Gostas de estudar?

Bem-vindos ao Blog! O tema esta semana é escola - The theme this week is school.

Here are some words related to things we use at school (and in the office too).

o dossiê - the ring binder

fita - tape

o agrafador - the stapler

tesoura - scissors

calculadora - calculator

cola - glue

agenda - diary

borracha - ruber

lapiseira - propelling pencil

esferográfica - biro, ballpoint pen

Here’s a link to a Quizlet set with the phrases above (and more) for you to play about with. Enjoy!

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.

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!)

A0 / A1  O Primeiro Dia do João na Escola Nova

O João chega à escola. Ele está nervoso. Olha para os outros alunos. Não conhece ninguém.  Uma professora sorri para ele.
— Olá! Como te chamas? — pergunta.
— Chamo-me João.
— Bem-vindo, João! Eu sou a professora Ana. Entra, por favor.
O João entra na sala. Os alunos falam e riem. Ele senta-se. Uma rapariga ao lado dele diz:
— Olá! Eu sou a Marta.
— Olá! Eu sou o João.
A professora começa a aula. O João respira fundo. Vai correr tudo bem!

A2  O Primeiro Dia na Universidade

O Pedro entra na universidade com a mochila às costas. Olha para o horário no telemóvel. Primeira aula: História. Ele encontra a sala e entra.
— Bom dia! Posso sentar-me aqui? — pergunta a uma rapariga.
— Claro! Eu sou a Sofia.
— Eu sou o Pedro. É a tua primeira aula?
— Sim! Estou um pouco nervosa.
— Eu também. Mas acho que vai correr bem!
O professor entra na sala e sorri.
— Bom dia a todos! Bem-vindos à universidade!  O Pedro relaxa. Está no sítio certo.

B1+  Uma Nova Fase para a Rita
A Rita entra no campus da faculdade pela primeira vez. Tudo parece enorme. Procura a sala de aula, mas perde-se.
— Precisas de ajuda? — pergunta um rapaz.
— Sim, estou à procura da sala duzentos e três.
— Ah! Eu também vou para lá. Anda comigo!
No caminho, conversam.
— Como te chamas? — pergunta ele.
— Rita. E tu?
— Miguel. Que curso escolheste?
— Psicologia.
— Que giro! Eu estou em Ciências da Educação.
Chegam à sala. O professor já lá está. A Rita respira fundo. O primeiro dia pode ser assustador, mas conhecer novas pessoas ajuda.

Here are the translations of the stories:

A0/ A1   João’s First Day at the New School

João arrives at school. He is nervous. He looks at the other students. He doesn’t know anyone.   A teacher smiles at him.
 — Hello! What’s your name? — she asks.
 — My name is João.
 — Welcome, João! I’m teacher Ana. Come in, please.
 João enters the classroom. The students are talking and laughing. He sits down. A girl next to him says:
 — Hello! I’m Marta.
 — Hello! I’m João.
 The teacher starts the lesson. João takes a deep breath. It’s going to go well.

A2  The First Day at University

Pedro enters the university with his backpack on his shoulders. He looks at the timetable on his phone. First class: History. He finds the room and goes in.
 — Good morning! Can I sit here? — he asks a girl.
 — Of course! I’m Sofia.
 — I’m Pedro. Is this your first class?
 — Yes! I’m a little nervous.
 — Me too. But I think it’ll go well!
 The professor enters the room and smiles.
 — Good morning, everyone! Welcome to university!  Pedro relaxes. He is in the right place.

B1+  A New Stage for Rita

Rita enters the university campus for the first time. Everything looks huge. She looks for her classroom but gets lost.
 — Do you need help? — a boy asks.
 — Yes, I’m looking for room 203.
 — Ah! I’m going there too. Come with me!
 On the way, they chat.
 — What’s your name? — he asks.
 — Rita. And you?
 — Miguel. What course did you choose?
 — Psychology.
 — That’s cool! I’m in Educational Sciences.
 They arrive at the classroom. The professor is already there. Rita takes a deep breath. The first day can be scary, but meeting new people helps.

É o Carnaval!

Na semana passada celebrámos o Carnaval na terça-feira aqui em Portugal. - Last week we celebrated Carnival on Tuesday here in Portugal. (Shrove Tuesday in the UK) so this week let’s have Carnaval as the tema, here are some related words.

o desfile - the parade

carros alegóricos - decorated floats

cabeçudos - figures with giant heads

palhaço - clown

assistir ao desfile do corso - to watch the carnival parade

mascarar-se - dress up

divertir-se - to have fun

foliões - revellers

Entrudo - Shrove

quaresma - lent

Here’s a link to a Quizlet set with the phrases above (and more) for you to play about with. Enjoy!

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.

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!)

A0 / A1

A Maria e o João estão na rua. Hoje há um desfile de Carnaval. Muitas pessoas estão a assistir. Há música e dança. O João gosta dos tambores. A Maria gosta das cores.

Um carro grande passa. Há homens e mulheres com fatos brilhantes. Eles sorriem e acenam. As crianças riem e saltam.

A Maria come pipocas. O João bebe sumo. Eles estão felizes. O desfile continua pela rua. Há muitas máscaras e chapéus engraçados. O Carnaval é muito divertido!

A2

O Carlos e a Sofia estão a ver o desfile de Carnaval na praça. Há muitas pessoas mascaradas. Algumas usam fatos tradicionais, outras têm roupas modernas e brilhantes.

De repente, a Sofia vê alguém familiar. “Carlos, olha! Aquele palhaço é parecido com o meu irmão!” O palhaço dança e acena para eles. A Sofia ri. “É mesmo o meu irmão! Que surpresa!”

O irmão dela atira confetes para o ar. O vento espalha-os por toda a praça. “O Carnaval tem sempre surpresas,” diz o Carlos, a sorrir.  Eles continuam a ver o desfile, cheios de alegria.

B1+

A Helena adora o Carnaval. Todos os anos, vai à cidade ver o desfile. Este ano, está especialmente animada porque há um concurso para o melhor disfarce.

A rua está cheia de cor e música. Os carros alegóricos passam, cheios de dançarinos com roupas brilhantes. De repente, a Helena vê uma mulher com um fato espetacular: parece uma rainha do Carnaval, com penas douradas e uma máscara trabalhada.

Quando anunciam o vencedor do concurso, a Helena sorri – a mulher com as penas douradas ganhou! “Bem merecido!”, pensa ela. Enquanto a música continua, a Helena promete que no próximo ano também vai participar no concurso.

 Here are the translations of the stories:

A0/ A1 
 Maria and João are on the street. Today, there is a carnival parade. Many people are watching. There is music and dancing. João likes the drums. Maria likes the colours.

A big float passes. There are men and women in shiny costumes. They smile and wave. The children laugh and jump.

Maria eats popcorn. João drinks juice. They are happy. The parade continues down the street. There are many masks and funny hats. Carnival is lots of fun!

A2 
 Carlos and Sofia are watching the carnival parade in the square. There are many people in costumes. Some wear traditional outfits, others have modern and shiny clothes.

Suddenly, Sofia sees someone familiar. “Carlos, look! That clown looks like my brother!” The clown dances and waves at them. Sofia laughs. “It really is my brother! What a surprise!”

Her brother throws confetti into the air. The wind spreads it all over the square. “Carnival always has surprises,” says Carlos, smiling. They continue watching the parade, full of joy.

B1 
 Helena loves Carnival. Every year, she goes to the city to watch the parade. This year, she is especially excited because there is a contest for the best costume.

The street is full of colour and music. The floats pass by, full of dancers in bright clothes. Suddenly, Helena sees a woman in a spectacular costume: she looks like a Carnival queen, with golden feathers and an elaborate mask.

When they announce the contest winner, Helena smiles – the woman with golden feathers has won! “Well deserved!” she thinks. As the music continues, Helena promises that next year she will take part in the contest too.

Vamos ao mercado?

Aqui em Portugal temos muitas feiras semanais e mensais- weekly and monthly markets - where you can buy local fresh produce , clothes, tools. plants and sometimes local handicrafts and secondhand goods. Por exemplo in Espinho : Sábados, das 7h às 19h (um dos maiores), Estremoz (Mercado Semanal): Sábados de manhã, tradicional mercado alentejano. Tomar/Vila do Conde/Vila Real/Guimarães/Viana do Castelo: Sextas-feiras., Barcelos (Campo da República): Quinta-feira (tradicionalmente). e Lisboa (Feira da Ladra): Terças e Sábados, em Alfama.

Most markets run from the early morning to lunchtime, and in addition, most towns have a market hall - mercado - where you can buy fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, cheese and bread every morning.

As this week’s theme is o mercado, here are some useful words for going shopping, these (link to QUizlet het here) are good for the customer.:

queria - I'd like

dê-me - I'll have (lit. give me)

tem? - do you have?

quanto custa? - how much does it cost?

qual é o preço de? - what's the price of?

também - also

é só - that's all

não tenho moedas - I don't have coins

And these (link to Quizlet set here) are the possible replies / questions that the shopkeeper might use:

faz favor - please (tell me what you want)

diga - speak (I am ready to serve you)

aqui tem - here you are

é só? - is that all?

mais alguma coisa? - anything else? (lit. more some thing)

são dois euros - it is two euros

tem os cinquenta cêntimos? - do you have the fifty cents?

aqui está o seu troco - here is your change

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.

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!)

Every week we send out an email with all the information here plus details on how to join the weekly chat group.
Sign up here!

Here are texts for this week with the translations below:

A0 / A1

Vendedor: Diga, se faz favor.
Cliente: Queria duas maçãs e três laranjas, faz favor.
Vendedor: Aqui tem.  Mais alguma coisa?
Cliente: Não, é só.  Quanto é?
Vendedor: As maçãs são dois euros o quilo e as laranjas, três euros o quilo. No total, são três euros e meio.
Cliente: Aqui tem cinco euros.
Vendedor: Tem os cinquenta cêntimos?
Cliente: Não tenho moedas, desculpe.
Vendedor: Sem problema.  Aqui está o seu troco.
Cliente: Obrigada!

A2

Cliente: Queria um quilo de tomates e meio quilo de pepinos, faz favor.
Vendedor: Aqui tem os tomates e os pepinos.
Cliente: A como são?
Vendedor: Os tomates são dois euros o quilo e os pepinos um euro o quilo. Mais alguma coisa?
Cliente: Não, é só.  Quanto custa tudo?
Vendedor: São dois euros e meio.
Cliente: Aqui tem três euros.
Vendedor: Tem os cinquenta cêntimos?
Cliente: Não tenho moedas hoje, desculpe.
Vendedor: Aqui está o seu troco.
Cliente: Obrigada!

B1+

Cliente: Bom dia! Queria dois quilos de batatas, um quilo de cebolas e meio quilo de morangos, faz favor.

Vendedor: Bom dia! Aqui tem as batatas e as cebolas. Os morangos são frescos e bem doces hoje.

Cliente: Que bom! Quais são os maiores?

Vendedor: Estes aqui são maiores e mais maduros. São um pouco mais caros.

Cliente: Qual é o preço dos maiores?

Vendedor: Os morangos normais são cinco euros o quilo. Os maiores e maduros custam seis euros.

Cliente: Vou levar os maiores. As batatas, são todas iguais?

Vendedor: Não. Temos batatas novas, que são mais macias, ou estas, que são mais farinhentas.
Cliente: Prefiro as novas. Mais uma coisa: tem alface fresca?

Vendedor: Sim, acabámos de receber esta alface bem fresca e crocante.

Cliente: Vou levar uma cabeça de alface também. Quanto custa?

Vendedor: Um euro

Cliente: Quanto é tudo?

Vendedor: As batatas são um euro por quilo, as cebolas dois euros por quilo e os morangos, seis euros. No total, são onze euros e meio.

Cliente: Aqui tem doze euros.

Vendedor: Tem os cinquenta cêntimos?

Cliente: Não tenho moedas. Desculpe.

Vendedor: Não há problema.  Aqui está o seu troco. Obrigado e boa tarde!

Cliente: Obrigada. Até à próxima!

Here are the translations of the dialogues:

A0 / A1 
   Vendedor: Speak, please. 
   Customer: I’d like two apples and three oranges, please.
   Vendedor: Here you are.    Anything else?
   Customer: No, that’s all.  How   much is it?
   Vendedor: The apples are two euros per kilo and the oranges, three   euros per kilo. In total, it’s three and a half euros.
   Customer: Do you have the fifty cents?
   Customer: I don’t have coins, sorry.
   Vendedor: No problem. Here is your change.
   Customer: Thank you!

A2 
   Customer: I’d like one kilo of tomatoes and half a kilo of cucumbers,   please.
   Vendor: Here are the tomatoes and cucumbers.
   Customer: How much are they?
   Vendor: The tomatoes are two euros per kilo and the cucumbers one euro   per kilo.  Anything else?
   Customer: No, that’s all.  How   much is everything?
   Vendor: It’s two euros fifty.
   Customer: Do you have the fifty cents?
   Customer: I don’t have coins today, sorry.
   Vendor: Here is your change.
   Customer: Thank you!

 B1

 Customer: Good morning! I’d like two kilos of potatoes, one kilo of onions, and half a kilo of strawberries, please.

Vendor: Good morning! Here are the potatoes and onions. The strawberries are fresh and very sweet today.

Customer: Great! Which are the largest ones?

Vendor: These here are larger and riper. They’re a bit more expensive.

Customer: What’s the price for the larger ones?

Vendor: The regular strawberries are five euros per kilo. The larger and riper ones cost six euros.

Customer: I’ll take the larger ones. Are all the potatoes the same?

Vendor: No. We have new potatoes, which are softer, or these, which are more floury.

Customer: I prefer the new ones. One more thing: do you have fresh lettuce?

Vendor: Yes, we just got this lettuce, very fresh and crunchy.

Customer: I’ll take a head of lettuce too. How much is it?

Vendor: One euro. 

Customer: How much is everything?

Vendor: The potatoes are one euro per kilo, the onions two euros per kilo, and the strawberries six euros. In total, it’s eleven and a half euros.

Customer: Here’s twelve euros.

Vendor: Do you have fifty cents?

Customer: I don’t have any coins. Sorry.

Vendor: No problem. Here is your change. Thank you and have a good afternoon!

Customer: Thank you. See you next time!

Muito vento... Muita chuva!

Olá! Uau! - Wow- We’ve been experiencing very unusual extreme weather here in Central Portugal, and it will take a long time to restore the normality that we have been used to. Successive storms have destroyed and damaged infrastructure and houses and challenged repair work. Many areas are currenly under flood alert, thousands have been moved from areas near the major rivers, many thousands still without power after tempestade Kristin, and most people are feeling the effects of this ‘comboio de tempestades’ . You can read about it here on Wikipedia. What we see and hear here though is so much soledariadade - many people helping others, giving their time and sharing resources to help each other get though this difficult time.

Speaking personally, we were lucky, just a few tiles skipped off the roof - voaram - (damaging others on their way) and only one tree - uma laranjeira - partly destoyed. We were sem luz for cinco dias and sem internet dez dias. The persistent torrential rain is making its way into the house… through windows, chimney and weak points in the (new…) roof. Ainda não temos - We still don’t have any phone signal, so today in order to check my data usage (I’m using my backup internet system which is limited usage, as is the whole household) the usual 3 minute process of logging into the site and needing a phone verification code meant a 1.5 hour round trip to finally find a place with both phone and internet signal… and I live in a well populated area with a lot of towns and villages. For those living further out life is very tricky, we’ve become very reliant on having phone and internet for our everyday life!

So, here at Portuguese Language Lessons, we are taking a little bit of time to get back up to speed with the ‘back office’ of tasks such as this blog post and the usual weekly emails. The regular online lessons and classes have all been running as usual since the beginning of last week, but due to the persistent adverse weather the in person classes have been cancelled and admin tasks have fallen behind.

So with all this in mind, I thought the theme for the week could be adverse weather! Let’s get on with the usual blog post :)

Every week we send out an email with a weekly theme containing: words; a link to a Quizlet set to practise and play with the words; stories or dialogues at 3 different levels and an invitation to join the weekly chat group. Now you can find all this here in one place. ** If you’d like to sign up to the email, you can do so here.

Related to this week’s theme are some words:

a tempestade the storm

chuva rain

vento wind

trovão thunder

relâmpago lightning

a inundação flood

o guarda-chuva umbrella

a eletricidade electricity

estragos damages

aviso meteorológico weather warning

Here’s a link to a Quizlet set with the phrases above (and more) for you to play about with. Enjoy!

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.

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!)

The texts for this week with the translations below are here:

A0 / A1

A Ana vive em Lisboa. Hoje há uma tempestade forte. Chove muito e faz muito vento. As árvores mexem-se e algumas folhas caem no chão. A Ana ouve o som da chuva na janela. Na rua, há pouca gente. Muitos carros andam devagar.

A Ana não vai ao trabalho de carro. Ela vai de metro, porque é mais seguro. No caminho, ela vê guarda-chuvas partidos. Algumas lojas fecham mais cedo. A Ana compra pão e leite no supermercado. Em casa, ela fecha bem as janelas e liga a televisão. O apresentador fala da tempestade e dá conselhos. A Ana bebe um chá quente e fica tranquila. Ela envia uma mensagem à mãe para saber se está bem.

A2

O Miguel vive no Porto e ontem houve uma grande tempestade. De manhã, ele ouviu trovões e viu chuva forte. Quando saiu de casa, o vento quase levou o seu guarda-chuva. Na rua, algumas pessoas ficaram molhadas e procuraram abrigo.

O Miguel foi trabalhar, mas os transportes tiveram atrasos. No escritório, todos falaram do mau tempo. À tarde, a eletricidade falhou durante alguns minutos e os computadores desligaram-se. Mais tarde, Miguel recebeu uma chamada da irmã, a Sofia. Ela disse que uma árvore caiu perto da escola do filho.

À noite, Miguel voltou para casa com cuidado. Viu estradas com água e alguns sinais caídos. Em casa, ele preparou sopa e ficou a ouvir as notícias. Ele sentiu-se cansado, mas feliz por estar seguro.

B1

A Carla mora em Coimbra e trabalha num pequeno café perto do rio. Durante a última semana, várias tempestades passaram por Portugal e a cidade mudou muito. A chuva intensa encheu as ruas de água e o vento forte partiu ramos de árvores. Algumas pessoas ficaram sem eletricidade e muitas escolas fecharam por um dia.

No café, a Carla recebeu clientes preocupados. Um senhor idoso, o Sr. António, contou que a sua garagem ficou inundada. Uma jovem chamada Beatriz mostrou fotos de um telhado danificado. Todos falavam da mesma coisa: o tempo está mais extremo e imprevisível.

A Carla também teve problemas. A porta do café não fechava bem por causa do vento e entrou água no chão. Ela limpou tudo com calma e continuou a trabalhar. No final do dia, a rua ficou mais silenciosa e o céu abriu um pouco.

Translations:

A0/A1

Ana lives in Lisbon. Today there is a strong storm. It rains a lot and it is very windy. The trees move and some leaves fall on the ground. Ana hears the sound of rain on the window. In the street, there are few people. Many cars drive slowly.

Ana does not go to work by car. She goes by metro, because it is safer. On the way, she sees broken umbrellas. Some shops close earlier. Ana buys bread and milk at the supermarket. At home, she closes the windows well and turns on the television. The presenter talks about the storm and gives advice. Ana drinks a hot tea and feels calm. She sends a message to her mother to check if she is alright.

A2

Miguel lives in Porto and yesterday there was a big storm. In the morning, he heard thunder and saw heavy rain. When he left home, the wind almost took his umbrella away. In the street, some people got wet and looked for shelter.

Miguel went to work, but public transport had delays. In the office, everyone talked about the bad weather. In the afternoon, the electricity failed for a few minutes and the computers switched off. Later, Miguel received a call from his sister, Sofia. She said that a tree fell near her son’s school.

At night, Miguel returned home carefully. He saw roads with water and some fallen signs. At home, he made soup and listened to the news. He felt tired, but happy to be safe.

B1 

Carla lives in Coimbra and works in a small café near the river. During the last week, several storms passed through Portugal and the city changed a lot. The heavy rain filled the streets with water and the strong wind broke tree branches. Some people were left without electricity and many schools closed for a day.

In the café, Carla received worried customers. An elderly man, Mr António, said that his garage was flooded. A young woman called Beatriz showed photos of a damaged roof. Everyone talked about the same thing: the weather is becoming more extreme and unpredictable.

Carla also had problems. The café door did not close properly because of the wind and water came in onto the floor. She cleaned everything calmly and continued working. At the end of the day, the street became quieter and the sky cleared a little.

Vamos ver um filme ou uma série?

Every week we send out an email with a weekly theme containing: words; a link to a Quizlet set to practise and play with the words; stories or dialogues at 3 different levels and an invitation to join the weekly chat group. Now you can find all this here in one place. ** If you’d like to sign up to the email, you can do so here.

This week’s theme is televisão e séries, here are some related words.

ação - action

comédia - comedy

drama - drama

romance - romance

documentário - documentary

terror - horror

fição científica - science fiction

musical - musical

mistério - mystery

espionagem – spy

Here’s a link to a Quizlet set with the phrases above (and more) for you to play about with. Enjoy!

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.

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!)

The texts for this week with the translations below are here:

A0 / A1

"No Cinema"

Ana: Olá, Pedro! Queres ir ao cinema hoje?
Pedro: Sim, quero! Que filme vamos ver?
Ana: Há um comédia muito engraçado.
Pedro: Ótimo! A que horas começa?
Ana: Às sete. Compramos pipocas?
Pedro: Claro! Adoro pipocas no cinema.
Ana: Eu também. Vamos lá cedo para conseguir bons lugares.
Pedro: Boa ideia. Até já!

A2  "A Série Nova"

Sofia: Já viste a nova série na televisão?
João: Não, qual série?
Sofia: Chama-se "Mistério na Cidade". É muito interessante!
João: É sobre o quê?
Sofia: Um grupo de amigos que resolve mistérios. Tem suspense e humor.
João: Parece bom! Em que canal?
Sofia: No canal 5, todas as quintas às nove da noite.
João: Perfeito! Vou começar a ver esta semana.
Sofia: Vais gostar, tenho a certeza!

B1+  "Discussão Sobre Filmes"

Marta: Foste ver o filme novo que estreou ontem?
Luís: Fui, sim! É incrível!
Marta: Achas? Li algumas críticas e estavam divididas.
Luís: Eu gostei. A história é muito envolvente e os atores são excelentes.
Marta: E os efeitos especiais?
Luís: Espetaculares! Mas o final foi um pouco previsível.
Marta: Gosto de finais surpreendentes. Ainda assim, acho que vou ver.
Luís: Devias. Depois diz-me o que achaste!
Marta: Combinado. Assim podemos comparar opiniões.

Here are the translations of the stories:

A1
Ana: Hi, Pedro! Do you want to go to the cinema today?
Pedro: Yes, I do! Which film shall we watch?
Ana: There’s a very funny comedy film.
Pedro: Great! What time does it start?
Ana: At seven. Shall we buy popcorn?
Pedro: Of course! I love popcorn at the cinema.
Ana: Me too. Let’s go early to get good seats.
Pedro: Good idea. See you soon!

A2 Level
Sofia: Have you seen the new series on TV?
João: No, which series?
Sofia: It’s called "Mystery in the City". It’s very interesting!
João: What’s it about?
Sofia: A group of friends who solve mysteries. It has suspense and humour.
João: Sounds good! What channel is it on?
Sofia: On channel 5, every Thursday at nine in the evening.
João: Perfect! I’ll start watching this week.
Sofia: You’ll like it, I’m sure!

B1 Level
Marta: Did you go to see the new film that premiered yesterday?
Luís: I did! It’s amazing!
Marta: Really? I read some reviews and they were mixed.
Luís: I liked it. The story is very engaging, and the actors are excellent.
Marta: And the special effects?
Luís: Spectacular! But the ending was a bit predictable.
Marta: I like surprising endings. Even so, I think I’ll watch it.
Luís: You should. Let me know what you think after!
Marta: Deal. Then we can compare opinions.

Onde fica?

Every week we send out an email with a weekly theme containing: words; a link to a Quizlet set to practise and play with the words; stories or dialogues at 3 different levels and an invitation to join the weekly chat group. Now you can find all this here in one place. ** If you’d like to sign up to the email, you can do so here.

This week’s theme is directions - indicar o caminho, here are some related words. Watch the prepositions here! - em, ao, do etc.

em frente - straight ahead

do lado esquerdo - on the left hand side

do lado direito - on the right hand side

em frente de - in front of

vire à esquerda - turn to the left

vire à direita - turn to the right

na esquina - on the corner

ao lado de - next to

depois de - after

ao fundo - at the bottom

Here’s a link to a Quizlet set with the phrases above (and more) for you to play about with. Enjoy!

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.

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!)

The texts for this week with the translations below are here:

A0 / A1

Ana sai de casa para ir ao supermercado. Ela caminha em frente e, quando chega na esquina, olha para o mapa. O supermercado fica do lado esquerdo, mas há um café do lado direito. Ana decide tomar um café primeiro. O café é pequeno e está ao lado de uma farmácia.

Depois de tomar o café, ela para em frente de uma praça bonita. No fundo da praça, ela vê uma placa que diz: "Supermercado: vire à esquerda." Ana vira e vê o supermercado. Lá, ela compra pão, frutas e flores. Quando sai, ela vê um parque do lado esquerdo da rua e descansa um pouco.

A2

João quer encontrar a biblioteca. Uma senhora diz: "Vá em frente até ao semáforo." João segue e passe o semáforo. A senhora continua: "Pare na esquina e atravesse a rua. Depois, vire na segunda à direita."

João faz tudo o que a senhora explica. Ele anda mais um pouco e chega a um pequeno parque. Uma placa indica: "Biblioteca - suba esta rua." João sobe e encontra a biblioteca. Fica logo na esquina e tem uma fachada amarela.

B1+

Marta planeia visitar uma galeria de arte pela primeira vez. Um guia dá as direções: "Vá até ao fim da rua e passe o cruzamento." Ele explica: "Contorne a rotunda e depois vá ao longo do rio. Quando chegar ao jardim, pare na esquina e procure a entrada."

Marta segue o guia. Ao chegar à galeria, ela percebe que há outra entrada. Um funcionário diz: "Atravesse a rua, suba esta rua, e a entrada principal é logo na esquina."

Depois de explorar a galeria, Marta fica encantada com as pinturas e promete voltar.

Here are the translations of the stories:

A0 /A1 
 Ana leaves her house to go to the supermarket. She walks straight ahead and, when she reaches the corner, looks at the map. The supermarket is on the left-hand side, but there is a café on the right-hand side. Ana decides to have a coffee first. The café is small and is next to a pharmacy.

After having her coffee, she stops in front of a beautiful square. At the end of the square, she sees a sign that says: "Supermarket: turn to the left." Ana turns and sees the supermarket. There, she buys bread, fruit, and flowers. When she leaves, she sees a park on the left-hand side of the road and rests for a while.

A2 Level
 João wants to find the library. A lady says: "Go straight on until the traffic light." João follows and passes the traffic light. The lady continues: "Stop at the corner and cross the road. Then, turn on the second right."

João does everything the lady explains. He walks a bit further and reaches a small park. A sign reads: "Library - go up this road." João goes up and finds the library. It is right on the corner and has a yellow façade.

B1 Level
 Marta plans to visit an art gallery for the first time. A guide gives her directions: "Go until the end of the road and pass the junction." He explains: "Go straight over the roundabout and then go along the river. When you reach the garden, stop at the corner and look for the entrance."

Marta follows the guide. Upon arriving at the gallery, she notices there is another entrance. An employee says: "Cross the road, go up this road, and the main entrance is right on the corner."

After exploring the gallery, Marta is enchanted by the paintings and promises to return.

Gosta de fazer compras?

Every week we send out an email with a weekly theme containing: words; a link to a Quizlet set to practise and play with the words; stories or dialogues at 3 different levels and an invitation to join the weekly chat group. Now you can find all this here in one place. ** If you’d like to sign up to the email, you can do so here.

This week’s theme is compras - shopping, here are some related words. (idioms! – these are interesting, but I don’t recommend using them as the context is very specific usually)

comprar gato por lebre - be cheated, buy poor quality products when you think you are getting quality (lit. buy cat for hare)
um mãos-largas - someone who spends or gives a lot of money (lit. a wide hands)
custar os olhos da cara - be very expensive (lit. cost the eyes of the face)
abrir os cordões à bolsa - pay or be willing to pay a lot (lit. open the stings of the purse)
um unhas de fome - someone who doesn't like to spend money (lit. a nails of hunger)
uma pechincha - a bargain
enterrar a unha - sell very expensive (lit. bury the nail)

Here’s a link to a Quizlet set with the phrases for you to play about with. Enjoy!

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.

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!)

The texts for this week with the translations below are here:

Nível A0/ A1

Maria: Olá! Quero comprar pão. Onde fica a padaria?
Vendedor: A padaria está ali, perto do mercado.
Maria: Obrigada. Quanto custa o pão?
Vendedor: Um pão custa um euro.
Maria: Quero dois pães, por favor.
Vendedor: Aqui estão. São dois euros.  Mais alguma coisa?
Maria: Não, aqui tem, obrigada. Boa tarde!
Vendedor: Boa tarde!

A2

João: Bom dia. Estou à procura de uma camisa azul.
Vendedora: Claro! Qual é o seu tamanho?
João: Normalmente uso M (médio).
Vendedora: Temos esta camisa aqui. Gosta?
João: Sim, parece boa. Quanto custa?
Vendedora: Está em promoção. Custa vinte e cinco euros.
João: Ótimo! Posso experimentar?
Vendedora: Claro, o provador está à direita.
João: (Depois de experimentar) Ficou perfeita. Vou levar.
Vendedora: Excelente escolha! Quer pagar em dinheiro ou cartão?
João: Cartão, por favor.

B1+

Clara: Boa tarde. Quero comprar um presente para o meu irmão. Tem alguma sugestão?
Atendente: Claro! O que ele gosta? Livros, tecnologia, roupa?
Clara: Ele adora gadgets. Tem algo interessante?
Atendente: Sim, este relógio inteligente é muito popular. Tem várias funções úteis.
Clara: Parece ótimo! E quanto custa?
Atendente: Está com desconto esta semana. Custa cento e vinte euros.
Clara: Hmm, está um pouco acima do meu orçamento. Tem algo mais em conta?
Atendente: Claro, temos estes auriculares sem fios por sessenta euros.
Clara: Boa ideia! Acho que ele vai gostar. Vou levar.
Atendente: Excelente escolha! Deseja que embrulhemos para presente?
Clara: Sim, por favor.

Here are the translations of the dialogues:

A0/A1 
 Maria: Hello! I want to buy bread. Where is the bakery?
 Seller: The bakery is over there, near the market.
 Maria: Thank you. How much is the bread?
 Seller: One loaf costs one euro.
 Maria: I’d like two loaves, please.
 Seller: Here you go. It’s 2€ Anything else?
 Maria: No, here you are, thank you. Good afternoon!
 Seller: Good afternoon!

A2 Level
 João: Good morning. I’m looking for a blue shirt.
 Saleswoman: Of course! What’s your size?
 João: I usually wear M (medium).
 Saleswoman: We have this shirt here. Do you like it?
 João: Yes, it looks good. How much is it?
 Saleswoman: It’s on sale. It costs 25 euros.
 João: Great! Can I try it on?
 Saleswoman: Of course, the fitting room is on the right.
 João: (After trying it on) It fits perfectly. I’ll take it.
 Saleswoman: Excellent choice! Would you like to pay in cash or by card?
 João: By card, please.

B1 Level
 Clara: Good afternoon. I want to buy a gift for my brother. Do you have any suggestions?
 Assistant: Of course! What does he like? Books, technology, clothes?
 Clara: He loves gadgets. Do you have anything interesting?
 Assistant: Yes, this smartwatch is very popular. It has several useful features.
 Clara: Sounds great! And how much is it?
 Assistant: It’s discounted this week. It costs 120 euros.
 Clara: Hmm, that’s a bit over my budget. Do you have anything more affordable?
 Assistant: Sure, we have these wireless headphones for 60 euros.
 Clara: Good idea! I think he’ll like them. I’ll take them.
 Assistant: Excellent choice! Would you like us to gift wrap it?
 Clara: Yes, please.

Vamos ao café?

Every week we send out an email with a weekly theme containing: words; a link to a Quizlet set to practise and play with the words; stories or dialogues at 3 different levels and an invitation to join the weekly chat group. Now you can find all this here in one place. ** If you’d like to sign up to the email, you can do so here.

This week’s theme is o café, here are some related words.

um café - an expresso

um galão - a latte

uma meia de leite - a milky coffee in a large cup

um abatanado - a large black coffee in a large cup

um abatanado pingado - a large black coffee in a large cup with a drop of milk

um chá preto com leite frio - a black tea with cold milk

um chá de camomila - a chamomile tea

Here’s a link to a Quizlet set with the phrases for you to play about with. Enjoy!

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.

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!)

The texts for this week with the translations below are here:

Nível A0/ A1
A Maria entra no café. Ela quer beber alguma coisa. Olha para a ementa.
— Quero um café, por favor — diz ao empregado.
O João entra também. Ele gosta de leite.
— Para mim, um galão.
A empregada sorri.
— E mais alguma coisa?
A Maria olha para o João.
— Não, obrigada. Está tudo bem.
Eles sentam-se e falam. O café está quente e o galão é doce.

Nível A2
O Pedro e a Ana estão numa esplanada. O Pedro pede um abatanado pingado. Ele gosta de café forte, mas com um pouco de leite.
A Ana pede uma meia de leite porque prefere bebidas menos fortes.
— Também vou pedir um bolo — diz a Ana.
— Boa ideia! — responde o Pedro.
Quando as bebidas chegam, eles provam e sorriem.
— Está ótimo! — diz o Pedro.
— E o meu também — responde a Ana.
Eles relaxam e aproveitam o sol.

Nível B1
A Carla e o Rui estão num café depois do trabalho. O Rui pede um chá preto com leite frio. Ele não quer café porque já bebeu muito hoje.
A Carla está cansada. Ela pede um chá de camomila para relaxar.
— Este chá é perfeito para acalmar — diz a Carla.
— Eu preciso de energia, por isso escolhi chá preto — responde o Rui.
Eles falam sobre o dia e fazem planos para o fim de semana. O Rui sugere visitar um novo café famoso por ter um abatanado excelente. A Carla concorda.
— Podemos experimentar também uma meia de leite ou um galão — diz ela.
Eles riem e continuam a conversa.

Translations of the dialogues

A1 Level
 Maria enters the café. She wants to drink something. She looks at the menu.
 — I’d like an espresso, please — she says to the waiter.
 João also comes in. He likes milk.
 — For me, a latte.
 The waitress smiles.
 — Anything else?
 Maria looks at João.
 — No, thank you. That’s all.
 They sit down and talk. The espresso is hot, and the latte is sweet.

A2 Level
 Pedro and Ana are at a café terrace. Pedro orders a large black coffee with a drop of milk. He likes strong coffee, but with a bit of milk.
 Ana orders a milky coffee because she prefers less strong drinks.
 — I’m also going to order a cake — says Ana.
 — Good idea! — replies Pedro.
 When the drinks arrive, they taste them and smile.
 — It’s great! — says Pedro.
 — Mine too — replies Ana.
 They relax and enjoy the sun.

B1 Level
 Carla and Rui are in a café after work. Rui orders a black tea with cold milk. He doesn’t want coffee because he’s already had too much today.
 Carla is tired. She orders a chamomile tea to relax.
 — This tea is perfect for calming down — says Carla.
 — I need energy, so I chose black tea — replies Rui.
 They talk about their day and make plans for the weekend. Rui suggests visiting a new café that’s famous for its excellent large black coffee. Carla agrees.
 — We can also try a milky coffee or a latte — she says.
 They laugh and continue their conversation.

Vamos falar sobre Natal! - Let's talk about Christmas!

Every week we send out an email with a weekly theme containing: words; a link to a Quizlet set to practise and play with the words; stories or dialogues at 3 different levels and an invitation to join the weekly chat group. Now you can find all this here in one place. ** If you’d like to sign up to the email, you can do so here.

This week’s theme is Christmas - Natal, here are some related words.

ceia de Natal - Christmas eve dinner

véspera de Natal - Christmas Eve

convívio - socializing

a celebração - the celebration

velas - candles

as luzes - the lights

estrelas - stars

Pai Natal - Father Christmas

presépio - nativity scene

a árvore de Natal - Christmas tree

Here’s a link to a Quizlet set with the phrases for you to play about with. Enjoy!

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.

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!)

The texts for this week with the translations below are here:

A1 – Rabanadas de Natal

As rabanadas são um doce tradicional do Natal em Portugal. Esta receita é simples e muito popular. As pessoas usam pão, leite, ovos, açúcar e canela. Primeiro, corta o pão em fatias. Depois, aquece o leite com açúcar e casca de limão. O pão passa no leite e a seguir passa no ovo batido. Frita o pão em óleo quente até ficar dourado. No fim, põe açúcar e canela por cima. Muitas famílias comem rabanadas na noite de Natal ou no dia de Natal. Este doce é doce, quente e confortável. As rabanadas fazem parte da tradição e juntam a família à mesa no inverno.

A2 – Sonhos de Natal

Os sonhos são doces fritos muito comuns no Natal português. Esta receita leva água, manteiga, farinha, ovos e açúcar. Primeiro, aqueca a água com a manteiga e uma casca de limão. Depois, junte a farinha e mexa bem até formar uma massa espessa. Deixe a massa arrefecer um pouco e junte os ovos um a um. Com duas colheres, forme pequenas bolas de massa. Frite estas bolas em óleo quente.  Crescem rapidamente. No final, passe os sonhos por açúcar e canela. Muitas pessoas servem sonhos com um café depois do jantar de Natal. Este doce é leve, doce e muito apreciado em todo o país.

B1 – Bolo-Rei Tradicional

O Bolo-Rei é um símbolo do Natal em Portugal e aparece em muitas mesas familiares. Esta receita usa farinha, fermento de padeiro, ovos, açúcar, manteiga, frutos secos e frutas cristalizadas. A massa precisa de tempo para descansar e crescer bem. É importante usar ingredientes à temperatura ambiente para obter uma boa textura. Depois de misturar tudo, forma-se um bolo redondo com um buraco no centro. Por cima, colocam-se frutas e açúcar. O bolo vai ao forno até ficar dourado. O Bolo-Rei acompanha bem chá ou vinho do Porto e cria um momento especial de partilha durante a época natalícia.

And here are the translations:

A1 – Christmas Rabanadas

Rabanadas are a traditional Christmas sweet in Portugal. This recipe is simple and very popular. People use bread, milk, eggs, sugar and cinnamon. First, the bread is cut into slices. Then, the milk is heated with sugar and lemon peel. The bread goes into the milk and then into the beaten egg. The bread is fried in hot oil until golden. At the end, sugar and cinnamon go on top. Many families eat rabanadas on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. This sweet is warm, sweet and comforting. Rabanadas are part of tradition and bring the family together at the table in winter.

A2 – Christmas “Sonhos”

Sonhos are fried sweets that are very common at Portuguese Christmas. This recipe uses water, butter, flour, eggs and sugar. First, heat the water with butter and lemon peel. Then, add the flour and mix well until a thick dough forms. Allow the dough to cool a little and add the eggs one by one. With two spoons, small balls of dough are made. Fry these balls in hot oil.  They grow quickly. Finally, coat the sonhos in sugar and cinnamon. Many people serve sonhos with coffee after Christmas dinner. This sweet is light, sweet and loved across the country.

B1 – Traditional Bolo-Rei

Bolo-Rei is a symbol of Christmas in Portugal and appears on many family tables. This recipe uses flour, baker’s yeast, eggs, sugar, butter, dried fruit and candied fruit. The dough needs time to rest and grow well. It is important to use ingredients at room temperature to achieve a good texture. After mixing everything, a round cake with a hole in the centre is shaped. Fruit and sugar are placed on top. The cake goes into the oven until golden. Bolo-Rei goes well with tea or Port wine and creates a special moment of sharing during the Christmas season.

Idiomatic expressions about animals :)

Every week we send out an email with a weekly theme containing: words; a link to a Quizlet set to practise and play with the words; stories or dialogues at 3 different levels and an invitation to join the weekly chat group. Now you can find all this here in one place. ** If you’d like to sign up to the email, you can do so here.

This week’s theme is animais.

There are a lot of idiomatic expressions with animals in them. They are always interesting to look at. Here’a a little quiz about some that may be interesing:

1.       How do you say ginger cat in Portuguese?

a)       gato gengibre

b)       gato cor de laranja

c)       gato amarelo

2.       What does it mean if you call someone a foolish cockroach (barata tonta)?

a)       they are dirty

b)       they are scatty and discorganised

c)       it’s a term of endearment

3.       How do you say ‘don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched’?

a)       don’t count on the egg in the chicken’s bottom

b)       don’t sell the bear’s skin before you’ve killed it

c)       don’t praise the day before the evening

So, this week, the phrases of the week are some idioms with animals.

matar dois coelhos com uma cajada - kill two birds with one stone (lit. kill two rabbits with one staff)

contar com o ovo no cu da galinha - count your chickens before they've hatched (lit. count on the egg in the chicken's bottom)

barata tonta - scatty, disorganised person (lit. foolish cockroach)

ficar com a pulga atrás da orelha - be suspicious (lit. stay with a flea behind the ear)

quem não tem cão caça com gato - improvise, make do with what you have (lit. who doesn't have dog hunts with cat)

Here’s a link to a Quizlet set with the phrases for you to play about with. Enjoy!

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.

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!)

The dialogues for this week with the translations below are here:

A1

A Ana vive em Lisboa e gosta muito de animais. Ela quer adotar um cão, porque passa muito tempo sozinha em casa. Um dia, ela vai ao canil no seu bairro. No canil, ela vê muitos cães e gatos. Alguns são pequenos, outros são grandes. A Ana fala com a funcionária e explica que quer um cão calmo e amigável. A funcionária apresenta o Nico, um cão castanho com olhos muito doces. A Ana passeia com o Nico pelo jardim e sente-se muito feliz. O Nico segue-a e abana a cauda. A Ana decide que o Nico é perfeito para ela. No final, ela leva o Nico para casa e começa uma nova vida com o seu novo amigo.

A2

O João sempre gostou de animais, mas nunca teve oportunidade de ter um em casa. No ano passado, ele visitou um canil em Setúbal para conhecer alguns cães. Quando entrou, ouviu muitos latidos e ficou um pouco nervoso. Uma voluntária aproximou-se e mostrou-lhe a Lira, uma cadela preta e branca muito tranquila. O João pegou na trela e levou-a a passear. Durante o passeio, percebeu que a Lira caminhava devagar e olhava para ele com confiança. Ele sentiu uma ligação imediata. Depois da visita, voltou ao canil e completou o processo de adoção. Desde então, a Lira vive com ele, acompanha-o nas caminhadas e trouxe mais alegria à sua rotina.

B1

A Teresa procurava um animal de companhia que se adaptasse ao seu estilo de vida. Trabalha muitas horas, mas passa os fins de semana em casa e gosta de ambientes tranquilos. Depois de alguma pesquisa, decidiu visitar uma associação de adoção no Porto. Lá conheceu o Figo, um gato ruivo que tinha sido encontrado na rua. A funcionária explicou-lhe que o Figo era carinhoso, mas um pouco desconfiado de estranhos. A Teresa passou quase uma hora a brincar com ele e percebeu que o gato relaxava quando ela falava com voz suave. No dia seguinte, regressou para finalizar a adoção. Agora o Figo vive no apartamento dela, dorme ao sol na varanda e segue-a pela casa, mostrando uma confiança crescente.

Translations of the stories:

A1 

Ana lives in Lisbon and likes animals very much. She wants to adopt a dog because she spends a lot of time alone at home. One day, she goes to an animal shelter in her neighbourhood. In the shelter, she sees many dogs and cats. Some are small, others are big. Ana talks to the staff member and explains that she wants a calm and friendly dog. The staff member introduces Nico, a brown dog with very sweet eyes. Ana walks with Nico in the garden and feels very happy. Nico follows her and wags his tail. Ana decides that Nico is perfect for her. In the end, she takes Nico home and starts a new life with her new friend.

A2 

João has always liked animals but never had the chance to have one at home. Last year, he visited a dog shelter in Setúbal to meet some dogs. When he entered, he heard many barks and felt a bit nervous. A volunteer approached him and showed him Lira, a very calm black-and-white dog. João took the lead and walked her. During the walk, he noticed that Lira walked slowly and looked at him with trust. He felt an immediate connection. After the visit, he returned to the shelter and completed the adoption process. Since then, Lira has lived with him, joins him on walks and has brought more joy to his routine.

B1 

Teresa was looking for a pet that would suit her lifestyle. She works many hours, but she spends weekends at home and enjoys calm environments. After some research, she decided to visit an adoption centre in Porto. There she met Figo, a ginger cat that had been found on the street. The staff member explained that Figo was affectionate but a bit wary of strangers. Teresa spent almost an hour playing with him and realised that he relaxed when she spoke in a soft voice. The next day, she returned to complete the adoption. Now Figo lives in her flat, sleeps in the sun on the balcony, and follows her around the house, showing growing trust.

Answers:

1 – c (yellow cat), 2 – b, 3 – a (não conte com o ovo no cu da galinha)

Queres ir ao cinema ou ao teatro?

Every week we send out an email with a weekly theme containing: words; a link to a Quizlet set to practise and play with the words; stories or dialogues at 3 different levels and an invitation to join the weekly chat group. Now you can find all this here in one place. ** If you’d like to sign up to the email, you can do so here.

This week’s theme is o cinema e o teatro.

We might want to go to the cinema or theatre while you are in Portugal, or talk about a visit. ** note cinema is masculine… many words ending in MA are masculine - drama, sistema, problema are more examples.

Por exemplo - Prefiro comédias a filmes de ação. Há uma peça muito interessante no teatro este fim de semana. Quero ver o novo documentário. (I prefer comedies to action films. There’s an interesting play on at the theatre this weekend. I want to see the new doccumentary)

This week, we have some words about types of films.

ação - action

comédia - comedy

drama - drama

romance - romance

documentário - documentary

terror - horror

ficção científica - science fiction

musical - musical

mistério - mystery

espionagem - spy

Here’s a link to a Quizlet set with the phrases for you to play about with. Enjoy!

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.

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!)

The dialogues for this week with the translations below are here:

A1

Rita: Olá, João! Queres ir ao cinema hoje à noite?
João: Olá, Rita! Sim, quero. Que filme está em exibição?
Rita: Acho que há uma comédia e um filme de ação.
João: Prefiro uma comédia. Gosto de rir depois de um dia de trabalho.
Rita: Eu também. A sessão é às oito. Vamos juntos?
João: Claro. Compramos os bilhetes agora ou lá?
Rita: Talvez agora. Assim não há problema com lugares.
João: Boa ideia. Também quero comprar pipocas.
Rita: Eu quero uma bebida. Depois podemos falar sobre o filme.
João: Perfeito. Então encontramos-nos às sete e meia na entrada?
Rita: Combinado! Até logo!
João: Até logo!

A2

Sara: Olá, Miguel! Foste ao teatro no fim de semana, não foi?
Miguel: Fui, sim. Vi uma peça nova no Teatro Nacional.
Sara: Gostaste?
Miguel: Gostei muito. A história foi divertida e os atores trabalharam muito bem.
Sara: Que bom! Eu fui ao cinema no sábado. Vi um filme espanhol.
Miguel: Ah, eu queria ter visto esse filme. Foi bom?
Sara: Foi. O enredo surpreendeu-me muito.
Miguel: Ótimo! Há algum filme que queres ver esta semana?
Sara: Quero ver um documentário, mas ainda não decidi no dia.
Miguel: Então diz-me qual dia. Podemos ir juntos.
Sara: Perfeito. Depois jantamos perto do cinema.
Miguel: Combinado!

B1

Carla: Boa tarde, Luís. Ontem fui ao novo cinema no centro da cidade. O espaço é excelente.
Luís: Já ouvi falar. O que viste?
Carla: Vi um drama português. A realização foi muito boa e os atores criaram um ambiente muito forte.
Luís: Fico curioso. Eu estive no teatro na sexta-feira. A peça tratou de temas sociais e o público reagiu bastante.
Carla: Gosto quando o teatro provoca reflexão. A arte ajuda-nos a pensar de forma diferente.
Luís: Concordo. Quando saí da peça, fiquei a discutir algumas ideias com os meus amigos.
Carla: Acho ótimo que exista tanta oferta cultural. Assim escolhemos sempre algo interessante.
Luís: Sim. Este mês quero ver mais um filme e outra peça. Tens algumas ideias?
Carla: Tenho, faço uma lista.  Podíamos ir juntos!

Translations of the dialogues:

A1 

Rita: Hi João! Do you want to go to the cinema tonight?
 João: Hi Rita! Yes, I do. What film is on?
 Rita: I think there’s a comedy and an action film.
 João: I prefer a comedy. I like to laugh after a day of work.
 Rita: Me too. The showing is at eight. Shall we go together?
 João: Of course. Do we buy the tickets now or there?
 Rita: Maybe now. That way there’s no problem with seats.
 João: Good idea. I also want to buy popcorn.
 Rita: I want a drink. Afterwards we can talk about the film.
 João: Perfect. Shall we meet at half past seven at the entrance?
 Rita: Agreed! See you later!
 João: See you later!

A2 

Sara: Hi Miguel! You went to the theatre at the weekend, didn’t you?
 Miguel: Yes, I did. I saw a new play at the National Theatre.
 Sara: Did you enjoy it?
 Miguel: I liked it a lot. The story was funny and the actors performed very well.
 Sara: Great! I went to the cinema on Saturday. I saw a Spanish film.
 Miguel: Ah, I wanted to see that film. Was it good?
 Sara: It was. The plot really surprised me.
 Miguel: Excellent! Is there any film you want to see this week?
 Sara: I want to see a documentary, but I haven’t decided the day yet.
 Miguel: Then tell me which day. We can go together.
 Sara: Perfect. Afterwards we can have dinner near the cinema.
 Miguel: Agreed!

B1 

Carla: Good afternoon, Luís. Yesterday I went to the new cinema in the city centre. The place is excellent.
 Luís: I’ve heard about it. What did you see?
 Carla: I saw a Portuguese drama. The direction was very good and the actors created a very powerful atmosphere.
 Luís: I’m curious now. I was at the theatre on Friday. The play dealt with social themes and the audience reacted a lot.
 Carla: I like it when theatre makes us reflect. Art helps us think in a different way.
 Luís: I agree. When I left the play, I stayed discussing some ideas with my friends.
 Carla: I think it’s great that there’s so much cultural choice. That way we can always pick something interesting.
 Luís: Yes. This month I want to see another film and another play. Do you have any ideas?
 Carla: I do.  I’ll put together a list, we could go together!

o hotel - frases úteis para uma visita a um hotel

Every week we send out an email with a weekly theme containing: words; a link to a Quizlet set to practise and play with the words; stories or dialogues at 3 different levels and an invitation to join the weekly chat group. Now you can find all this here in one place. ** If you’d like to sign up to the email, you can do so here.

This week’s theme is o hotel

We might want to be able to make a reservation at a hotel in European Portuguese.

Por exemplo - Tem um quarto individual livre? O pequeno-almoço está incluído? Onde fica o elevador? (Do you have a single room free? Is breakfast included? Where is the elevator?)

This week, we have some words and phrases about a visit to a hotel that may be useful.

um quarto - a (bed) room

um quarto individual - a single, individual room

um quarto duplo - a twin room

um quarto de casal - a double room (lit. a room of couple)

a chave - the key

meia pensão - half-board

pensão completa - full board

o pequeno-almoço - the breakfast

a casa de banho - the bathroom

o elevador - the lift, elevator

Here’s a link to a Quizlet set with the phrases for you to play about with. Enjoy!

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.

AND because we learn really well from stories and seeing examples of correct language, every week I put together 3 stories 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!)

The stories for this week with the translations below are here:

Dialogues:

A1 –

Rececionista: Bom dia! Em que posso ajudar?
Maria: Bom dia. Preciso de um quarto individual para duas noites.
Rececionista: Claro. Temos um quarto no segundo andar.
Maria: O quarto tem casa de banho?
Rececionista: Sim, tem casa de banho e também há um elevador ali.
Maria: Ótimo. O pequeno-almoço está incluído?
Rececionista: Sim, está incluído no preço.  Quer meia pensão ou só pequeno-almoço?
Maria: Só pequeno-almoço, por favor.
Rececionista: Então, preciso do seu documento de identificação.
Maria: Aqui está. Posso fazer o pagamento agora?
Rececionista: Sim, pode pagar agora ou mais tarde.
Maria: Pago agora, obrigada.
Rececionista: Muito bem. Este é o seu cartão do quarto. Tenha uma boa estadia!

A2 –

Rececionista: Boa tarde. Tem reserva?
João: Tenho, sim. Uma reserva para três noites num quarto de casal em nome de João Marques.
Rececionista: Encontro aqui a sua reserva. Deseja pensão completa ou meia pensão?
João: Prefiro meia pensão. O que inclui exatamente?
Rececionista: Inclui pequeno-almoço e jantar.
João: Perfeito. O quarto fica em que andar?
Rececionista: Fica no quarto andar e pode usar o elevador aqui.
João: O quarto tem casa de banho privada?
Rececionista: Sim, e também tem varanda.
João: Excelente. Posso levantar as chaves agora?
Rececionista: Claro. Aqui estão as chaves e o cartão para o acesso ao hotel.
João: Obrigado. A que horas é servido o jantar?
Rececionista: Entre as sete e as nove da noite.
João: Ótimo, muito obrigado pela informação.

B1 –

Rececionista: Bem-vinda ao Hotel Atlântico. Em que posso ajudar?
Clara: Fiz uma reserva online para um quarto duplo, mas queria confirmar alguns detalhes.
Rececionista: Com certeza. Já estou a verificar.
Clara: O quarto inclui pensão completa? No site dizia que sim, mas gostaria de ter a certeza.
Rececionista: Sim, inclui pequeno-almoço, almoço e jantar.
Clara: Ótimo. Outra pergunta: o edifício tem elevador? Tenho uma mala pesada.
Rececionista: Sim, temos dois elevadores a funcionar.
Clara: Perfeito. E a casa de banho, tem duche ou banehira?
Rececionista: Tem banheira com duche.
Clara: Excelente. Posso receber a chave agora?
Rececionista: Claro. Aqui está a chave eletrónica. Se precisar de toalhas extra, ligue para a receção.
Clara: Muito obrigada. Parece tudo em ordem.

Translations of the stories:

A1 – 

Receptionist: Good morning! How can I help?
 Maria: Good morning. I need a single room for two nights.
 Receptionist: Of course. We have a room on the second floor.
 Maria: Does the room have a bathroom?
 Receptionist: Yes, it has a bathroom and there is also a lift over there.
 Maria: Great. Is breakfast included?
 Receptionist: Yes, it is included in the price.  Do you want half-board or just breakfast?
 Maria: Just breakfast, please.
 Receptionist: Then I need your ID document.
 Maria: Here it is. Can I pay now?
 Receptionist: Yes, you can pay now or later.
 Maria: I’ll pay now, thank you.
 Receptionist: Very good. Here is your room card. Enjoy your stay!

A2 – 

Receptionist: Good afternoon. Do you have a reservation?
 João: Yes. A reservation for three nights in a double room in the name of João Marques.
 Receptionist: I can see your reservation here. Would you like full board or half-board?
 João: I prefer half-board. What exactly does it include?
 Receptionist: It includes breakfast and dinner.
 João: Perfect. Which floor is the room on?
 Receptionist: It’s on the fourth floor, and you can use the lift here.
 João: Does the room have a private bathroom?
 Receptionist: Yes, and it also has a balcony.
 João: Excellent. Can I collect the keys now?
 Receptionist: Of course. Here are the keys and the access card for the hotel.
 João: Thank you. What time is dinner served?
 Receptionist: Between seven and nine in the evening.
 João: Great, thank you for the information.

B1 – 

Receptionist: Welcome to the Atlantic Hotel. How can I help?
 Clara: I made an online reservation for a twin room, but I’d like to confirm a few details.
 Receptionist: Of course. I’m checking now.
 Clara: Does the room include full board? The website said it did, but I want to be sure.
 Receptionist: Yes, it includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
 Clara: Great. Another question: does the building have a lift? I have a heavy suitcase.
 Receptionist: Yes, we have two lifts in operation.
 Clara: Perfect. And is the bathroom. does it have a shower or bath?
 Receptionist: It has a bath with a shower.
 Clara: Excellent. May I have the key now?
 Receptionist: Certainly. Here is the electronic key. If you need extra towels, call reception.
 Clara: Thank you very much. Everything seems fine.

Falar sobre saúde e o hospital em português

Every week we send out an email with a weekly theme containing: words; a link to a Quizlet set to practise and play with the words; stories or dialogues at 3 different levels and an invitation to join the weekly chat group. Estava a pensar - I was thinking - that it would be good to put the content of this email online in an easy to access place for everyone to see, so thought I would revive the blog! ** If you’d like to sign up to the email, you can do so here.

This week’s theme is saúde e o hospital - health and hospital

We might want to chat about health and hopsital visits in European Portuguese.

Por exemplo - Preciso de tomar um antibiótico. Vou fazer análises amanhã. Estou de baixa porque tenho uma intoxicação alimentar. ( I need to take an antibiotic. I’m going to do blood tests tomorrow. I’m off work because I have food poisoning)

This week, we have some phrases about health and hospitals that may be useful.

baixar a febre - bring the fever down

tomar um antibiótico - take an antibiotic

fazer análises - do blood tests

fazer um raio X - take an X-ray, have an X-ray taken

fraturar um osso - fracture a bone

aliviar os sintomas - alleviate the symptoms

nariz entupido - blocked nose

tosse seca - dry cough

alergia ao pó - allergy to dust

nariz a pingar - runny nose

intoxicação alimentar - food poisoning

garganta inflamada - swollen throat

estar de baixo - to be off work sick

ter alta de hospital - to be discharged from hospital

Here’s a link to a Quizlet set with the phrases for you to play about with. Enjoy!

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.

AND because we learn really well from stories and seeing examples of correct language, every week I put together 3 stories 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!)

The stories for this week with the translations below are here:

A1 – No centro de saúde (125 palavras)

A Ana não se sente bem. Tem nariz entupido, tosse seca e garganta inflamada. Ela vai ao centro de saúde. Na receção, a enfermeira pergunta:
— Tem febre?
— Sim, um pouco — responde a Ana.
O médico mede a temperatura e diz que precisa de baixar a febre. Ele recomenda descanso, muita água e um xarope para aliviar os sintomas. Também diz para não ir trabalhar, e deve estar de baixo. A Ana liga ao chefe e explica a situação. Depois vai para casa, bebe chá com mel e descansa no sofá. Sente-se cansada, mas sabe que vai melhorar em breve.

A2 – Uma visita ao hospital (140 palavras)

O João joga futebol todos os fins de semana. Um sábado, cai no campo e sente uma dor forte na perna. Vai ao hospital, onde o médico decide fazer um raio X. A enfermeira ajuda-o a sentar-se e pergunta se tem dores. O resultado mostra que ele fraturou um osso. O médico coloca um gesso e explica que vai precisar de algumas semanas de recuperação. O João tem de estar de baixo durante esse tempo e tomar analgésicos para aliviar os sintomas. A família visita-o em casa e leva-lhe livros e filmes. Depois de algum tempo, o médico confirma que está melhor e o João fica feliz por tirar o gesso e poder voltar a jogar futebol com os amigos.

B1 – Um caso de intoxicação alimentar (145 palavras)

A Rita regressa de um jantar num restaurante novo e, algumas horas depois, começa a sentir-se muito mal. Tem dores de estômago, náuseas e febre alta. Vai às urgências e o médico suspeita de intoxicação alimentar. Para confirmar, decide tirar sangue e fazer alguns exames. Enquanto espera pelos resultados, a Rita recebe soro e medicamentos para baixar a febre e aliviar os sintomas. O médico explica que provavelmente comeu algo estragado e que precisa de tomar um antibiótico durante alguns dias. Ela fica internada uma noite, mas no dia seguinte sente-se melhor e tem alta do hospital. Em casa, descansa e promete escolher com mais cuidado onde comer. Apesar da má experiência, ficou aliviada por ter sido apenas uma infeção passageira.

Translations of the stories:

A1 – At the health centre

Ana doesn’t feel well. She has a blocked nose, dry cough, and a swollen throat. She goes to the health centre. At reception, the nurse asks:
 — Do you have a fever?
 — Yes, a little — Ana replies.
 The doctor takes her temperature and says she needs to bring the fever down. He recommends rest, plenty of water, and some syrup to alleviate the symptoms. He also says she shouldn’t go to work and she must be off sick. Ana calls her boss and explains the situation. Then she goes home, drinks tea with honey, and rests on the sofa. She feels tired but knows she’ll get better soon.

A2 – A visit to the hospital

João plays football every weekend. One Saturday, he falls on the pitch and feels a sharp pain in his leg. He goes to the hospital, where the doctor decides to have an X-ray taken. The nurse helps him sit down and asks if he’s in pain. The result shows he has fractured a bone. The doctor puts on a cast and explains that he’ll need a few weeks to recover. João has to be off work sick during that time and take painkillers to alleviate the symptoms. His family visits him at home and brings books and films. After a while, the doctor confirms he’s better, and João is happy to take off the cast and return to playing football with his friends.

B1 – A case of food poisoning

Rita comes back from dinner at a new restaurant and, a few hours later, starts feeling very unwell. She has stomach pains, nausea, and a high fever. She goes to A&E, and the doctor suspects food poisoning. To confirm, he decides to take blood and run some tests. While she waits for the results, Rita is given fluids and medicine to bring the fever down and alleviate the symptoms. The doctor explains that she probably ate something spoiled and needs to take an antibiotic for a few days. She stays in hospital overnight, but the next day feels better and is discharged. At home, she rests and promises to choose restaurants more carefully. Despite the bad experience, she’s relieved it was only a minor infection.

Falar sobre tecnologia em português

Every week we send out an email with a weekly theme containing: words; a link to a Quizlet set to practise and play with the words; stories or dialogues at 3 different levels and an invitation to join the weekly chat group. Estava a pensar - I was thinking - that it would be good to put the content of this email online in an easy to access place for everyone to see, so thought I would revive the blog! ** If you’d like to sign up to the email, you can do so here.

This week’s theme is tecnologia - technology (tec no lo GI a)

We might want to chat about technology in European Portuguese.

Por exemplo - vou enviar um email. Podes anexar o ficheiro? Precisam de descarregar os ficheiros (I’m going to send an email, Can you attach the file? Yous need to download the files)

This week, we have some phrases about using technology that may be useful.

enviar um email - to send an email

anexar um ficheiro - attach a file

reiniciar - to restart

cabo de alimentação - power cable

descarregar ficheiros - to download files

navegar na internet - to browse the internet

o navegador - the browser

imprimir uma página - to print a page

carregar uma página - to load a page

página principal - home page

Here’s a link to a Quizlet set with the phrases for you to play about with. Enjoy!

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.

AND because we learn really well from stories and seeing examples of correct language, every week I put together 3 stories 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!)

The stories for this week with the translations below are here:

Nível A1

O Miguel trabalha num escritório. Todos os dias, ele liga o computador e navega na internet para ver as notícias. Depois, abre o navegador e vai à página principal da empresa. Ele precisa de enviar um email ao chefe e anexar um ficheiro importante. Às vezes, o computador fica lento e ele tem de reiniciar a máquina. Quando acaba o trabalho, o Miguel gosta de imprimir uma página com as tarefas do dia. Antes de sair, ele verifica se o cabo de alimentação está bem ligado. Em casa, gosta de descarregar ficheiros de música.

Nível A2

A Inês trabalha numa biblioteca moderna. Ela usa o computador todos os dias para navegar na internet e ajudar as pessoas a encontrar livros. Hoje, ela precisa enviar um email a um fornecedor e anexar um ficheiro com uma lista de pedidos. De repente, o computador deixa de funcionar. Ela tenta reiniciar o sistema, mas percebe que o cabo de alimentação está solto. Depois de o ligar, o computador volta a funcionar. A Inês abre o navegador, carrega uma página nova e entra na página principal da biblioteca. No fim do dia, ela gosta de imprimir uma página com os relatórios e descarregar ficheiros de documentos para guardar cópias.

Nível B1

O Rui é técnico de informática numa pequena empresa. De manhã, verifica se todos os computadores estão ligados ao cabo de alimentação e se funcionam bem. Um dos colegas não consegue carregar uma página no navegador, e o Rui descobre que a rede está em baixo. Ele decide reiniciar o router e o sistema volta ao normal. Mais tarde, ajuda o diretor a enviar um email com um relatório e a anexar um ficheiro grande em PDF. O Rui também mostra como imprimir uma página a partir da página principal do site interno. No final do dia, faz cópias de segurança e começa a descarregar ficheiros atualizados do servidor. Gosta muito do seu trabalho, porque todos os dias aprende algo novo ao navegar na internet.

And here are the translations:

A1 Level

Miguel works in an office. Every day, he turns on the computer and browses the internet to read the news. Then, he opens the browser and goes to the company’s home page. He needs to send an email to his boss and attach a file. Sometimes, the computer gets slow and he has to restart the machine. When he finishes work, Miguel likes to print a page with the day’s tasks. Before leaving, he checks if the power cable is properly connected. At home, he enjoys downloading music files.

A2 Level

Inês works in a modern library. She uses the computer every day to browse the internet and help people find books. Today, she needs to send an email to a supplier and attach a file with an order list. Suddenly, the computer stops working. She tries to restart the system but realises that the power cable is loose. After connecting it, the computer works again. Inês opens the browser, loads a new page, and enters the library’s home page. At the end of the day, she likes to print a page with reports and download document files to keep copies.

B1 Level

Rui is an IT technician in a small company. In the morning, he checks if all the computers are connected to the power cable and working properly. One colleague can’t load a page in the browser, and Rui discovers that the network is down. He decides to restart the router and the system goes back to normal. Later, he helps the director to send an email with a report and attach a large PDF file. Rui also shows how to print a page from the internal site’s home page. At the end of the day, he makes backups and starts downloading updated files from the server. He really enjoys his job, because every day he learns something new while browsing the internet.

Falar sobre onde mora em português

Every week we send out an email with a weekly theme containing: words; a link to a Quizlet set to practise and play with the words; stories or dialogues at 3 different levels and an invitation to join the weekly chat group. Estava a pensar - I was thinking - that it would be good to put the content of this email online in an easy to access place for everyone to see, so thought I would revive the blog! ** If you’d like to sign up to the email, you can do so here.

This week’s theme is Falar sobre onde mora - talking about where you live.

We might want to chat about where we live in European Portuguese.

Por exemplo - Moro numa casa pequena. É uma zona tranquila. Há muitos cafés e restaurantes por aí. (I live in a small house. It’s a quiet area. There are a lot of cafés and restaurants nearby.)

This week, as idiomatic expressions are always interesting, the quizlet set is about these. We can learn some new words here, but it’s always recommended to learn these for interest rather than to use them as the contect etc is very important. (so we may inadvertently say something we don’t mean to using them)

não ter eira nem beira - be very poor (lit. not have threshing circle or edge)

atirar o barro à parede - attempt to get what you want (lit. throw the clay at the wall)

de cortar à faca - heavy atmosphere (of cutting to the knife)

estúpido como uma porta - very stupid (lit. stupid as a door)

entrar em parafuso - go mad (lit. enter in screw)

Here’s a link to a Quizlet set with the phrases for you to play about with. Enjoy!

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.

AND because we learn really well from stories and seeing examples of correct language, every week I put together 3 stories 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!)

The stories for this week with the translations below are here:

Nível A1

Personagens: Maria e João
Tema: A cidade onde vivem

Maria: Olá, João! Onde vives?
João: Olá, Maria! Eu vivo em Coimbra. E tu?
Maria: Eu vivo em Lisboa. Gosto muito da minha cidade.
João: Coimbra é mais pequena, mas é muito bonita.
Maria: Lisboa é grande e tem muitos turistas.
João: Em Coimbra há o rio Mondego e uma universidade famosa.
Maria: Que interessante! Em Lisboa há o rio Tejo e muitos bairros antigos.
João: Gosto de visitar Lisboa no verão.
Maria: E eu quero conhecer Coimbra um dia!
João: Então vamos combinar uma visita!

Nível A2

Personagens: Inês e Pedro
Tema: Vantagens e desvantagens do lugar onde vivem

Inês: Olá, Pedro! Continuas a viver no Porto?
Pedro: Sim, continuo. Gosto muito de viver aqui, mas o trânsito é terrível!
Inês: Eu moro numa vila perto do mar. É mais calma e o ar é limpo.
Pedro: Que sorte! Aqui há muito movimento e barulho.
Inês: Mas o Porto tem muita cultura, não é?
Pedro: Sim, há concertos, museus e restaurantes bons.
Inês: Eu gostava de visitar o Porto para ver amigos e ir às livrarias.
Pedro: E eu gostava de ir à tua vila para descansar um fim de semana.
Inês: Trocamos de casa um dia?
Pedro: Boa ideia!

Nível B1

Personagens: Catarina e Tiago
Tema: Mudança de cidade e qualidade de vida

Catarina: Tiago, ouvi dizer que te mudaste para Évora. Como está a correr?
Tiago: Sim, mudei-me há três meses. Gosto muito, é uma cidade tranquila e cheia de história.
Catarina: Deve ser diferente de Lisboa.
Tiago: Muito! Aqui a vida é mais lenta. As pessoas conhecem-se, e há tempo para conversar.
Catarina: E o trabalho?
Tiago: Continuo a trabalhar remotamente. Isso facilita imenso.
Catarina: E o custo de vida é mais baixo, certo?
Tiago: Sim, e também há menos stress. Às vezes sinto falta da agitação de Lisboa, mas aqui durmo melhor.
Catarina: Parece um bom equilíbrio. Talvez eu faça o mesmo um dia!
Tiago: Recomendo. Viver aqui dá outra qualidade de vida.

And here are the translations :)

A1 

Characters: Maria and João
 Topic: The city where they live

Maria: Hello, João! Where do you live?
 João: Hello, Maria! I live in Coimbra. And you?
 Maria: I live in Lisbon. I like my city very much.
 João: Coimbra is smaller, but it’s very beautiful.
 Maria: Lisbon is big and has many tourists.
 João: In Coimbra there’s the Mondego River and a famous university.
 Maria: How interesting! In Lisbon there’s the Tagus River and many old neighbourhoods.
 João: I like visiting Lisbon in the summer.
 Maria: And I want to visit Coimbra one day!
 João: Then let’s plan a visit!

A2 

Characters: Inês and Pedro
 Topic: Advantages and disadvantages of where they live

Inês: Hi, Pedro! Do you still live in Porto?
 Pedro: Yes, I do. I really like living here, but the traffic is terrible!
 Inês: I live in a village near the sea. It’s calmer and the air is clean.
 Pedro: Lucky you! Here there’s a lot of movement and noise.
 Inês: But Porto has a lot of culture, right?
 Pedro: Yes, there are concerts, museums and good restaurants.
 Inês: I’d like to visit Porto to see friends and go to bookshops.
 Pedro: And I’d like to go to your village to relax for a weekend.
 Inês: Shall we swap houses one day?
 Pedro: Good idea! 

B1 

Characters: Catarina and Tiago
 Topic: Moving city and quality of life

Catarina: Tiago, I heard you moved to Évora. How’s it going?
 Tiago: Yes, I moved three months ago. I really like it — it’s a peaceful city full of history.
 Catarina: It must be different from Lisbon.
 Tiago: Very! Life here is slower. People know each other and there’s time to talk.
 Catarina: And work?
 Tiago: I still work remotely. That helps a lot.
 Catarina: And the cost of living is lower, right?
 Tiago: Yes, and there’s less stress too. Sometimes I miss the energy of Lisbon, but I sleep better here.
 Catarina: Sounds like a good balance. Maybe I’ll do the same one day!
 Tiago: I recommend it. Living here gives you a better quality of life.

Tradições do ano novo em Portugal - New Year's traditions in Portugal

Every country has it's traditions and superstitions for going into the New Year, and Portugal is no exception. Do you know any of these?

1 - You should wear blue underwear! Deve vestir roupa interior azul.
2 - You should wear a new item of clothing. Deve estrear uma peça de roupa.
3 - At midnight, you should eat 12 rasins to the chimes of midnight and make wishes. Deve comer doze passas em cada uma das doze baladas e pedir desejos.
4 - You should toast with champagne. Deve brindar com champagne.
5 - You should make a lot of noise at midnight. Deve fazer muito barulho à meia-noite.

Are any of these the same as in your country? No seu país de origem

Desejo-lhes tudo de bom para o ano novo!

How to be Prepared & Pass that Dreaded CIPLE A2 Exam

For most of us, taking an exam is not something we willingly put ourselves through.  Just the thought of taking an exam can be terrifying - sitting in a classroom, clock ticking, nerves jumping, trying to squeeze our memory and put the answers on paper – a terrible prospect to be avoided at all costs.  And with a language exam we have, joy of joy, a speaking exam to look forward to…  Spotlight on us, being evaluated on what we say, the fear of failure can really put us off going through all this.

And then we find ourselves thinking, well, if I do this A2 CIPLE exam in Portuguese, I could make my life in Portugal a whole lot easier… I could apply for nationality, no longer need to renew residency regularly… or maybe you would like or need to take another exam in order to get the job you want, or simply feel you would like some official recognition, a document, to say you really do know the Portuguese language well. 

Why are we uncomfortable with exams?

We carry our past experiences with us, both good and bad.  They make us who we are, and one of the reasons why so many of us feel this way about exams and tests is because we have had less than pleasant experiences in the past.  Memories of having to take tests we were poorly prepared for, or that feeling of everything being gone from our heads, the mind going blank, or being forced to take tests, all this can add up to us deciding that it’s much better not to bother.  Let’s see if I can convince you it’s worth the hassle!

Let’s look into the parts

What exactly do you have to do in the CIPLE A2 exam (and similar tests)?

The CIPLE test is divided into 4 parts which you will do on one day.  Each part evaluates a different language skill – Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking (Compreensão da leitura, Produção e interação escritas, Compreensão do oral, Expressão oral).  Each part has more or less the same weighting, the listening having slightly more marks (30%).  You do not need to ‘pass’ each part to pass the exam.  The overall pass mark is 55% (over 70% is Bom - good, over 85% Muito bom – very good).  There is no explicit grammar section, this is evaluated in your speaking and writing (so you need to ensure you demonstrate your wonderful Portuguese with a wide range of language and tenses!).  

• Reading and Writing components are together (1h 15mins – multiple choice questions on a lot of texts and write one short and one longer text, informal language),

• Listening (30mins – you hear each text / dialogue twice) is separate,

• Speaking exam (10-15mins) you will normally do with one other candidate.

You receive the timings a few weeks before the exam, everyone at each exam centre will do the written papers at the same time, but the speaking times will be allocated in pairs.  

The most challenging parts are the listening comprehension (the texts and dialogues are read at normal speed, and they engineer background noises into the recordings – street noise etc…  However there are no regional accents to deal with.) and the speaking test – nerves being the usual issue here!   

I like to remind students that this is an A2 level exam, so errors are expected and acceptable, but not basic errors, like masculine / feminine agreement etc.  One issue some students have is they try to produce very complex language and get tangled up.  But no complex language is expected, just clearly communicated (fairly) correct simple language.

For candidates between 12 and 15 there is a different version of the exam – eCIPLE for them. 

If you go searching online you can find a couple of sample papers, but be aware that these are pretty much all that are available, aside from a book you buy that has 2 sample tests.  So, if you are serious about taking the exam I strongly recommend not doing these tests until you are getting on with your exam preparation, as there are so few resources available.  Why does the university not make the past papers available?  There is a lot of recycling of old papers in the current exams… so they would be giving the game away!  

“Before anything else ..

.. preparation is the key to success”

Alexander Graham Bell

How to pass and get the best marks?

How can we then achieve our goal of getting this certificate and not put ourselves though hell in the process?  

1 – Remember that an exam is there to evaluate your level of knowledge – in this case your Portuguese language.  You will need to be at the level required to be in the best position to pass the exam.  The CIPLE is a high A2 level in the Common European Framework  Info here and a table here on the levels and what this means in practical terms.  Comparing the exam to very similar English exams, I would consider it to be more in line with the equivalent B1 exams.  One important point is that you need to have a very good working knowledge of the past tense(s) – to write and speak about past events confidently.  So, if you are not up to the level, get studying!!  The test is designed to evaluate your ability to function in Portuguese speaking situations.  The focus is on day to day situations and you ned to have decent listening skills and a good working vocabulary.

2 – Be familiar with the exam format, timing and remember there are lots of techniques and strategies for passing exams you can learn.  Being familiar with what you will be asked to do, and learning the best way to provide the answers that are expected in a time-efficient way with be very helpful.

3 – Practise and get good feedback on how you are doing, especially for the written and spoken components.  

4 – Be confident!  If you have nailed the above 3 points, you are ready to go!  Turn up on the day of the exam having slept well, not jittering from too much coffee, and feeling like you are going to do your very best.  A positive mindset makes a huge difference.

What next if I decide to do the test?  

Think about your timescale and your current level of Portuguese.  If you feel you are up to the level of the exam, choose your date and venue, book your test and then get stuck into preparation.  If your need to boost your level, get studying!  

A few useful points:

• The exam dates for the year only come out in January or February, so planning for taking exams at the beginning of the year can be tricky. This year it was only possible to book from the 1st March (and many of the early dates booked up very soon after that date). Once you have decided when and where you want to do the exam, book as places are often very limited. (although you can book up to 3 weeks before the exam date). The price is 72€.

• There are national and international dates. You can take the exam inside and outside of Portugal on the international dates, but only in Portugal on the national dates. This year (2022) the exam will be on 12th May, 14th July, 10th November (national and international), and only in Portugal 18th June and 22nd October.

• Choose your exam centre wisely. Some locations are busy, so there can be a lot of noise for the listening test, this is particularly the case for Lisboa. I have found Leiria to be a very nice exam centre if you are in the centre of Portugal.

• Be aware (thinking of the speaking component of the exam, where you have to speak with someone else) that there are people who take the test that are either – totally unprepared, having heard it is a low level exam, so are well below the level, and/or have no idea what to expect; or are fluent in Portuguese and are only taking the exam for bureaucratic purposes. Try not to let this put you off. The examiners / assessors are trained to evaluate you separately.

Need help?

Get in touch ..

If you need advice or help in preparing for your language exam in Portuguese, do get in touch with me <here>. Find out more and/or register here for our next CIPLE preparation course.

Official links to bookmark:  

• Information on all exams and timetable here: https://caple.letras.ulisboa.pt/exames

• You can enroll here: https://caple.letras.ulisboa.pt/inscricao

• Specific information on the CIPLE here, including that one precious example test: https://caple.letras.ulisboa.pt/exame/2/ciple

• Information from the PT government website on all of the situations: (in English): https://eportugal.gov.pt/en/servicos/pedir-a-nacionalidade-portuguesa

• Information on applying for nationality if you have been resident for at least 6 years: (in Portuguese): https://justica.gov.pt/Como-obter-nacionalidade-portuguesa/Reside-legalmente-em-Portugal-ha-pelo-menos-6-anos

(Originally published in Portugal Living Magazine, Summer 2022 Issue #5)