My hope for this book was that it would deepen my knowledge in areas that usually get short shift in normal language courses, and that it would illuminate some of the nuance in the language. Well, it turns out to be mostly a review of things that you should have learned in a first-year course, but perhaps didn’t. Basic things like proper spelling, pronouns, etc. and some intermediate points of confusion (esse/este/aquele, saber vs conhecer). I would have also liked to see more than 1 or 2 examples given for each subpoint, since exposure to the grammar in context is the main way that you learn it.
Since the authors live in London, there is a definite British English bias to the book – for example, they seem to think that visitors to Brazil must really want to know the proper word to use when ordering marmalade (marmalade! in Brazil! – just order some goiabada and be done with it :-), or that they will use tomar inappropriately by analogy with “I take dinner at 6 o’clock.”
While I can’t recommend this book as a top resource, this could be a very good review for learners who have taken some Portuguese in the past. One nice thing is you can read it in just a few days. So if you’ve been away from Portuguese for awhile and need a quick refresher, then this is an excellent little book that will bring you back up to speed.
Coming soon:
Also coming soon:
PortuguesePod101.com – this is one of the better subscription-based language programs that is entirely online. I used it for a few months last year and enjoyed it. I particularly liked the integration of audio lessons, spoken dialogs, texts, word banks, and a memory-schedule flashcard system. There’s also a ton of content – dozens of lessons for skill levels from absolute beginner to quite advanced. So while it’s a bit expensive, you get a lot for your money. I recommend you sign up for their email list because they have sales all the time. I’ll be doing a much more thorough review soon.
