During a pro-amnesty manifestation that took place in April, the former president, Jair Bolsonaro, became a topic on social media when he decided to make an excerpt of his speech in English.
In an attempt to demonstrate his indignation with the vote for the conviction of a popcorn maker and an ice cream seller in the Federal Supreme Court (STF) for attempting a coup d’état, for allegedly participating in the acts of January 8 at the international level, Bolsonaro decided to share his speech in English. What was not expected was the former president’s lack of familiarity with the chosen language.
“Popcorn and ice cream sinners…Setencetive for coup the tard in Brazil”, Bolsonaro said. However, in free translation, the former president was only able to utter meaningless phrases, since, by confusing the word “sellers” with “sinners”, the phrase completely lost its meaning. In addition, the second part of the statement is equally irrelevant because of his bad pronunciation. Actually, the phrase he tried to say was “Popcorn and ice cream sellers sentenced for coup d’État in Brazil”.
Therefore, so that you do not act like the former president and escape possible embarrassing situations due to difficulty with the language, follow below some tips that can help you become fluent and avoid shameful and unfounded speeches.
Preserve habits
If you are used to reading, for example, a good tip would be to keep this habit, but translated. Reading in an unknown language may seem daunting at first, but you can keep this habit little by little, reading a small article in the newspaper, for example, since popular newspapers usually use simple language to facilitate contact with the reader, which would also facilitate their understanding of common words. As you expand your command of English, you can try to “skip the levels” and move on to larger books that require more concentration.
Three magic steps for series and movies
First, look for a program that you have an affinity with and preferably watch frequently, knowing the model and style of the lines will help you, change the language from Portuguese to English, and review the episode in question with subtitles in Portuguese, generating instant understanding of all lines and possible slang.
The second step is to watch the same episode again with the original subtitles, that is, in English (always remembering to pause each time until you can understand what was said, okay?). Finally, watch it for the third time, however without any subtitles.
At first, the technique may seem extreme and leave you confused, but when watching a full season this way, the lines will make more sense and connect with the subtitle in question.
Jump on the bandwagon of podcasts
To uniquely improve your listening, take advantage of the new trend of podcasts and start listening to them at idle intervals. Start with introductory audios, in which the presenters speak more slowly and clearly, and the ease of listening will push you to listen to native speakers faster without major difficulties.
However, always remember to opt for themes that are familiar to you. Learning languages is not an impossible task, but you must help yourself, so forget about super formal and complex topics, as this will discourage your growth.
Always remember to dance
Another great tip is to use your favorite songs to your advantage. By paying attention to the lyrics, you are able to pick up messages that you didn’t even understand, even though it was your favorite song, for example.
Songs are able to awaken in us a certain comfort and identification, and bringing this to learning can greatly facilitate your process. Use music as a refuge and, just like podcasts, listen in moments of leisure and follow the lyrics simultaneously; this will also facilitate your understanding. And obviously, always remember to dance.
No, you’re not crazy
Talking alone can be a good option, and no, you are not crazy, but explaining actions while we perform them makes the speech itself more fluid and simple. Pretending to be recording a video or explaining it to someone while putting on makeup, for example, is a perfect occasion.
There are many options. Washing dishes, organizing the room, choosing an outfit, making dinner, among thousands of other actions, are possibilities to expose what your mind does unconsciously, and translate it externally into English.
Do it all together
And lastly, do it all together!
Combining the techniques will increase the chances of learning the language and decrease the time it takes to learn. But just dedicate yourself, and always remember, never change “sellers” for “sinners”.
Good luck! ;)
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The article above was edited by Clarissa Palácio.
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