O tema esta semana é Animais- The theme this week is animals.
Here are some words for this week - are there many new words here? How do you remember new words? It’s an interesting, and often frustrating process! Trying to find connections to words you already know, and playing around with the words really helps, if you haven’t already do try out the Quizet set below of the words - there are games and quizzes there as well as the audio.
rato - mouse
coelho - rabbit
coruja - owl
raposa - fox
ouriço - hedgehog
texugo - badger
esquilo - squirrel
veado - deer
lontra - otter
cobra - snake
Here´s a link to a quizlet with the words for you to play about with.
If you would like to join one of the weekly chat groups - we run two weekly - A0/A1 Weds 13h-13h30, A2/B1 - Thurs 13h-13h45, all details are in the weekly newsletter - sign up here. Your first chat is free :)
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!)
Stories:
A1
O Tomás tem um cão chamado Max. O Max é pequeno, mas é muito enérgico. Todas as manhãs, Tomás leva o cão ao jardim perto da sua casa. O Max corre muito, brinca com outros cães e gosta de cheirar as flores. O Tomás leva sempre uma bola e o Max corre atrás dela. Às vezes, o cão não apanha a bola, mas continua feliz. Depois, descansam um pouco num banco do jardim. O Tomás dá água ao Max e faz-lhe festas. As crianças no jardim gostam de falar com o cão e Max abana a cauda. Todos ficam contentes porque o Max é simpático e divertido.
A2
A Marta adora animais e tem um gato chamado Tobias. Quando ela chega a casa depois do trabalho, o Tobias espera sempre à porta. O gato gosta de dormir no sofá, mas também adora observar os pássaros pela janela. Um dia, a Marta decide levar o Tobias ao veterinário. O veterinário vê que o gato está saudável, mas aconselha a Marta a brincar mais com ele para evitar que fique preguiçoso. Por isso, a Marta compra brinquedos novos, como bolas e um arranhador. Todas as noites, ela brinca com o Tobias antes de dormir. O gato fica mais ativo e também mais carinhoso. A Marta sente-se feliz porque cuida bem do seu animal.
B1+
O Rui sempre gostou de animais selvagens, especialmente aves. No último outono, decidiu visitar um parque natural no Alentejo para observar aves migratórias. Levou uns binóculos, um caderno e muita paciência. Durante a visita, viu cegonhas brancas a voar em grupo, águias a sobrevoar os campos e pequenos pássaros coloridos escondidos nas árvores. Ficou impressionado com a beleza e com o silêncio do lugar. O guia do parque explicou que muitas aves viajam milhares de quilómetros todos os anos, passando por Portugal antes de seguir para África. Rui percebeu que a proteção destes habitats é essencial para a sobrevivência das espécies. Voltou para casa inspirado e começou a ler mais sobre conservação da natureza. Agora, pensa em ser voluntário em projetos ambientais.
Translations of the stories:
A0 / A1
Tomás has a dog called Max. Max is small, but very energetic. Every morning, Tomás takes the dog to the garden near his house. Max runs a lot, plays with other dogs and likes smelling the flowers. Tomás always takes a ball and Max runs after it. Sometimes the dog doesn’t catch the ball, but he is still happy. Afterwards, they rest a little on a bench in the garden. Tomás gives Max some water and strokes him. The children in the garden like to talk to the dog and Max wags his tail. Everyone is happy because Max is friendly and fun.
A2
Marta loves animals and has a cat called Tobias. When she arrives home after work, Tobias always waits at the door. The cat likes sleeping on the sofa, but also loves watching the birds through the window. One day, Marta decides to take Tobias to the vet. The vet sees that the cat is healthy but advises Marta to play more with him so that he doesn’t become lazy. So, Marta buys new toys, such as balls and a scratching post. Every night, she plays with Tobias before going to bed. The cat becomes more active and also more affectionate. Marta feels happy because she takes good care of her pet.
B1+
Rui has always liked wild animals, especially birds. Last autumn, he decided to visit a natural park in the Alentejo to observe migratory birds. He took some binoculars, a notebook and plenty of patience. During the visit, he saw white storks flying in groups, eagles soaring over the fields and small colourful birds hiding in the trees. He was impressed by the beauty and silence of the place. The park guide explained that many birds travel thousands of kilometres every year, passing through Portugal before heading to Africa. Rui realised that protecting these habitats is essential for the survival of the species. He returned home inspired and started reading more about nature conservation. Now, he is thinking about volunteering in environmental projects