"stay" vs "ficar"

In Portuguese,   the verb "ficar" is used in many situations.  Brazilian learners of English tend to mix this up, basically using "stay" to describe many things. Sometimes it works, many times it doesn't. Some examples:

Fiquei muito cansado ontem =  I was/got very tired yesterday 

Vc pode ficar com isso = Keep this!

The list of examples could be long,  let's look at 3 definitions of "stay":

·         to spend some time in a place, in a situation, with a person or group, etc.: He stayed in the army for ten years.

·         to continue to be as specified, as to condition or state: to stay clean.

·         to hold out or endure, as in a contest or task (followed by with  or at ): Please stay with the project as long as you can.

As you can tell from the above definitions, the verb at times translates perfectly with "ficar":  I stayed at my girlfriend's house last night.

But keep in mind that there are many more uses in Portuguese for "ficar" than for "stay"  in English.

Stay also forms some phrasal verbs:

Stay up

Stay over

Stay away (from something or someone)

Stay out

Stay on

We've found that often students could use the verb to be:

Fiquei muito feliz em ter feito uma Pós-Graduação :    I was very happy .....

fico muito decepcionado com o SPFC:    I'm very disappointed with SPFC.

We hope this helps!

Expressions to express anger!

Many students have asked us for ways of expressing frustration or anger, however we wanted to avoid swear words, those can be found in most movies nowadays. We thought we'd pass on some expressions, and their meaning.

Blow a fuse:   If you blow a fuse, you suddenly lose your temper and become very angry: "Rodrigo blew a fuse yesterday when he discovered that his ipod had been stolen."

Cheesed off:  If someone is cheesed off with something, they are annoyed, bored or frustrated: "Julie is absolutely cheesed off with her job".

For crying out loud:   This expression is used to show irritation, exasperation or anger. "For crying out loud! Turn that television off!"

A bad hair day:  Originating as a humorous comment about one's hair being unmanageable, this term has broadened to mean 'a day when everything seems to go wrong'. "What's wrong with Jenny? Is she having a bad hair day?"

Give it a rest! : If someone tells you to give it a rest, they are asking you to stop doing something such as complaining or talking continuously.

"All you talk about is politics - give it a rest...please! " 

Go ballistic:  When someone goes ballistic, they become very angry. "My dad went ballistic when he saw the state of the garden  after the barbecue."

Good riddance:  This expression is used to express relief at becoming free of an unpleasant or unwanted person or thing. "Our horrible neighbour has moved house, and all I can say is 'good riddance'!"

Kick yourself:  If you feel like kicking yourself, you are angry with yourself for something you have done or not done. "I could have kicked myself for forgetting Julie's birthday."

Mind their own business: Telling someone to mind their own business is a way of saying that they are too interested in what other people are doing, or that they are interfering in something that does not concern them: "Don't tell me what to do - just mind your own business!"

Short fuse:   When someone has a short fuse, they are likely to become angry easily or quickly. "Be careful how you explain the situation. The boss has a very short fuse these days!"

A storm is brewing:  To say that a storm is brewing means that the atmosphere indicates that there is going to be trouble, probably with outbursts 

of anger or emotion. "As soon as we saw Pete's face, we knew there was a storm brewing."

That's going too far! :  If you go too far, you do something that is considered extreme or unacceptable. "Stealing is bad, but stealing from a poor person - that's going too far!"

Get off my back:   If you tell somebody to get off your back, you ask them to stop finding faults or criticizing you. "Ok, I understand now get off my back and get on with it!"

Why Learning Business English Is Important

Around the world, there is an estimated 1 Billion people learning English. Many factors point to the reason why learning English has seen exponential growth in recent years, but it all boils down to the English language being the “global language” of business, politics, international relations, culture, and entertainment for so many countries worldwide.

Business Leverage

The rapid growth in technology for global communications notwithstanding, there are still many companies and individual professionals who fail in their quest for business or professional success. And oftentimes the failure primarily lies on one of the most basic foundations of making business relations – the language spoken. Undoubtedly, the English language is the global language for business and having a good command of English will definitely give one who is eyeing globally competitive business or career a clear edge. Any communications problem, whether personal or business, translates to losses, zero result in negotiations, incompetence for global business, or will just simply leave you ill-equipped to carry out international business. 

Career Growth in São José dos Campos and its area:  Business English

Going down on a more personal level of career success, having the right Business English communication skills will surely equip you with a liberating confidence and ability to express yourself in the English language. It will surely be an advantage in interviews, thus giving you more opportunities to widen your career prospects. Or if you are not looking for a new job, having the confidence and ability to speak Business English is one way of enhancing your potential for earning by making you stand out for career advancement or promotions. Studies show a steady growth in the number of companies in the Valley do Paraiba  requiring employees who have bilingual skills, which can easily be explained by the international focus our region has through numerous high tech companies dealing with overseas markets.

Literature: James Joyce

James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century. Joyce is best known for Ulysses (1922), a landmark novel which perfected his stream of consciousness technique and combined nearly every literary device available in a modern re-telling of The Odyssey. Other major works are the short-story collection Dubliners (1914), and the novels A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) and Finnegans Wake (1939). His complete oeuvre includes three books 

of poetry, a play, occasional journalism, and his published letters.

Joyce was born to a middle class family in Dublin, In his early twenties he emigrated permanently to continental Europe, living in Trieste, Paris and Zurich. Though most of his adult life was spent abroad, Joyce's fictional universe does not extend beyond Dublin, and is populated largely by characters who closely resemble family members, enemies and friends from his time there; Ulysses in particular is set with precision in the streets and alleyways of the city. Shortly after the publication of Ulysses he elucidated this preoccupation somewhat, saying, “For myself, I always write about Dublin, because if I can get to the heart of Dublin I can get to the heart of all the cities of the world. In the particular is contained the universal.” 

More differences between British and American English

Because we're often asked by our students to highlight variations between British  and American English, we've decided to post some of them.

  British English       American 

drink-driving	drunk driving
driving licence	driver's license
dual carriageway	divided highway
dummy (for baby)	pacifier
dustbin	garbage can, trash can
dustman	garbage collector
engine	engine, motor
estate agent	real estate agent
estate car	station wagon
film	film, movie
flat	apartment, flat, studio
flat tyre	flat tire
flyover	overpass
gearbox (car)	transmission
gear-lever	gearshift
Girl Guide	Girl Scout
ground floor	ground/first floor
handbag	handbag, purse, shoulder bag
hight street	main street
holiday	vacation
hood (car)	convertible top

Focus on the language

Beside and Besides

Take a close look at these words and notice that one has a "s" on the end which changes the meaning.

Beside: preposition, near, next to, at the side of

I will stand beside you through good times or bad.
She stood beside the door waiting for her daughter.

Besides: in addition to, apart from, except
It was the most popular book ever written, besides the Bible.
Everyone besides Anna wanted to go swimming.

Word of the Week:

Dumbstruck (adj.): so shocked or surprised as to be unable to speak: He was dumbstruck with terror.

Quote of the Week:

Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open.

Elmer G. Letterman

Confused?

Here are some words that are often either misused when written. Google translator won’t be of much help when it comes to correcting the email you’re about to send because these words are correct, however, they’re not properly used.

#1: Loose for lose

No: I always loose the product key.
Yes: I always lose the product key.

#2: It's for its (or god forbid, its')

No: Download the HTA, along with it's readme file.
Yes: Download the HTA, along with its readme file.
No: The laptop is overheating and its making that funny noise again.
Yes: The laptop is overheating and it's making that funny noise again.

#3: They're for their for there

No: The managers are in they're weekly planning meeting.
Yes: The managers are in their weekly planning meeting.
No: The techs have to check there cell phones at the door, and their not happy about it.
Yes: The techs have to check their cell phones at the door, and they're not happy about it.

#4: i.e. for e.g.

No: Use an anti-spyware program (i.e., Ad-Aware).
Yes: Use an anti-spyware program (e.g., Ad-Aware).
Note: The term i.e. means "that is"; e.g. means "for example." And a comma follows both of them.

#5: You're for your

No: Remember to defrag you're machine on a regular basis.
Yes: Remember to defrag your machine on a regular basis.
No: Your right about the changes.
Yes: You're right about the changes.

#6: Different than for different from

No: This setup is different than the one at the main office.
Yes: This setup is different from the one at the main office.
Yes: This setup is better than the one at the main office.

Differences between British and American English

Here are some of the main differences in vocabulary between British and American English. This page is intended as a guide only. We'll start with words from A-C.

British English	American English
anti-clockwise	counter-clockwise
articulated lorry	trailer truck
autumn	autumn, fall
barrister	attorney
bill (restaurant)	bill, check
biscuit	cookie
block of flats	apartment building
bonnet (clothing)	hat
bonnet (car)	hood
boot	trunk
bumper (car)	bumper, fender
caravan	trailer
car park	parking lot
chemist's shop	drugstore, pharmacy
chest of drawers	dresser, chest of drawers, bureau
chips	fries, French fries
the cinema	the movies
clothes peg	clothespin
coffin	coffin, casket
crisps	potato chips
crossroads	intersection; crossroads (rural)
cupboard	cupboard (in kitchen); closet (for clothes etc)

Facts about the language

There are many different versions of English around the world: British English, Scottish English, Irish English, American English, Canadian English, English of the Caribbean, English in Africa, English in Asia, Creoles and Pidgins, and Australian English are just a few.

But did you know that:

• Despite the fact the most Americans speak English, it is not the official language of the U.S. - it does not actually have one, but classes itself as a 'multi-lingual' nation.
• Of all the words in the English language, the word 'set' has the most definitions
• The shortest complete sentence in the English language is “I am.”
• The most used letter in the English alphabet is ‘E’, and ‘Q’ is the least used!
• The longest word in the English language is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, which is a medical condition caused by volcanic dust
• "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".
• No words in the English language rhyme with orange, silver or purple.

... and that of all the world's languages (over 2,700) English is arguably the richest in vocabulary; and that the Oxford English Dictionary lists 500,000 words.

Learn on the go!

We love podcasts, and so should you!

Listening activities usually represent the most challenging moments our students face in class.
Not seeing the person who’s speaking, and not having images linked to that speech requires much more concentration from the language learner, and  represents a real test.
There's lots out there that we can do/use to improve our listening skills, not just films, music, internet (youtube), we mean podcasts! You can take them with you on your MP3 player , phone or ipod, and listen to them while queuing somewhere (we all do too much of that), or while driving, making the most of your available time.

If you haven’t yet entered the world of podcasts, we think that you should, it will help you in every way better your understanding of the language! (and you can practice your pronunciation)

Here's a list to help you:

VOA (voice of America) has this great short programme called 15 Minutes, from their Learning English site. It's great material for intermediate learners of the language, and even if some of the topics covered might not be of great interest at times, it will help you improve your (American) English, and you'll learn new things in a general knowledge kind of way. Here's where to subscribe.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/15-minute-features/id275197330

The BBC is a wonderful tool, there's so much linked to that institution that we wouldn't know where to start, but we particularly like their Global News podcast. It's probably more for upper-intermediate + levels, but worth a try even for lower levels.
It’s on the spot reporting from around the world, and gives us an opportunity to listen to accents from other places, the way English is spoken on the globe... It's 30 minutes, and covers all sorts of different events. Twice a day.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/globalnews
For our elementary + level students, we recommend the Learning English BBC website. Here you can download interesting material that will surely help you:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/081222_download.shtml


There's an interesting website with various podcasts called how stuff works. There's plenty of curious information, and we invite you to have a look. We like Brain Stuff, it helps us learn answers to life's everyday questions like "what creates snow?" "How do cellular phones work?" etc... strange at times but short 2-5 minutes podcasts. Great to learn new vocabulary.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/brain-stuff-podcast.htm

The Economist has got an audio version, basically reviewing the contents of its paper edition. This is geared towards business English students, and apart from business news it also covers general news, tech. innovations, culture...
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-economist/id151230264

For movie fans,  we strongly recommend the Kermode and Mayo Film Review, also from the BBC. A good humoured programme that covers new film releases and talks about movies in general. It's fun and entertaining, and when a movie's bad, they don't hesitate to "trash" it on the air! They also interview actors and directors and don't ask the usual silly questions. A great podcast!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/kermode

If you're passionate about football, there's the Football Weekly podcast from the Guardian, it covers European and International football, making a great addition to the best football website (Guardian Football) on the web today. Podcasting should start again in august.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/football-weekly/id188674007

National Public Radio (NPR) offers many good podcasts, we recommend This American Life and Great Voices. Have a look at their directory, there might be something in there for you.
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php