Exam Prep Review #2

Progress on the list of topics to cover.

Speaking Goals

Not really winning with any of this stuff.  😦

• Build Confidence: I need to speak clearly and confidently even when I get to a bit I’m not sure about. If I don’t know the word, just guess and keep on going rather than fretting and looking confused.
• Conversely, don’t be cocky: talk at a sensible speed to give myself time to think, and don’t go off at a tangent that seems interesting if I’m not sure where I’m going with it. Obviously this is in conflict with the point above.
• Speak portuguese for at least 5 minutes every day between now and the exam. On average, yes, but it’s definitely not “every day” – lots on some days, none on others.

Listening Goals

• Listen to videos of people speaking in a range of accents from Alentejo, the rural centre of the country. and the islands (hence that Açoriano video I just posted). Some done but not enough
• Listen to at least 3 video films with subtitles. One down, 2 to go… oh no, wait, Ramiro doesn’t count because the only subtitles were in English and that’s no bloody good! OK, 3 to go still, then.
• Get to grips with the Raul Solnado “Guerra de 1908” sketch Done!

Cultural Goals

• Read at the very least:
  • • A Língua Portuguesa (Fernando Pessoa)
    • Mensagem (Fernando Pessoa) Done!
    • Brevíssima História de Portugal (A.H. De Oliveira Marques) Started
    • Maybe even A construção da democracia em Portugal (Kenneth Maxwell) although that seems a bit ambitious. No way is this happening. 
• Make a timeline of portuguese history to get a sense of how it hangs together. Got all the gear and made a pretty good start. I’m up to the foundation of Portugal and my daughter is filling in the british side so we can see the parallels between the two.
• Write about portuguese landmarks – the Padrão dos Descubrimentos, Torre de Belém, Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and so on. Assembled some materials for this but not yet put pen to paper

General Language skills

• I need to build my vocabulary – Memrise and Lingq daily goals – Doing alright so far!
• I’m getting better at the ver/vir (which was one of the 4 Evil Exes I identified a year or so back) but need to step up my game on some of the other weirder irregulars like Por and Dar Not done
• Finish the exercise book I’m on now Done!
• Do a couple of mock exams to get a feel for the speed I need to be working at to get in under the time limit Nope
• Practice writing legibly. I type so much these days I need to get my hand used to forming letters or I’ll be penalised for spelling errors. Some more work done at this.
• Letter format and forms of address I’ve written one formal letter to the Conservatório dos Registos Centrais, which was good practice.
• Learn – actually learn verbatim – one song. Printed out “Dia de Folga” but again, not much actual hard work done.

By the way, speaking of music, I like this a lot. It’s used as the theme tune of a podcast called “Histórias de Portugal – Saudade e Outras Coisas“, which is well worth a look too.