Using Portuguese: A Guide to Contemporary Usage [Paperback]

Ana Sofia Ganho (Author), Timothy McGovern (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 19, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0521796636 | ISBN-13: 978-0521796637 | Edition: Bilingual

This guide to Portuguese usage covers the Brazilian and European varieties of Portuguese, and differentiates clearly between them. It pays special attention to those areas of vocabulary and grammar which cause most difficulty to English-speakers and also includes a special chapter for students familiar with Spanish, highlighting similarities and differences between the two languages. Consideration is given throughout to questions of style and register. The text is an essential reference for intermediate as well as more advanced students.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

This guide to Portuguese usage covers both the Brazilian and the European varieties of Portuguese, and differentiates clearly between them. It gives special attention to those areas of vocabulary and grammar which cause most difficulty to English-speakers and also includes a special chapter for students familiar with Spanish, highlighting key similarities and differences between the two languages. Careful consideration is given throughout to questions of style and register, so essential for effective communication. Clear, readable and easy to consult, this is an essential reference for intermediate learners upwards.

About the Author

Timoth McGovern is Assistant Professor of Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Spanish and Portuguese Literatures and Language Teaching Methodology at the University of California, Santa Barbara where he is also director of the Spanish and Portuguese Language Programs. He has published widely on topics related to Portuguese, Spanish, and Catalan literatures.

Ana Sofia Ganho is Assistant Professor of Portuguese, Brazilian and Lusophone African Literature and Film at Emory University, Atlanta, where she started the Portuguese Program, devoting her efforts to course development and program building. She is currently working on a book on postcolonialism and cinema in the context of Brazil, Portugal, and Lusophone Africa.

Product Details

• Paperback: 274 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; Bilingual edition (April 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521796636
• ISBN-13: 978-0521796637
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,459,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Useful but not perfect, February 24, 2006

By 

a lusophile - See all my reviews

This review is from: Using Portuguese: A Guide to Contemporary Usage (Paperback)

The chapters on contemporary Portuguese are a bit weak. Some examples are good, by register, but Africa, Brazil and Portugal are covered in less than two pages. One would have expected a fuller text.

Other chapters are more comprehensive. Some are good. I find that on "misleading vocabulary" quite helpful.

The Grammar chapters do not offer anything new. In fact, I prefer Manuela Cook's Portuguese course (Hodder), where grammar is explained very clearly and inserted into situational context, with practical vocabulary.

Another aspect of the the Ganho and McGovern book I can not appreciate is the few pages at the end on Portuguese for Spanish speakers. It is just too basic. I am a Spanish speaker and this short chapter has not helped me. All it contains I learned as a beginner. This is not for the more advanced learner as the book claims.

I am glad I have come across this book. I am also glad I have been able to use a library copy and did not have to spend money on it. Some sections of the book are useful but others are not.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantástico!, September 20, 2005

By 

Ariel Diaz "Ari" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Using Portuguese: A Guide to Contemporary Usage (Paperback)

Eu gosto muito este livro. Tem muito informaçăo valiosa. Se vocę quer ter uma boa compreensăo de portuguęs, compre-o agora!

I love this book. It's full of valuable information. As a Spanish speaker, I'm glad that the book has a section on Spanish and Portuguese comparisons and contrasts. If you're a student of the language, and wish to improve your Portuguese language skills, this is the book to buy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great learning companion, May 23, 2009

By 

Michael Angelo Rodriguez (California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Using Portuguese: A Guide to Contemporary Usage (Paperback)

I've always had a fascination with learning to speak portuguese. Last year I bought all the 3 levels available from Rosetta Stone. Though that program was a great start, it is definitely NOT an end-all be-all solution. I then recently found a website, [...] and I kept learning there while connecting with native speakers from Brazil. This, in the long run was better than Rosetta Stone in my opinion, not to mention the fact that it was free too! Anyways, It still was not an end-all be-all solution either, however I don't think anything really is. You have to keep working at it. I found this book online as a limited "e-book", where it let me read a few pages. It has been very helpful, in describing rules, forms, and differences between the nations where portuguese is spoken. I'd recommened this book to anyone who is learning Portuguese.