Any language is a spiral that started back who knows where and how and it doesn’t stop climbing, evolving and adapting to the times – whatever they may be. And we evolve or not with the spiral.
So, here’s a tip to evolve with Portuguese, a language spoken by millions of people in the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries. I’m talking beyond Brazil, which in 2009 took over the then New Orthographic Agreement of the Portuguese Language. To reach this agreement, there have been numerous negotiations since 1931. To learn more and find out more about the Portuguese language, you can consult the Portuguese Language Portal.
And speaking of Portuguese, if you are Brazilian and living in Portugal (or want to know more about the language spoken in Portuguese lands), you should read “Erros de Portuguese Nunca Mais”, by Analita Alves dos Santos, author and literary mentor.
Who is Analita Santos?
Born in Germany in 1974, this Portuguese doesn’t stop – and when she falls in love with the topic covered in one of her Masterclasses, she speaks so quickly that even the Portuguese have a hard time keeping up! Her previous career was in marketing and for more than ten years she has been dedicated to book authorship, writing training and literary mentoring. She defines herself as a literary activist and encourages the care of the language. She is in charge of the project The Pleasure of Writing with training and events. She is the curator of the reading club Encontros Literários O Prazer da Escrita, “one of the most dynamic online reading clubs in Portugal, which has the institutional support of the National Reading Plan”, according to the book’s presentation. And she is the creator of the Writer’s Agenda, the only planner focused on the craft of writing and encouraging reading.
Photo: Book cover
What does the book contain?
And it is this care that you will realize when you read the book Errors of Portuguese Never Again, which is in its second edition. After the introduction, in which it defines its target audience and the importance of reading for better writing, the book is divided into the following chapters:
- The most frequent errors and misunderstandings from A to Z
- Increase your vocabulary
- Periods, commas and the like
- Ten practical tips to improve your writing (it’s worth reading “Down with clichés”)
- Twelve books to learn how to… – here Analita surpasses herself by giving tips on books to work on the stream of consciousness, narrating, writing with all the senses – and so on…
- Online tools at the disposal of writing
Sure, you can say that the book is for those who are Portuguese native, but no.
It never hurts to learn a little more about our mother tongue. In addition, if you go to Portugal, you will already take with you the knowledge of some words that we use here.
It always feels good to learn more!
And while we’re on the subject of tips, if you want to learn other definitions of Portuguese in Portuguese lands, it’s worth consulting Portuguesices or always having the Infopedia Dictionary nearby.
Thus, you will arrive in Lisbon or Porto already in tune with the language, but be careful:
If you want a very fresh draft beer in Lisbon, ask for an Imperial. If you’re in Porto, ask for a Fino.
That’s life, living and learning!
Happy reading!
