maripereira

I can notice the difference between certain British accents but I can't place what they are or where the accents are from. But I think it's all a matter of ear-training. After spending time with these different accents, you learn more about them. I think all accents are charming, though. I'm not a big fan of people that try too hard to lose their accent!

I have some suggestions. - Ou Isto ou Aquilo by Cecília Meireles. Cute books with poems, tongue-twisters, lullabies. Great way to start easy on some of the languages intricacies. - O Menino Maluquinho by Ziraldo. Ziraldo is a household name in the Brazilian children literature, and this is his most famous work. Very lovely story about a quirky boy and his adventures. - O Mistério de Feiurinha by Pedro Bandeira. I forgot how many times I've read this book. A twist on fairy tales, told in a very distinctive way. If you want more suggestions, just ask, I'm have plenty more!

Wow, these resources are great. I'm already building a small library of books I'll be ready to tackle as soon as I brush up on my Spanish skills. Any one using these websites would like to share some of their recommendations?

Hi guys! I took the TOEFL exam last year and I though my score (109) was pretty decent. I was a bit bummed because I know I could've done better, though. It's just that during the speaking section I got very nervous about talking in English in the room with the other students. I lost my concentration, mumbled the words... And I'm usually not very shy! But when it comes to speaking another language in front of people, I shut down. What can I do to avoid this and score better next time?

Ever since I was little my parents used to make me listen to songs in English and watch silly American cartoons. That's why English feels so natural to me. When I was 15 I spent 7 months in The USA to practice my skills and came back much more confident about my second language. Now I'm 20 and I'm trying to learn Spanish. I think it'll be easier, since I already have knowledge in another idiom and Spanish is quite similar to Portuguese.

It's important to always keep practicing! My mom lived abroad in Peru and Congo for a while, and she used to speak both Spanish and French fluently. But when she came back to Brazil she lost all contact with those languages and forgot them after a while. She says her biggest regret was not signing up for a class just to keep the usage of the language constant. I think a good tip is that if you're going abroad, keep in touch with your international friends. That way you'll always have someone to practice with!

I'm not sure if it counts as a "word", but I love how you laugh in Spanish: JAJAJA It's because J is pronounced like H, so it's actually HAHA. One time I was talking to my cousin who lives in Spain and she kept using jajaja, and I had no idea what it meant. After she told me what it meant, I started to think it was the cutest thing ever

I know practice makes perfect, but is there a place I can go to get honest reviews? How am I supposed to know in what areas I can improve if I don't have a feedback?

One of my favorite brazilian authors is Érico Veríssimo. If you're interested, check out "Ana Terra" and the sequel "Um Certo Capitão Rodrigo". They're part of a bigger collection (O Tempo E o Vento), but if you don't want to read it all, those two make sense without the rest. They're about this family in Southern Brazil, the hardships they go through while trying to make a living in a solitary environment devastated by war. It's amazing how he transitions from historical facts to fiction. If you're looking for something not so dramatic, go for "Incidente em Antares". It's the story of how the dead come back to haunt a small town after the gravedigger strike prevented them from being buried. It's a very easy, fun read.

Hello everyone! I'm Mari, a 21 year old college student from Brazil. I joined this forum because I'm very interested in language learning tools and tips, and more recently I've been learning Spanish. I have the desire to move to Barcelona next year, so I'm really looking for opportunities to practice. Also, I'm here to help anyone with a interest in Portuguese! Maybe English too, but it isn't my first language, so forgive me if there are any mistakes. Hope I can make some friends in here to share our knowledge! Bye

I'm a Communications major so, obviously, I'm interested about languages, conversations and the transmission of ideas. When you study a different idiom, you learn more about the society, its values and its people. You understand the human system of communication better, and that's very interesting to me. Besides, it's a fun challenge!