Class #1 with Alexia, June 18, 2026
note: this is a recording of your private coaching session with Alexia. No one will see it except you, Alexia, and Foster 🙏
Video
Session summary
Your first class with Alexia! You talked about growing up in Cincinnati, the four seasons, the small-town feel with big-city everything. We got into a great vocabulary clarification around tempo vs. temporada vs. fase, unpacked the variety of Brazilian regional accents and why clear pronunciation matters more than mimicking any one of them, and wrapped up talking about how the classes are structured between Foster and Alexia going forward.
🍂 Cincinnati and the seasons
as estações do ano — the four seasons
todas as estações — all the seasons
Adoro todas as estações. — I love all the seasons. (adoro is more enthusiastic than gosto)
jeito de cidade pequena — small-town vibe (jeito = way / feel / vibe, one of the most useful words in Brazilian Portuguese)
tem de tudo — has everything / has it all
Cincinnati in Portuguese: small-town feel, big-city everything. Jeito de cidade pequena, mas tem de tudo.
📺 tempo, temporada, ou fase?
These three words don't line up with English "season" the way you'd expect.
tempo — time, weather, or a stretch of time (general; "quanto tempo?" = "how long?")
temporada — a Netflix/TV season, or a period when something is happening (temporada de férias = holiday season; temporada 2 = season 2)
fase / etapa — stage or phase of life
When you mean "a season of life," Brazilians reach for fase or etapa, not temporada. The most natural way to say it:
Estou numa fase nova da minha vida. — I'm in a new stage of my life.
🌍 Brazilian accents: clear pronunciation is the goal
Brazil has dozens of regional accents: Carioca (Rio), Baiano (Bahia), Gaúcho (south), Mineiro (Minas Gerais). Even native speakers sometimes do a double-take. It works the same way in the US: Foster's mom says "I'll fix you something to eat," and Alexia still needed time to get used to that Southern expression.
Alexia's approach for your classes: clear, correct pronunciation is the goal, not mimicking one specific accent. Mix and match what feels natural to you. Carioca, Baiano, something in between: if the pronunciation is right, you're more than fine. She won't correct you on accent choices.
🗓️ How the classes work going forward
With Foster — technical work: Spanish/Portuguese pronunciation contrasts, grammar mechanics, the things that trip up Spanish speakers
With Alexia — conversation: talking about real things in your life, building the reflex of actually speaking
One thing that helps Alexia prepare: send her a topic 1–2 days before class. Anything works: your family, your faith, your childhood, your job. If nothing comes in, she'll pick something. (You might end up talking about your church, and she's completely fine with that.)
📚 Resources
No new resources this class. See Class #1 with Foster for the Season 6 fundamentals and Tá Falado links.
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