Lesson 7: Pronunciation of Nasal Vowels,  Invitations to Parties

Lesson 7: Pronunciation of Nasal Vowels, Invitations to Parties

Author: College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin December 18, 2006 Duration: 12:47
asset title: Lesson 7: Pronunciation of Nasal Vowels, Invitations to Parties filename: tafalado_07.mp3 track number: 8/46 time: 12:47 size: 8.99 MB bitrate: 96 kbps Often people hear, 'I think Portuguese sounds a lot like French and Spanish combined.' Maybe those that say this are hearing the nasalized vowels in Portuguese, and there are a lot of them. Either way, this lesson introduces the nasalized vowels. As to the cultural element, Michelle and Valdo talk about how surprised they were to see that sometimes invitations to parties in the United States not only tell you when the party starts, but also when the party ends. How bizarre is that? Dialog Portuguese Michelle: Olha aqui o convite de casamento que a minha irmã me enviou hoje de manhã. Valdo: Mas ela não é muito tua fã, né? Mandou o convite com horário pra começar e terminar? Sem noção! Michelle: Sim, quando eu vim pra cá também estranhei. Valdo: Bom, no Brasil isso não funcionaria de jeito nenhum. Michelle: Concordo contigo. Valdo: Tudo bem ter um horário pra começar a festa, mas pra terminar nunca. Spanish Michelle: Mira aquí la invitación de la boda que mi hermana me envió hoy por la mañana. Valdo: Pero ella no es fanática tuya, ¿verdad? ¿Mandó la invitación con horario para comenzar y terminar? ¡Difícil de creer! Michelle: Sí, cuando vine aquí también pensé que era raro. Valdo: Bueno, en Brasil eso no funcionaría de ninguna manera. Michelle: De acuerdo contigo. Valdo: Todo bien en tener un horario para comenzar la fiesta, pero para terminar nunca. English Michelle: Look at this wedding invitation that my sister sent to me this morning. Valdo: She must not be much of a fan of yours, right? She sent the invitation with the beginning and an ending time? Hard to believe! Michelle: Yeah, when I first came here I thought it was weird too. Valdo: Well, in Brazil this would never work at all. Michelle: I agree with you. Valdo: No problem with a starting time for a party, but never for an ending time.

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 15: Pronunciation of 'r' sounds (alt),  Good Tippers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:12
asset title: Lesson 15: Pronunciation of 'r' sounds (alt), Good Tippers filename: tafalado_15.mp3 track number: 16/46 time: 10:12 size: 3.59 MB bitrate: 48 kbps Our carioca is back! Once again Vivian Flanzer joins Michel…
Lesson 14: Pronunciation of 'r' sounds,  Good Tippers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:07
asset title: Lesson 14: Pronunciation of 'r' sounds, Good Tippers filename: tafalado_14.mp3 track number: 15/46 time: 13:07 size: 4.61 MB bitrate: 48 kbps North Americans don't always have the greatest image abroad. Howe…
Lesson 10: Pronunciation of Palatalization, Cell Phones and Driving [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:47
asset title: Lesson 10: Pronunciation of Palatalization, Cell Phones and Driving filename: tafalado_10.mp3 track number: 11/46 time: 13:47 size: 9.70 MB bitrate: 96 kbps One of the great differences between Spanish and P…
Lesson 9: Pronunciation of Vowel Raising,  Parking Meters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:59
asset title: Lesson 9: Pronunciation of Vowel Raising, Parking Meters filename: tafalado_09.mp3 track number: 10/46 time: 10:59 size: 7.72 MB bitrate: 96 kbps This lesson takes on some pretty advanced stuff. We're going…
Lesson 6: Pronunciation of Oral Diphthongs, Going to the Pharmacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:22
asset title: Lesson 6: Pronunciation of Oral Diphthongs, Going to the Pharmacy filename: tafalado_06.mp3 track number: 7/46 time: 12:22 size: 8.70 MB bitrate: 96 kbps In this lesson Valdo and Michelle can't figure out wh…