The Best Way to Learn Portuguese

Have you ever wanted to learn a new foreign language? Did you consider attending a professional and certified Portuguese course? If so, then here are some of the things that you need to know about this language, the beautiful country it comes from and how to learn to speak like the Portuguese in no time. Officially called the Portuguese Republic, this country has a vast history and has played a tremendous role in the colonization of the American continents, especially on the south of the Equator. Its language is spoken in many countries across the globe, including, but not stopping at : Mozambique, Brazil, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea-Bissau and Angola, which have all adopted it as the sole official language. Although it is so popular, make no mistake, Portuguese can be a difficult and complex topic to study, but if you have the right guidance, it can become one of the easiest things you have ever learned. In the opinion of experts, if you really want to learn to speak Portuguese, then you must start a dedicated course that provides you with all of the essential materials and feedback you need.

Although self learning is important and many people boast with achieving great success when they attempted unusual or creative methods of learning, in the case of taking on a new foreign language things will always be the same. The classical recipe of learning a foreign language involves a fine balance between grammar and vocabulary, reading and listening, writing and speaking. In the case of Portuguese and its dialects, a strong emphasis must be put on the audio courses because they help define your accent and improve your speech.

The number one concern that people have is where to find a good quality course that is also within their budget and can fit into the already busy daily schedule that most of us have. In order to assist all of the persons in this situation, a number of online platforms are beginning to offer free Portuguese lessons on the web to anyone who is interested in them. Be careful, though, because there are many websites out there that promise more than they have to offer. In order to truly set apart the professional learning platforms from the amateur ones, one must first take a look at what that particular website has to offer to its users. Any decent platform must contain a large number of lessons and different categories for each type of them. In addition, if a particular website is solely dedicated towards the Portuguese language, then it is likely that the content and courses you will find on it are appropriate and useful. Furthermore, if you see a category for vocabulary of phrases, then your searches can stop because it is clear that you have found a great learning website.

Another section you have to be on the lookout for is the one dedicated to quizzes, which will come in handy whenever you plan on testing the knowledge you have accumulated up to that point. Last, but not least, the best way to learn to speak Portuguese is by listening to it, so turn your attention towards those platforms that provide a multitude of audio books or lessons. The language has a particular set of pronunciation and diction rules, so listen carefully and you will understand exactly how to speak like a true resident of the Portuguese Republic.

Learning Hiragana, A Short Introduction

Hiragana, the Japanese syllabus.

Make sure you learn Hiragana before attempting to go any further in your Japanese study. Hiragana is the basic building block that the rest of the journey to fluent Japanese will build upon! It is akin to learning the alphabets in the English language. Work hard and memorise them before moving on.

Basic Hiragana

Basic hiragana is made up of 46 characters with different sounds, pretty much like the alphabets in the English language.

I found that it is easier to break the Hiragana chart into smaller bits while learning, focusing on each of the small bits each day. Here's how I memorised it ;

Grab a generic hiragana chart by doing a quick search online.

Start from the 1st row with the basic vowels (a), (i), (u), (e), (o)

Work your way down the rows. I started out by memorising just 3 rows per day, and it was done in a week!

Focus on learning the correct pronunciation.

The pronunciation of Hiragana is important as Hiragana will be used to form words in the Japanese language. Therefore, master the correct pronunciation to avoid sounding like a gaijin (foreigner)!

To determine the pronunciation of the Hiragana, refer back to the Hiragana chart. Combine the alphabet on the left column (k, g, s, t, etc) with that on the top row (a, i, u, e, o). However, the pronunciation for certain characters do not follow the regular match up. For example, the pronunciation of 'CHI' (rather than 'TI'). These special characters usually have their pronunciation indicated on the Hiragana chart.

Alternatively, you can use Google Translate, or search the interweb to listen to the native pronunciation!

Additional Hiragana

Combinations

Additional Hiragana builds on the basic characters we have memorised previously. By adding two lines or a circle, we get more characters!

The g- characters involve adding two lines at the top right corner of the k- characters.

The z- characters involve adding two lines at the top right corner of the s- characters.

The d- characters involve adding two lines at the top right corner of the t- characters.

The b- characters involve adding two lines at the top right corner of the h- characters.

The p- characters involve adding a circle at the top right corner of the h- characters.

More combinations

The (i) characters can be combined with the (ya), (yu), (yo) characters for more combinations. The three characters are usually added to the bottom right of the (i) character.

And that's all for Hiragana! at least for now!

Geography in Today's World

Geography has been something of an enigma to much of the world, ubiquitous and yet rarely understood in its complexity. It is woeful that this fundamental subject to humans is not exactly the choice of fields. In today's age of instantaneous gratification by technology and search engines, the phenomenon of the annihilation of distance is ever the more creeping up on us. This death of geography implies that the world is so interconnected and integrated that differences in ways of life between geographical boundaries is increasingly blurred. The pertinent question, then, is whether Geography is still worth poring over given its decreasing appeal to many.

I believe that Geography will always be a vital aspect of knowledge that will do justice to the intricacies and nuances of the wonder that is the world. I feel that it would be incredibly dull doing any other subject whose specific topic of study neglects to account for variations in our world. Our planet today is evolving in ways historians have not been able to postulate. It prevents an overly simplistic mind from looking at things in a stereotypical view without evaluating the subtle deviations in between. The beauty of it lies in its innate dynamism which renders it as ever-changing and an area of interest which fails to become obsolete. Even more, the subject encompasses virtually all aspects of the physical and human environment we could possibly analyse, giving us a plethora of knowledge superior to many other fields. While the skill of solving mathematical equations remains fixed and specific, the skill of a geographer goes beyond that to a diverse set from interpretation to judgment.

Imminent changes in our world, all the more, call for strong application of geographical concepts. The apparent homogenization of culture preceding the concept of " Mcdonaldization " in the world over demands to be examined carefully by the conscientious and discerning mind, rather than dismissed casually as a given trend. The alleged political hegemony of China over Asia and now even the USA, especially where economic transactions are involved, are most closely linked to varying circumstances of each country. An understanding of cultural geography for instance would help to account for such significant alterations to the power imbalances of countries. Contrary to being inapplicable, this subject is most germane to civilization.

Geography to me is food for the soul. An awareness of cultural differences and environmental conditions globally will help us attain an international view, that of the new " global citizen ". It is fundamental for a cultured, well-mannered society who can get along harmoniously. By fostering understanding of various practices, we learn to adopt a plethora of perspectives in relation to the same thing. The mind develops critical thinking skills to accommodate more than one's inherent point of view. In other words, the subject might work to reduce the extent of narcissism and individualism today to contribute to a well-rounded society that never fails to consider the well-being of others.