Nov 14, 2025

Video highlights

Video recording

Chat & additional resources…📚

Conversation Starters, Reactions & Small Talk

na Espanha — in Spain

Oi, gente! Desculpem o atraso 😄 — Hi, everyone! Sorry for the delay

humble brag — joking self-praise

Quando eu estou em Praga — When I’m in Prague

sketchy — suspicious, unsafe, unreliable

Cultural Vocabulary: Jeitinho & Gambiarra

Jeitinho Brasileiro — the culturally famous “Brazilian way” of navigating problems with creativity, charm, or bending informal rules.

o jeitinho brasileiro — same concept, used in context.

jeitinho — negative/pejorative side of the concept.

jeito — the positive version; being naturally resourceful.

Foster’s examples of Brazilian exaggerations:

“só um pouquinho” — “just a little,” though it’s never a little.

“rapidinho” — “really fast,” though it’s rarely fast.

gambiarra — improvised fix; creative DIY solution using whatever is available.

É uma solução improvisada — it’s an improvised solution

Student comment:

“Um McGyver” — equivalent idea

Common examples from class:

colocar garrafa PET segurando portão — using a plastic bottle to prop a gate

usar fita adesiva para segurar um cabo quebrado — using tape to hold a broken cable

colocar colher na porta do freezer para fechar — using a spoon to keep the freezer shut

amarrar a porta do armário com um cadarço — tying a cabinet door with a shoelace

ligar dois fios expostos para funcionar um aparelho — connecting exposed wires to make something run

usar prendedor de roupa para segurar antena de TV — using a clothespin to improve TV signal

colocar um lápis no lugar de uma antena de rádio — using a pencil as a radio antenna

garrafa PET — plastic soda bottle

disonesto — dishonest

Communication & Expression Vocabulary

Papo furado — empty talk; small talk

Jogar papo pro ar — to toss casual conversation around

lero-lero — meaningless chit-chat

Ele ficou de lero-lero comigo — he was rambling / chatting nonsense with me

papo furado — small talk; empty chatter; no real content

Geography & Pronunciation Notes

Haiti — the country

Pronunciation practice: “Aitch” / AY-CHEE

Lost & Found and Everyday Expressions

achados e perdidos — lost and found

Eu sou cego — I am blind

audição seletiva — selective hearing

psicoterapeuta — psychotherapist

Reference mentioned: “Psi”, an HBO Brazil series about therapy.

Help, Emotion & Social Professions

ajuda — help

útil — useful

É de muita ajuda — it’s very helpful

É muito útil — it’s very useful

ajudante — helper

assistente social — social worker

Eu só preciso desabafar — I just need to vent

desabafar — to vent

desabafo — a vent / rant

ansiedade — anxiety

solução — solution

liquidificador — blender

Pronunciation: Trava-Línguas (Tongue Twisters)

trava-línguas — tongue twisters

otorrinolaringologista — ENT doctor (ear, nose, throat)

Classics practiced:

o rato roeu a roupa do rei de Roma — the rat gnawed the king of Rome’s clothes

a aranha arranha a rã, a rã arranha a aranha — the spider scratches the frog, the frog scratches the spider

o peito do pé de Pedro é preto — the instep of Pedro’s foot is black

se o papa papasse papa, se o papa papasse pão — if the pope ate mush, if the pope ate bread

English comparison: “toy boat”

Advanced tongue twisters:

Num ninho de mafagafos, há sete mafagafinhos. Quem desafogar os mafagafos, bom desmafagafador será.

Três pratos de trigo para três tigres tristes.

A student shares a Polish tongue twister:

“W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie”

Alexia responds with: tak — yes (Polish)

Random Vocabulary From Class

Taco de sinuca — pool cue (billiards stick)

Cultural Reference: Music

música lero-lero — playful, nonsense-style song

Artist referenced: Luísa Maita

Class Celebration

Feliz aniversário, Ryan! — happy birthday