Lesson 3: Pronunciation of /é/ and /ê/, Public Health and Health Insurance

Lesson 3: Pronunciation of /é/ and /ê/, Public Health and Health Insurance

Author: College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin November 13, 2006 Duration: 8:45
asset title: Lesson 3: Pronunciation of /é/ and /ê/, Public Health and Health Insurance filename: tafalado_03.mp3 track number: 3/46 time: 8:45 size: 6.15 MB bitrate: 96 kbps Welcome to one of the great challenges of Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation. Sometimes 'e' sounds similar to the English sound in words like 'get, met, set.' Other times Brazilian 'e' sounds like the Spanish 'e' in words like 'bebe, vive, lleve.' Valdo and Michelle help us out. Culturally they also help us understand how different it is for Brazilians to have to worry about personal health insurance. Dialog Portuguese Valdo: Você já quebrou o pé? Michelle: Quebrei a perna. E você não sabe como pesou no bolso. Valdo: Por quê? Michelle: Porque paguei uma nota pelo gesso. Até mesmo com seguro-saúde o preço é elevado. Valdo: Teve que engessar, é? Michelle: O médico achou que era melhor. Dê uma olhada aqui e veja você mesmo como ficou. Spanish Valdo: ¿Usted se ha quebrado el pié? Michelle: Me quebré la pierna. Y usted no sabe como pesó en mi bolsillo. Valdo: ¿Por qué? Michelle: Porque pagué mucha plata por el yeso. Así mismo con el seguro médico, el precio es elevado. Valdo: Tuviste que enyesarlo, ¿verdad? Michelle: El médico pensó que era mejor. Dé una mirada aquí y vea usted mismo como quedó. English Valdo: Have you ever had a broken foot? Michelle: I broke my leg. And you can't imagine how hard it hit my wallet. Valdo: Why? Michelle: Because I paid a lot for my cast. Even with insurance the price was high. Valdo: So you had to get a cast? Michelle: The doctor thought it would be better. Check it out yourself and see how it ended up.

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
Supplementary Lesson 2: Portuguese Consonant Sounds [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:33
asset title: Supplementary Lesson 2: Portuguese Consonant Sounds filename: tafalado_suppl_02.mp3 track number: 26/46 time: 5:33 size: 3.90 MB bitrate: 96 kbps Unlike the regular podcast lessons, we've included some other…
Lesson 24: Intonation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:05
asset title: Lesson 24: Intonation filename: tafalado_24.mp3 track number: 25/46 time: 15:05 size: 10.61 MB bitrate: 96 kbps Today's lesson is totally different. Instead of listening to a dialog and comparing the sounds…
Lesson 23: Cool Little Words,  Nicknames [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:11
asset title: Lesson 23: Cool Little Words, Nicknames filename: tafalado_23.mp3 track number: 24/46 time: 9:11 size: 6.46 MB bitrate: 96 kbps Let's see if we have this right? Michelle's family gave her the nickname 'witch…
Lesson 22: Epenthetic Vowels (wow, fancy word!),  Fast Food [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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 lik…
Lesson 20: Pronunciation of 'lh', Automatic Sprinklers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:38
asset title: Lesson 20: Pronunciation of 'lh', Automatic Sprinklers filename: tafalado_20.mp3 track number: 21/46 time: 12:38 size: 4.44 MB bitrate: 48 kbps The 'mulher molhada trabalhava' is rendered in Spanish as 'muje…
Lesson 19: Pronunciation of 'nh', Laundromats, Really? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:25
asset title: Lesson 19: Pronunciation of 'nh', Laundromats, Really? filename: tafalado_19.mp3 track number: 20/46 time: 11:25 size: 4.02 MB bitrate: 48 kbps Valdo and Michelle still can't get used to the idea of taking t…
Lesson 18: Pronunciation of 'ch', You Call That a Steak House? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:42
asset title: Lesson 18: Pronunciation of 'ch', You Call That a Steak House? filename: tafalado_18.mp3 track number: 19/46 time: 12:42 size: 4.47 MB bitrate: 48 kbps For the meat lovers of the world, we present the Brazil…