Projects
Conversa Brasileira
http://coerll.utexas.edu/brazilpod/cob/
Imagine video scenarios where people are interacting with each other. There are dialogs, questions, turn taking exchanges, clarifications, false starts, hugs, laughter, asides, just everything that makes up real conversation. Conversa Brasileira is a compilation of such scenarios, but enhanced by transcriptions, translations, and content analysis. Think of it like a sportscaster’s analysis of a game or the director’s commentary that accompanies movies. The roleplay scenarios provide learners with a view of everyday exchanges, but especially with a way to analyze its parts.
ClicaBrasil
http://laits.utexas.edu/clicabrasil/
ClicaBrasil is a series of lessons for intermediate-level students of Portuguese, where you will find topics that highlight aspects of Brazilian culture. The materials include videos of Brazilians from all walks of life as they talk about their lives, their country, and their numerous activities. All of the lessons integrate reading, writing, listening comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, oral communication, and cultural activities, using the videos and PDF files as a point of departure.
Tá Falado
http://coerll.utexas.edu/brazilpod/tafalado/
46 podcast lessons that cover the pronunciation and grammar of Portuguese, specifically designed to help those who already speak Spanish. The lessons are built around dialogs performed by Valdo and Michelle that are repeated in Spanish by Jose Luis, providing a direct comparison of the two languages. All lessons include downloadable PDF files with the transcripts and notes, mp3 audio files, and blog discussions. Additionally all of the dialogs present cultural scenarios that illustrate differences between North American and Brazilian culture.
Língua da Gente
http://linguadagente.coerll.utexas.edu
In Brazil, língua da gente (literally 'language of the people') refers to the way that people actually talk in everyday speech. This website offers practical lessons that demonstrate how people really speak, and does this by presenting brief, slice-of-life dialogs, which focus on some daily situation, scenario, or task that we encounter every day. In addition to the free podcast lessons, COERLL has partnered with OpenLanguage.com, who, by subscription, provides a full range of complete online and via tablet language services. Users who subscribe to the full-featured version of Língua da Gente at OpenLanguage receive additional benefits (e.g. lesson exercises, including matching, reordering, dictation, and multiple choice).
Portuguese Communication Exercises
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/orkelm/ppe/intro.html
A compilation of nearly 350 brief video clips, together with a complete Portuguese transcription and English translation of native speakers of Portuguese from various locations throughout Brazil (and some Portugal) who talk about 80 different topics. The clips are not scripted. Some talk fast, some slow, some are interesting, some are not, but you have access to real speech from real people. It’s a great resource to hear how Brazilians really talk. The topics are roughly divided by the level of the difficulty of the task. Beginning level includes topics like introductions and describing what you like to do. Intermediate topics include things like talking about favorite foods, buying items and going to the store. Advanced topics include stories about airplane rides and auto accidents. And the superior topics include ideas about how life would be different without electricity.
Brazilians Working with Americans (2007)
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/orkelm/casos/intro.html
The "Brazilians Working with Americans: Cultural Case Studies" (Orlando R. Kelm & Mary E. Risner, Univ. of Texas Press, 2007) consists of 10 brief case studies that illustrate the challenges that executives face when working together. The 10 cases are based on real stories from Brazilian executives who work with North Americans in Brazil. This website accompanies the book and provides video clips of 3 American and 3 Brazilian executives who offer personal observations about the cases. In all there are 60 video clips from 17 executives. The comments represent the executives' personal opinions about the cultural aspects of the case studies. All materials are provided in both English and Portuguese. The American executives make their comments in English (with Portuguese translation) and all of the Brazilian executives make their comments in Portuguese (with English translation).
