Lesson 22: Epenthetic Vowels (wow, fancy word!),  Fast Food

Lesson 22: Epenthetic Vowels (wow, fancy word!), Fast Food

Author: College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin March 19, 2007 Duration: 11:50
asset title: Lesson 22: Epenthetic Vowels (wow, fancy word!), Fast Food filename: tafalado_22.mp3 track number: 23/46 time: 11:50 size: 8.32 MB bitrate: 96 kbps Epenthe ... what? Epenthetic vowels. We know, it sounds like a tropical disease, but it's really the linguistic feature that produces such great Brazilian words as 'piquenique' for picnic. Valdo isn't sure he can bring himself to say 'hoti doggie' for 'hot dog,' but he has no problem with 'fasti foodi.' Dialog Portuguese Valdo: Você já observou como a comida daqui é diferente da nossa? Michelle: É óbvio que sim! E o mais absurdo é que a gente não tem opção: é fast food todo dia! Valdo: Você está absolutamente certa! No Brasil, nós nunca substituiríamos um prato de arroz e feijão por um pedaço de pizza ou por um hot dog. Michelle: É verdade. Nossa comida é digna dos deuses! Valdo: Ainda bem que nós não somos adeptos a esse sistema, né? Michelle: Pois é ... apesar do nosso ritmo de vida ser igual, sempre optamos por ter pelo menos uma refeição de verdade. Spanish Valdo: ¿Ha observado usted como la comida de aquí es diferente que la nuestra? Michelle: Sí, es obvio. Y lo más absurdo es que no hay otra opción: es fast food todos los días Valdo: Absolutamente, usted tiene toda la razón. En Brasil, nunca substituiríamos un plato de arroz y frijoles por una pizza o por una hot dog. Michelle: Es verdad. Nuestra comida es digna de los dióses. Valdo: Felizmente no somos adeptos a ese sistema, ¿verdad? Michelle: Pues sí ... puede ser que nuestra ritmo de vida sea igual, pero siempre hay opciones para comer una comida de verdad. English Valdo: Have you ever observed how food here is different from ours? Michelle: It's obvious yes. And the most absurd thing is that we have no options here: fast food every day! Valdo: You are absolutely correct. In Brazil we would never substitute a plate of rice and beans for a slice of pizza or for a hot dog. Michelle: That is true. Our food is worthy of the gods! Valdo: It's a good thing that we aren't very adept at their system, you know? Michelle: You're right ... even if our rhythm of life is just like theirs, we'll always take time to at least have a real meal.

For anyone who speaks Spanish and wants to learn the distinct sounds of Brazilian Portuguese, Tá Falado is a focused and practical resource. This podcast comes from the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin, and it’s built on a simple, effective idea: your existing knowledge of Spanish is a powerful starting point. Each episode deliberately contrasts the two languages, breaking down specific pronunciation challenges like vowel sounds, nasal consonants, and intonation patterns that often trip up Spanish speakers. You’ll hear clear comparisons and practice examples that highlight these differences directly. Beyond the mechanics of speech, the podcast naturally weaves in cultural notes and real-life scenarios, offering glimpses into daily life and social interactions in Brazil compared to common experiences in the United States. It’s this combination of linguistic precision and cultural context that makes the lessons stick. As part of the broader Brazilpod project, Tá Falado is academically informed but entirely approachable, turning a potentially difficult learning curve into a series of manageable, insightful steps. The goal isn’t just to be understood, but to sound more authentic and confident when speaking.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 46

Tá Falado: Brazilian Portuguese Pronunciation for Speakers of Spanish
Podcast Episodes
Lesson 2: Pronunciation of /u/, Slamming the Car Door [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:27
asset title: Lesson 2: Pronunciation of /u/, Slamming the Car Door filename: tafalado_02.mp3 track number: 2/46 time: 9:27 size: 6.65 MB bitrate: 96 kbps The good news about Lesson #2 is that we're back. It must be that…
Lesson 1: Pronunciation of /i/, Getting the Check at a Restaurant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:32
asset title: Lesson 1: Pronunciation of /i/, Getting the Check at a Restaurant filename: tafalado_01.mp3 track number: 1/46 time: 10:32 size: 7.41 MB bitrate: 96 kbps There's only one Lesson #1. We'll never have a first…