrícula para el próximo semestre porque el sistema no estaba funcionando.Valdo: Qué interesante, yo tampoco lo conseguí. Cuando intenté el sistema tampoco funcionaba.Michelle: Pues, yo tampoco pude pagar el peeaje online, veremos si lo consigo esta noche.EnglishValdo: This weekend I had to renew some books that I borrowed from the library.Michelle: What a coincidence, I renewed my books too. It's a good thing that here you can do that online.Valdo: It's true! Here in the United States people also use the Internet to pay bills, buy things, order movies, make gift lists ...Michelle: But unfortunately I couldn't register for next semester's classes because the system wasn't working.Valdo: How interesting, I couldn't do it either. When I tried things weren't working either.Michelle: Yea, I couldn't pay the toll either, we'll see if I can do it tonight.

Grammar Lesson 16: Placement of Indirect Pronouns, Greeting Friends

asset title: Grammar Lesson 16: Placement of Indirect Pronouns, Greeting Friends filename: tafalado_gra_16.mp3 track number: 42/46 time: 12:33 size: 8.82 MB bitrate: 96 kbps In this lesson, Michelle claims that most people give women one kiss on the cheek when greeting and when saying goodbye. Valdo thinks that it is more common to give two kisses, one on each cheek. And there are even places where a third kiss is given. How difficult can it get? As to grammar, years ago Orlando was once ca...