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We've all heard a foreigner asking for directions or mispronouncing common words even though on paper they know exactly what they are saying. I come across this time and time again when I hear people speaking other languages and it has always made me curious as to why they don't give enough importance to pronunciation. Perhaps if they knew that the people from the countries that speak those other languages often have an innocent laugh on their behalf, they might put more emphasis on such a skill. Fortunately, there are demanding teachers out there who realize this and don't overlook this important tenet. READ MORE>

Here is a great podcast in Portuguese: Café Brasil, by Luciano Pires. Café Brasil is not intended to teach Portuguese as a foreign language, but it''''s definitely a great learning tool, especially for intermediate and advanced students. READ MORE>

Last week I flew home (Recife, Brazil) to visit my family. I was pleasantly surprised to find a good selection of songs in Portuguese on the plane entertainment system. Their World Music channel had a total of 21 songs, 10 of which were in Portuguese from different places in the world. Below is a widget with these songs. Place your cursor at the center of the widget and you will see a list of the songs. Click on a song to listen to its sample. You will also be able to purchase the MP3 dowloads from Amazon if you wish to do so. READ MORE>

(Photo by Scott Eggers)

Street Smart Brazil has the pleasure to interview Alex Martins, a native Brazilian who has lived in San Francisco since 1993, surfs with a passion, practices yoga daily, and works for himself as the local surfboard ding repair man (www.AlexMartinsSF.com). He’s well known for charging huge waves at Mavericks, the renowned surf break in Half Moon Bay (Calif.), as well as ripping on a shortboard out front of his house on the Great Highway at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. READ MORE>

The World Cup has been a great ride so far. I’ve had lots of fun watching the games with more Brazilians than I knew lived here in the Bay Area, and with live Brazilian music and all. What a joy!

What do you think will be the score for Brazil vs. Netherlands? Post your bet on our Facebook community. The first post with the right score will get a Street Smart Brazil Travel Mug.

To win you must: READ MORE>

Fernando Pessoa was a Portuguese writer and poet, and in my opinion one of the best poets this world has even seen. Born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1935, Pessoa left an extensive, complex, and beautiful collection of writings. READ MORE>

It is Carnival and to celebrate it with our readers I visited Neguinha Sambista, a professional Samba instructor from Aquarela Samba Troup, in Berkely, CA. We interviewed her about the history and styles of the dance, and she told us about her classes. We also filmed parts of the lesson for you! Aquarela teaches Samba and provides Samba shows around the SF Bay Area. We filmed Neguinha Sambista at the Dance Mission Theatre in San Francisco. READ MORE>

Today I will answer your questions about the use of the word muito. Students often feel confused with muito. When is it just muito and when does it have a plural and a feminine?

I will organize my answer in three parts.

1) When muito means “very” it does not vary. Check out these examples: READ MORE>

Açaí is getting very popular in the US today, as it is hailed for its richness in antioxidants. However, it is usually sold only in the form of a liquid juice, often mixed with blueberry juice. While this is delicious, it is very different from how we enjoy it in Brazil. There, we go to barracas (beach hut) and have it served up in an ice-cold puree with bananas, granola, and honey.  It is made with a blender, but you don't drink it--it is eaten with a spoon. Acai na tigela (acai in the bowl) is a must-have when you visit Brazil.  Watch how it is made in our video below. READ MORE>

There are three ways in which you can type the Portuguese accents.  READ MORE>