Brazil One - Text
Subject is an undergraduate at the University of Kansas. She is in her third year pursuing a degree in journalism. Born and raised in Resende, a town near Rio de Janeiro, she lived in Brazil through her high school years. She was then an exchange student in Oklahoma for six months, then returning back home for a year of college there. She is now a three year resident of Lawrence, Kansas, returning home for occasional visits. Her English is influenced by her private courses throughout her years of schooling, as well as public education. Her vocabulary reflects her education, while one is able to detect the influence of Portuguese on her pronunciation and through line of syntax in thought and occasional conversation.
Recorded by Kelly Mengelkoch and edited by Paul Meier, March 29, 2001. Running time: 00:04:23
TRANSCRIPTION OF UNSCRIPTED SPEECH
I was born in a small city called Refende, which is two hours driving from Rio. It's a small town-not really small-it's (like) about 100-150 thousand inhabitants, and it's really nice. I grew up there; I went to school there. I started studying English when I was six years old- in the private course. Then I took some English course in school but it was not as good as the private course, so I went to school there until my last year of high school. I came to United States and I lived in Oklahoma as an exchange student for six months, which is a very good experience. I got to improve my English: I got to play tennis on the varsity team- great experience... I went back to Brazil, then I went to college there for a year studying journalism, and then I got a scholarship to come back to United States to KU, study(ing) journalism. (And) now I've been living here for about two and a half- almost three years and I enjoyed it a lot. I made a lot of new friends. I am part of the Brazilian club; I am the vice president. We get to organize a lot of cool events and get to meet new people and... I guess it was spending the day at my grandmother's house- every- after school I just went there and just played around and eat a lot of good food and on the weekends I just loved to be there. (And) I just played in the street with my cousins and it was really nice.
Ouviram do Ipiranga as margens placidas
De um povo heroico o brado retumbante,
E o sol da liberdade, em raios, fulgidos,
Brilhou no ceu da Patria nesse intstante.
(translation of the beginning of the Brazilian National Anthem):
The peaceful banks of the Ipiranga
Heard the resounding cry of an heroic people,
And the dazzling rays of the sun of Liberty
Bathed our country in their brilliant light.
Transcribed by Kelly Mengelkoch, April, 2001