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São Carlos is a medium-sized university town located in the São Paulo countryside. While many people come to São Carlos from the capital city of São Paulo, you can find people from all over Brazil (and the world), which makes for a variety of accents! However, the typical paulista interior accent features strong r's and soft t's (ch sound).

Muito obrigada to our Brazilian contributors!

Natal Volunteers:

Mariana

Jorge Witt

Frank Aleixo

Fernanda Cunha

Alezi Bezerra

Matheus A. Mafra

Aretha Melo

Diandra Azevedo

Stefany Félix

São Carlos Volunteers:

Aline

André

Claudinei

Gabi

Gabriel

Júlia

Juliana

Moisés

Nathália

Thayná

How do I use this course?

Traveling to the NE or SE region of Brazil? Click on the appropriate Vocab tab below or from the menu at the top of this page. Starting with the Introduction section, grow your vocabulary and pronunciation by using the Quizlet embedded flashcards. When you feel comfortable, navigate to the Podcast or Assessment page to test your listening and writing skills!

Vocab (SE)

Vocab (NE)

Suggested Course Schedule

Week 1: Introduction & Safety
Week 2: Housing & Bureaucracy
Week 3: Transportation, Health & Food
Week 4: Friendship, Professional & Commercial
Week 5: Assessments & Final Review

Brazilian Portuguese for Specific Purposes

About Natal:

Natal is nicknamed "The City of Sun." Located in the Northeast region of Brazil, it is hot and sunny year-round. The NE region is home to numerous accents, typically pronouncing the "T" and "E" sounds at the end of words, and producing fewer nasal sounds.

Resources:

Websites: Quizlet, Soundcloud

Translators:

Google Translate, Linguee

Books:

Portuguese for Dummies

Novo Avenida Brasil 1

Novo Avenida Brasil 2

Outside Materials: Audacity

Bem-vindos! This course was designed to increase access to the various accents of Brazilian Portuguese and ultimately improve basic Brazilian Portuguese education for English speaking students. Developed utilizing theory for Language for Specific Purposes, the curriculum was created by two Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) living in Natal, RN and São Carlos, SP. Vocabulary categories were chosen based on language found to be instrumental to the ETAs' success and safety in Brazil. Each vocabulary category consists of vocabulary lists, pronunciation recordings from local volunteers in Natal and São Carlos, conversations, and flashcards. You will also find podcasts related to each vocabulary category and optional assessment activities. Esperamos que você goste da aula!

About São Carlos:

Course Co-Creators

Born and raised in the Midwest, Cheyenne grew up in a family of hippy educators. After high school, she committed to Amherst College in Massachusetts, where she graduated Magna cum Laude with Distinction with a double major in English and Psychology. As a three year co-captain of Amherst College Women's Basketball, Beyond el Campo Co-President, and jazz vocal student, Cheyenne pursued numerous creative endeavors. After Amherst, Cheyenne worked shortly in Boston and Philadelphia before leaving for her Fulbright Fellowship in Natal, Brazil. She now resides in Philadelphia and is pursuing work related to non-profit administration and public health. In her free time, you can find her dancing to Bob Dylan, writing furiously in her journal, shooting hoops, cooking pasta, and teaching exercise classes.

Pria spent the last year as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in São Carlos, SP. While in Brazil, she greatly enjoyed becoming functionally fluent in Portuguese and taking a deep cultural dive into what she’s convinced is one of the most amazing countries in the world. Prior to moving to Brazil, she spent four months traveling through Europe and Asia on her own and blogging about her experiences. A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis (double majors in Psychology-Neuroscience-Philosophy and Spanish) and with experience in the financial services industry, she returns to the United States looking to make a positive social impact and continue developing her portfolio for a future career in reporting and storytelling. In her free time, you can find her plugged into podcasts, cuddling cats, and climbing whatever mountains she can find.

Brazilian Portuguese