O tema esta semana é Animais de estimação - The theme this week is Pets.
Idiomatic expressions this week! They are great for learning – everybody finds them interesting, and we often remember them for that reason. I usually don’t recommend using them unless you have heard them used a lot and are super clear on the context they are used in. BUT they are fantastic vehicles for learning some new words – this week words l ike pásaro (bird), caça (hunts / hunting), morder (to bite).
cão que ladra não morde - the dog that barks doesn't bite
mais vale um pássaro na mão do que dois a voar - a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush (lit. more worth a bird in the hand than two flying)
gato escaldado de água fria tem medo - once bitten twice shy (lit. cat covered in cold water is afraid)
grão a grão enche a galinha o papo - economise, save slowly to get something big (lit. grain by grain fills the chicken the crop)
filho de peixe sabe nadar - the son does similar things to the father (lit. son of fish knows how to swim)
a cavalo dado não se olha o dente - don't look a gift horse in the mouth (lit. the given horse you don't look the tooth)
quem não tem cão caça com gato - do what you need to do with the resources you have (lit. who has no dog hunts with cat)
Here´s a link to a quizlet set with the words for you to play about with.
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AND because we learn really well from stories and seeing examples of correct language, every week I put together 3 stories or dialogues on the week’s theme with examples of the week’s words and phrases in a useful context. I strongly believe that we can learn a lot from reading, these mini-texts with translations are just the right length for you to digest easily. (look at the translations first if that helps!)
A1 – O Gato do João
O João tem um gato. O gato chama-se Nico. Ele é pequeno e branco. Todos os dias, João dá comida ao Nico de manhã e à noite. O Nico gosta de dormir no sofá e brincar com uma bola pequena. Às vezes, sobe à janela para ver os pássaros. João gosta muito do Nico. Ele é o seu melhor amigo.
A2 – A Cão Tímido da Ana
A Ana tem uma cadela chamada Luna. Ela é de raça labrador e tem dois anos. A Luna é muito tímida com pessoas novas, mas adora a Ana. Quando vão ao parque, a Luna corre atrás da bola e abana a cauda. No entanto, quando vê outros cães, ela esconde-se atrás da dona. A Ana tenta ajudar a Luna a ser mais confiante. Com o tempo, a Luna está a melhorar e já consegue brincar com um ou dois cães.
B1 – A História do Papagaio Fugitivo
Na semana passada, o papagaio do senhor Manuel fugiu da gaiola. A porta ficou aberta e o pássaro voou pela janela. O papagaio chama-se Chico e sabe dizer algumas palavras, como "Olá" e "Bom dia". O senhor Manuel ficou muito triste e começou a procurá-lo. Fez cartazes, falou com os vizinhos e publicou um anúncio na internet. Dois dias depois, uma senhora telefonou a dizer que tinha visto o Chico no seu jardim. O senhor Manuel foi lá imediatamente e, com a ajuda de algumas sementes, conseguiu apanhar o papagaio. Agora, o Chico está de volta a casa e a gaiola tem um novo fecho de segurança!
Translations of the stories:
A1– João’s Cat
João has a cat. The cat’s name is Nico. He is small and white. Every day, João gives Nico food in the morning and at night. Nico likes to sleep on the sofa and play with a small ball. Sometimes, he climbs to the window to watch the birds. João likes Nico a lot. He is his best friend.A2 – Ana’s Shy Dog
Ana has a dog named Luna. She is a Labrador and is two years old. Luna is very shy with new people, but she loves Ana. When they go to the park, Luna runs after the ball and wags her tail. However, when she sees other dogs, she hides behind her owner. Ana tries to help Luna be more confident. Over time, Luna is improving and can already play with one or two dogs.B1 – The Story of the Runaway Parrot
Last week, Mr Manuel’s parrot escaped from its cage. The door was left open and the bird flew out the window. The parrot is called Chico and knows how to say a few words, like “Hello” and “Good morning”. Mr Manuel was very sad and started looking for him. He made posters, spoke to the neighbours and posted an ad online. Two days later, a lady called to say she had seen Chico in her garden. Mr Manuel went there immediately and, with the help of some seeds, managed to catch the parrot. Now, Chico is back home and the cage has a new safety lock!