Lesson 4: Pronunciation of Open /ó/ and Closed /ô/, Getting on a City Bus

Lesson 4: Pronunciation of Open /ó/ and Closed /ô/, Getting on a City Bus

Author: College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin November 13, 2006 Duration: 10:21
asset title: Lesson 4: Pronunciation of Open /ó/ and Closed /ô/, Getting on a City Bus filename: tafalado_04.mp3 track number: 4/46 time: 10:21 size: 7.28 MB bitrate: 96 kbps Spanish speakers learn to sing 'a, e, i, o, u, el burro sabe más que tú' and it's a way to show that there are only 5 vowel sounds in Spanish. Portuguese, however, complicates things with what are called 'open' and 'closed' vowel sounds. In this lesson we learn about open /ó/ and closed /ô/. Culturally Michelle and Valdo talk about how different it is to ride a bus in the United States. All we can say is that at least they don't have to cram as tightly into limited space and then wonder the whole time how they are going to get off the bus! Dialog Portuguese Valdo: Lá vem o nosso ônibus! Vamos correr! Michelle: Corre, sobe logo! Valdo: Cadê o cobrador? Como podemos pagar? Michelle: Aqui só se pode pagar passando um cartão ou colocando dinheiro na máquina. Valdo: Que máquina? Michelle: Aquela do lado do motorista. Spanish Valdo: Ahí viene nuestro autobús. Vamos a correr Michelle: Corre, súbete luego. Valdo: ¿Dónde está el colector? ¿Como podemos pagar? Michelle: Aquí sólo se puede pagar pasando una tarjeta o poniendo dinero en la máquina. Valdo: ¿Qué máquina? Michelle: Aquella al lado del conductor. English Valdo: Here comes our bus. Let's run. Michelle: Run, let's get on up. Valdo: Where's the fare collector? How do you pay? Michelle: Here you just pay by inserting your card or by putting the bills or coins in the machine. Valdo: What machine? Michelle: That one next to the bus driver.

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…