Learning a Bit of Portuguese

My linguist friend pointed me to this well organized BBC site about learning Portuguese that I thought was even better than the videos I'd seen on YouTube. It includes audio clips as well as video, transcripts and other features.

Greetings
Meeting and greeting people

Introductions
Self, family and friends

Talking about yourself
Saying where you're from
Talking about jobs

Ordering drinks
Buying coffee and drinks
Café culture

Shopping for food
Buying food in markets
Local produce
Eating out
Booking a table
Ordering a meal

Booking a room
Finding and booking a room
Hotels

Directions
Finding your way
Opening and closing times

Transport
Getting around
Buying a ticket

A Guide to Portuguese - 10 facts about the Portuguese language - 10 facts about the language, key phrases and a description of the alphabet, which explains and has audio for how to pronounce vowels and consonants.

How to Pronounce "Cascais" + Audio

I asked a linguist friend who's been learning Portuguese how to say the name of the Festival town.
kush (rhymes with rush) kah-eesh

For those who understand this kind of notation, here's the phonetic description:
kɐʃˈkajʃ

To hear it spoken, click here to download the file from Google Sites Cascais.mp3
You should get a window that looks like this:

Click the blue arrow at the bottom right to download.
Note that if you then choose Open rather than Save, it may take a few moments to play.

If you have problems, email me.

Cheap Internet Device + New Heart of Wisdom eBook & Video + Portuguese Travel Phrases App

More tips from Sangha:
For people who would like Internet access but don't have a really portable device, Barnes and Noble has lowered the price temporarily for the Nook HD and HD+ to $129-$179 for a wifi-only tablet.

On the Tharpa site there is a beautiful YouTube video when you look at the New Heart of Wisdom ebook page. Very inspiring!

There is also a Nook Fodor travel phrases app for $1.99. With this app you click on a phrase and can hear it spoken.

Portuguese the Language

I have read in various places that it's not necessary to learn Portuguese because most people speak English, especially in tourist areas like Cascais and Lisbon.
One person commented online that "You can guess the meaning of many written Portuguese words if you know Spanish or any other Romance language, but [spoken] Portuguese is nothing like Spanish or French or Italian" and is different from Brazilian Portuguese, even in spelling and terminology.

It is always considerate - and an enjoyable part of travel abroad - to at least try to learn a few words of the local language. Usually even if your pronunciation isn't perfect, people appreciate your effort. On YouTube there are various videos for learning basic European Portuguese, including this one called Portuguese 101 - Common Words & Phrases - Level One that has useful phrases for travelers.

Luckily the Seattle Sangha have Michel, who offered to translate for us because he lived in Portugal for 3 years.