POLYGLOT AUSTIN: OUR MULTILINGUAL, MULTICULTURAL CITY!

Ben tornato to our #Polyglot Austin series, where we celebrate the city’s cultural diversity, while taking an interactive approach to language learning!

Meet some of our favorite Italian Austinites and practice your Italian at the same time! Watch and listen to our interviews in Italian with Bernardo Nolfo, the managing partner of Numero28 Austin, and challenge yourself with answers in Italian to the questions below #LanguageChallenge #MissonAccomplished!

Come si dice in Italian “a not to be missed Italian hotspot”? Your first language mission, should you choose to accept it: translate this (a not to be missed Italian hotspot) in a comment below for a chance to win a glass of wine at Numero28!

Not just known for delicious food, but for the warm and welcoming Italian atmosphere, this Italian bistro remains a top favorite for our teachers and students to visit and to practice Italian, describing it as mini vacation to Italy.

Delicious southern Italian food in the heart of downtown Austin. Fresh pastas, oven-fired pizzas, Italian wines, gelato and the list goes on – Andiamo!

Before we get started on the language fun, go ahead and grab your favorite vino, the great fluency builder! To get the most out of this language learning tool, uses the following steps as a guide:

1. Read the following short dialogues in Italian (transcription) as a preview to the video
2. Hit play and stop to review as need be…
3. REPEAT! Repetition: a key to language learning!

Beginner Level Dialogue and Video

Q: Ciao! Come ti chiami! / A: Mi chiamo Bernardo.

Q: Di dove dei? / A: Sono nato in Sicilia.

Q: Che lavoro fai? / A: Lavoro nei ristoranti.

For FULL transcript, CLICK HERE & look in video description.

#LanguageChallenge – Answer in Italian below! 

1. Che lavoro fa il proprietario?

Intermediate Level Dialogue and Video

Q: Come mai hai scelto Numero 28 come nome per il tuo ristorante? / A: E’ una risposta abbastanza facile da darti perche’ il mio socio ha questo nome a New York e allora siamo venuti qui e abbiamo deciso di dare lo stesso nome.

Q: Su cosa basi la scelta del menu’? / A: Il menu’ e’ molto … e’ stato fatto in maniera per essere piu’ stile del sud Italia e anche con influenza siciliana.

For FULL transcript, CLICK HERE & look in video description.

#LanguageChallenge – Answer in Italian below!

1. Perché Bernardo, il proprietario, ha scelto di chiamare il suo ristorante Numero 28?
2. Qual è la notizia che Bernardo condivide?

**Buon lavoro! Stay tuned – the most Italian responses wins a glass of wine**

Buona Notizia for Numero28!

Managing partner Bernardo says it’s very important that he creates a neighborhood feeling. Keep an eye out for their new Italian bakery, cafe and cocktail bar called Numero28 Alimentari opening soon to 2nd and San Antonio street! Alimentari—which means “food” in Italian—will serve traditional Italian pastries and cakes, chocolates and small bites. Check them out on Yelp and like them on Facebook.

In the heart of the city, enjoy a scenic view on their beautiful patio with a glass of wine!

Thank you for playing along. Tell us what restaurants, topics, or #Polyglot people around Austin you would like us to feature in our upcoming blogs. We LOVE your input! More about us:

The Freestyle Lifestyle

Our one-of-a-kind approach to second language acquisition uses technology and an interactive model in a way that brings the most recent, relevant, high-usage vocabulary and everyday expressions to our students in an entertaining and effective way. Join us as we continue to revolutionize language learning: Try a free evening class or our popular Saturday ‘Cafe’ (11am-12:30pm) at 801 Rio Grande!

Join us on January 5th for our Spring Open House to meet our teachers and find your ‘fit’ – RSVP Here!

POLYGLOT AUSTIN: OUR MULTILINGUAL, MULTICULTURAL CITY!

Bienvenido!  to another interactive guest post; this one in Spanish from our friend Fernando Nieri!

In our continuing efforts to connect the many cultures and languages in Austin, we invite Austinites who’re native speakers of  French, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese to share an idea, a place, an art, a product – or anything of particular interest to them – in writing in their native language.   In the Freestyle way, we invite all (both our students & readers of the larger ATX community and beyond) to interact w/us here. We won’t grade you too harshly if your answers are in English…and who knows? there may be a prize for those in Spanish Voila!  magnífico! 

We’re thrilled to put a spotlight on our long-time amigo Fernando Neiri, a model, health enthusiast and Austin business owner ‘extraordinario’!

      Fernando also owns the award-winning creative studio ‘Zoticus’

Read about Fernando, one of his favorite recipes and how to make it  – all in Spanish!

Mi nombre es Fernando Nieri y nací en Lima, Perú. En enero del 2000 decidí venir a Austin a estudiar Inglés para luego ir a la universidad y obtener mi maestría. Dentro de mis pasatiempos favoritos están pasar tiempo con mi familia y amigos, cocinar, hacer ejercicios y viajar.

Hace tres años decidí matricularme en clases de Crossfit. Fue ahí cuando aprendí sobre la alimentación Paleo. Como uno de mis pasatiempos favoritos es cocinar, empecé a modificar mis recetas para convertirlas en paleo. Empezó como un pasatiempo pero hoy en día es mi manera de cocinar. Desde que empecé a comer solo frutas, verduras y carnes (de animales al pastoreo) he visto un gran beneficio en mi vida.

Estoy seguro que si deseas darle una oportunidad a la alimentación paleo encontrarás muchos beneficios. Es por eso que con mucho gusto los invito a probar esta receta de panqueques hecha con ingredientes naturales y considerados paleo. Espero que la disfruten!

If you’re interested in learning more about Fernando’s creative studio ‘Zoticus‘ you can contact him at info@zoticusdesign.com

PANQUEQUES DE PLÁTANO CON COMPOTA DE FRUTAS

     Panqueque Paleo

Tiempo de preparación: 10 minutos
Tiempo de cocción: 10-15 minutos
Sirve: 8 panqueques

Ingredientes

• 3 plátanos
• 2 huevos
• 3 cucharadas de harina de coco
• 1 cucharadita de extracto de vainilla
• ¼ cucharadita de bicarbonato de sodio
• ¼ taza de leche de almendras
• Canela al gusto

Instrucciones

1. Agregar los plátanos en un procesador de alimentos y hacerlo puré.
2. Añadir los huevos y mezclar.
3. Añadir la harina, extracto de vainilla, bicarbonato de sodio, canela y mezclar.
4. Añadir la leche de almendras.
5. Caliente una sartén grande a fuego medio. Una vez que la sartén está caliente, añada de 2-3 cucharadas de la mezcla en la sartén. Cada uno de los panqueques serán de aproximadamente 3 pulgadas de diámetro. Cocine ambos lados del panqueque.
6. Una vez que los panqueques estén hechos, sirva de 3 a 4 panqueques por persona y vierta la compota de fruta sobre los panqueques.

COMPOTA DE FRUTAS

Opción 1: Compota de Bayas

• 4 Fresas
• 5 Frambuesas
• ½ taza de arándanos azules

Preparación:

Coloque las bayas en una cazuela pequeña sobre calor medio alto. Una vez que las bayas surtidas comienzan a ablandar, añada 1 cucharada de miel y triture las bayas con una espátula. Retire las bayas del fuego y deje reposar por 5 minutos antes de servir.

Opción 2: Compota de Manzana y Durazno

• 2 manzanas
• 1 durazno

Preparación:

Corte las manzanas y el durazno en pedacitos pequeños. Colóquelos en una cazuela pequeña sobre calor medio alto. Agregue 3 cucharadas de agua. Triture y mezcle con una espátula. Retire la compota del fuego y deje reposar por 5 minutos antes de servir.

¡Delicioso! Now it’s your turn…answer these in the comments below.  Correct Spanish could get you a sweeeet Freestyle discount…!

1. Cuál es tu pasatiempo favorito (/preferido)?
2. Qué puedes comer si quieres seguir una dieta paleo?
3. De qué consisten las dos compotas?

And don’t forget to join us for our Open House, Friday, Aug. 28th 6pm-8pm 801 Rio Grande St. Austin, TX 78701. Meet our team of teachers and register for the fall session (9/8-11/24) with a great deal and fun free swag!  Our  proven language model and methodology is not only effective it’s fun. We pride ourselves on our pedagogy & 2nd language acquisition skills as well as on the connections made in our language learning community. Language is 100% about connecting people!

Polyglot Austin: Our Multilingual and Multicultural City!

Bienvenidos to the next Spanish installment of our ongoing ‘Polyglot Austin’ blog series, where we celebrate the city’s cultural diversity while taking an interactive approach to language learning! In this post we are thrilled to introduce one of our favorite guest speakers: Fernando Nieri, a model, health enthusiast and Austin business owner ‘extraordinario’!

Practice your Spanish and interact with us here for a chance to win more FREE language with us at FLC in ATX! Read on to see how.

As a Peruvian-Italian, Fernando enjoys eating buena comida. He thrives on the Paleo diet, which we got to learn about when he visited us as a guest speaker last summer.  Eating healthy is something that Fernando feels passionate about, and when it comes to food he lives by a simple rule: “eres lo que comes.”

Grab yourself una copa de vino (‘the great fluency builder’) and practice your listening comprehension, reading and writing through our video interviews– all while learning more about Fernando! ¿Estás listo?

Beginner Level

Beginners, to get the most out of this exercise, watch it first without sound, while reading the subtitles.  Then, watch the video again with sound. See how multiple viewings of segments of the video improve your reading & listening comprehension. Be sure to answer the questions here in our comment section for a chance to win 4 Spanish Saturday conversation ‘cafes’! Our teacher will get back to you en español! 

Beginner Questions

1. ¿Por cuanto tiempo vivió Fernando en austin?

2. ¿A que se dedica Fernando?

Intermediate Level

To get the most out of  this level, we suggest first listening to Fernando while watching the video. Then read the full transcript in Spanish, followed by another pass of listening / watching. How much more do you understand after reading the transcript?

Click HERE for full transcript (‘show more’ section of video)

Intermediate Questions

1. ¿Por qué decidió Fernando a cambiar a paleo?

2. ¿Qué aconseja Fernando a las personas interesadas en probar paleo?

If you’d like to practice your Spanish more, please come in for a FREE trial to any of our “Saturday Cafes” or Classes.

Fernando is also the owner of the award-winning graphic design company ‘Zoticus Design'(http://www.zoticusdesign.com/) located here in Austin. As part of his summer guest speaker talk, Fernando created a paleo guide en español for our students, muchas gracias! Be sure to like them on Facebook for updates!

The Freestyle Lifestyle

Using language in context! Students at our wine tasting, in the classroom & at our Spanish Salsa dance party!

Our one-of-a-kind approach to second language acquisition uses technology and interactive media in a way that brings the most recent, relevant, high-usage vocabulary and everyday expressions to our students in an entertaining and effective way. Join us as we continue to revolutionize language learning: Summer Session May 18 – June 24, Fall Open House Friday, Aug. 21st.

Gracias for interacting and practicing with us! Answer the questions below in our comment section, and one lucky reader will be chosen to win 4 Spanish Saturday ‘cafes’!

Polyglot Austin: Our Multicultural & Multilingual City!

Bienvenue to the next French installment of our ongoing ‘Polyglot Austin’ blog series, where we celebrate our city’s cultural diversity while taking an interactive approach to language learning. Rewarding on so many levels! Practice your French and interact with us here for a chance to win more free language practice with us at FLC in ATX! Read on to see how.

Through our video interviews in French below, we’re thrilled to introduce one of our most dynamic Freestyle students, Barbara Baeyens.  A true polyglot, Barbara speaks not only the 3 official languages of Belgium (Dutch, French and German), but her English is parfait as is soon to be her Spanish. Oui, c’est vrai!

French is the 2nd most spoken primary (Belgian) language, used natively by almost 40% of the population.

An Austinite of several years, Barbara works dans le domaine du logiciel (in software). Learn more about her and what she loves (le soleil!) and doesn’t love about Austin in these beginner and intermediate level videos (beginner, subtitled in French; intermediate, full transcription provided, pas d’excuses!)

Bon, alors, au travail! grab yourself un verre de vin (‘the great fluency builder’, n’est-ce pas?) and practice your listening comprehension, reading and writing – all while learning more about une femme francophone à Austin. C’est super génial! 

Beginner Level

Beginners, to get the most out of this exercise, watch it first without sound, while reading the subtitles.  Then, watch the video again with sound. See how multiple viewings of segments of the video improve your reading & listening comprehension. Be sure to answer the questions here in our comment section for a chance to win 4 French Saturday conversation ‘cafes’! Our teacher will get back to you en français bien sûr

Beginner Questions

1. D’ou vient-elle? spécifiquement …

2. Qu’est-ce qu’elle n’aime pas à Austin?

Intermediate Level

To get the most out of  this level, we suggest first listening to Barbara while watching the video. Then read the full transcript in French, followed by another pass of listening / watching. How much more do you understand after reading the transcript?  Et n’oubliez pas de répondre à nos questions! 

Click HERE for full transcript (‘show more’ section of video)

Intermediate Questions

1. Comment gagne-t-elle sa vie? C’est à dire, elle fait quoi dans la vie en tant que boulot?

2. Qu’est-ce qu’elle a étudié et pourquoi?

We are over the moon proud that Barbara chose Freestyle for her next language journey.  She started her Spanish with us Fall 2014 and never misses an opportunity to practice and put her Spanish to use in our various wine tastings, dance lessons, art tours….she’s showing US how it’s done!  #gopolyglot!

We just want to know one thing, Barbara, which language next?!  And what is YOUR favorite aspect of being able to speak all these languages?

If you’d like to practice your French more, please come in for a FREE trial to any of our “Saturday Cafes” or Classes. We also invite you to join us at Chez Nous  for an evening of classic French food and conversation en français. 

Additionally, think about joining us March 7 pour une journée entière (!) en français. Austin based Sojourne Tours is partnering with us to bring a private tour of Austin through a French perspective. We’ll be touring various French businesses, restaurants, and will learn more about the Texas-French connection, including a stop at the Bullock Museum to look at the shipwreck La Belle.

The Freestyle Lifestyle

Using language in context! Students at our wine tasting, in the classroom & at our Spanish Salsa dance party!

Our one-of-a-kind approach to second language acquisition uses technology and interactive media in a way that brings the most recent, relevant, high-usage vocabulary and everyday expressions to our students in an entertaining and effective way. Join us as we continue to revolutionize language learning: Spring Session starts March 23-May 12!

Merci for interacting and practicing with us! Answer the questions below in our comment section, and one lucky reader will be chosen to win 4 French Saturday ‘cafes’!

Polyglot Austin: Our Multilingual, Multicultural City!

Bem-vindos! to another interactive guest post; this one in Portuguese from Boteco ATX, the latest & greatest Austin Food-truck!

In our efforts to connect the many cultures and languages in Austin, we invite Austinites who’re native speakers of  French, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese to share an idea, a place, an art, a product – or anything of particular interest to them – in writing in their native language.   In the Freestyle way, we invite all (both our students & readers of the larger ATX community and beyond) to interact w/us here. We won’t grade you too harshly if your answers are in English…and who knows? there may be a prize for those in Portuguese!  Voila!  magnífico! 

We’re thrilled to put a spotlight on our new friends in the incredibly dynamic Brazilian community of Atx –  Fernando and Lauren Marri, owners of the new Brazilian food truck Boteco  which specializes in Brazilian street food located in Austin, TX.

What is a Boteco? A boteco is a local neighborhood joint that you go to for delicious food, drinks & conversation. Simple in nature, yet essentially Brazilian.

Boteco supports our community by cooking with eco-friendly, local ingredients as much as possible. They’ll also feature a variety of vegetarian & gluten-free options!

And when you meet them here and in person, you will see why the lines will be lo000ng at this food truck…

Read about this couple, one of their favorite recipes and how to make it  – all in Portuguese. boa sorte!

Queridos estudantes, O meu nome é Fernando Marri. Sou Brasileiro, nascido e criado em Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais – terra da boa e velha comida mineira. Sempre fui fascinado por gastronomia, principalmente a culinária mineira que historicamente descreve a história do Brasil. Me mudei para Austin um ano e meio atrás. A cidade me encanta pela sua energia, musicalidade e diversidade. Sou o chefe e dono do Boteco Food Truck, especializado em comida brasileira. Gostaria dividir uma receita simples e fácil com vocês

Brigadeiro

O brigadeiro é um doce brasileiro, criado na década de 1940 em homenagem ao Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes, candidato à presidência da república. Foram feitas festas para promover a candidatura, onde foram servidos os docinhos do Brigadeiro. Assim for adotado o nome brigadeiro para o docinho.

Ingredientes:

1 lata de leite condensado

1 colher de sopa de margarina

4 colheres de sopa de chocolate em pó

chocolate granulado

Modo de Preparo:

1. Coloque em uma panela o leite condensado, a margarina e o chocolate em pó.

2. Cozinhe em fogo médio e mexa sem parar com uma colher.

3. Cozinhe até que o brigadeiro comece a desgrudar da panela.

4. Deixe esfriar bem, então unte as mãos com margarina, faça as bolinhas e envolva-as em chocolate granulado.

5. Bom apetite!

Voila! now it’s your turn…answer these in the comments below.  Correct Portuguese could get you a sweeeet Freestyle discount…!

1. Quando é que Fernando veio para Austin?

2. Porque o doce se chama “brigadeiro?”

3. O brigadeiro tem que forma (shape)?

We can’t wait to join in the Boteco launch celebration in February!  While the food-truck is still in the construction phase, their delicious food is available for delivery or pick-up in the Austin area. Items can be ordered frozen or freshly fried. Place your order today – for typical Brazilian fare such as Pastel, Coxinha & Pão de Queijo!  

Contact botecoatx@gmail.com for more information.  Follow them on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!

And don’t forget to come try a class for free at Freestyle. Our  proven language model and methodology is not only effective it’s fun. We pride ourselves on our pedagogy & 2nd language acquisition skills as well as on the connections made in our language learning community. Language is 100% about connecting people!

The Freestyle Way – using language in context, having fun doing it!

Did you know we have a NEW class “Portuguese for Spanish Speakers”?  Starting Winter 2015.  To meet our teachers and learn more about it and our other Portuguese, French, Spanish or Italian classes, RSVP to our Open House,  Fri, Jan. 9th, 6-8pm.   Merci! Obrigado,  Vemo-nos!

Polyglot Austin: Our Multilingual, Multicultural City!

Benvenuti to the newest Italian installment of our ongoing ‘Polyglot Austin” interactive blog series!  And prego! You’re welcome in advance for the most alluring post yet…(ahemm, ladies within 100 mi. radius of central Austin, you really wouldn’t want to miss this one.)

We’re delighted to bring you the most dashing, charming, fun-loving of Italians in the Atx ready to share his style sense with us, in Italian!  Please meet Alessandro (Alex), owner of the chic Italian boutique, Cotone.   Grazie Alex! Located in central Austin and the heart of UT,  Cotone is a not-to-miss gem!

We love his Euro – West-coast hybrid, a new sort of Austin eclectic at such affordable prices.  Lunga vita a Cotone!

Watch and listen to Alex in our beginner and intermediate videos below (subtitled, with full transcription provided)!  You can practice your listening comprehension, reading and writing – all while learning more about Italian fashion & culture in Austin.   Che figo!

We also invite you to meet his dog and hear about his grandmother’s first sewing machine – link at the end!

Beginner Level

Beginners, to get the most out of this exercise, watch it first without sound, while reading the subtitles.  Then, watch the video again with sound. See how multiple viewings of segments of the video improve your reading & listening comprehension. Be sure to answer the questions here in our comment section, our teacher will get back to you.

  

CLICK HERE FOR FULL TRANSCRIPT

Beginner Questions

1.    Di dov’e’ Alessandro?

2.   Che lavoro fa Alessandro?

Intermediate Level 

 

Q-1 Qual’e’ la cosa piu’ difficile per il proprietario di un negozio di abbigliamento?
A-1 La cosa piu’ difficile sicuramente e’ come comprare i capi e quali capi comprare e cercare di capire i trend del mercato, e poi andare alle fiere e prendere i vestiti che … che probabilmente saranno quelli che venderanno di piu’. CLICK HERE FOR FULL TRANSCRIPT

Intermediate Questions

1. Cosa cerca di capire Alessandro prima di comprare i capi di vestiario?

2. Chi e’ la clientela principale di Cotone?

Click here to find out why this is Cotone’s logo!

Connect with Alex and Cotone:  website , Facebook , Twitter  to get the latest of the new fall collection.  Great SALES going on NOW, run don’t walk! What do you think, Freestyle students, should we do a fashion-show language demo at Cotone?

And thank all y’all! for celebrating the city’s cultural diversity with us while taking an interactive approach to language learning! Want to practice / learn more Italian?  We’re currently in Fall II Session, so come for a FREE trial of our super popular Saturday “cafes”, every Sat. 11-12:30, and/or try a core class too!  See Schedule , contact us: info@freestylelanguagecenter.com
Plus, see our other Italian blog interviews with local business owners from Andiamo & Dolce Neve!

The Freestyle Lifestyle

Using language in context! Students at our wine tasting, in the classroom & at our polyglot graffiti walk!

Our one-of-a-kind approach to second language acquisition uses technology and interactive media in a way that brings the most recent, relevant, high-usage vocabulary and everyday expressions to our students in an entertaining and effective way. Join us as we continue to revolutionize language learning!

Polyglot Austin: Our Multilingual, Multicultural City!

Benvenuto to our first interactive guest post w/Daniela from Andiamo!

We invite Austinites who’re native speakers of  French, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese to share an idea, a place, an art, a product – or basically anything of particular interest to them – in writing in their native language.   In the Freestyle way, we hope y’all, meaning both our students & readers of the larger ATX community and beyond, will interact w/us here!  Voila! magnifico! 

In this first guest post, we’re thrilled to feature our dear Italian friend and admired restaurateur Daniela Marcone, owner of the renowned Andiamo.

 

 

Andiamo, frequently appears in the “Best of ” Lists, but nowhere else can you get Daniela’s recipes and tips in Italian!

Read about Daniela,  one of her favorite recipes and how to make it in Italian. Buona fortuna!

Salve a tutti,

il mio nome e’ Daniela Marcone

sono nata e cresciuta in Italia, a Napoli, citta del sole e del mare.

Mi sono trasferita qui ad Austin nel 2005.

Mi piace Austin perche’ e’ una citta molto verde, e con tanta gente giovane.

Mi piace passeggiare per il centro e vedere la natura attorno, trascorrere del tempo a conattato con gli animali e aiutare le persone meno fortunate di me.

Nel 2000 sono diventata proprietaria del Ristorante Andiamo in nord Austin e dall’ora in poi mi occupo di mangiare e contatto al pubblico.

E’ un lavoro che mi stimola sia intellettualmente che socialmente e mi piace molto.

La parte culinaria e’ la piu semplice e mi piacerebbe condividere una ricetta con voi.

Un inslata che chiamiamo Insalata Innamorata

Ingredienti:

Insalata fresca a vostra scelta, romana, lattuga etc

formaggio di capra

fragole

aceto e olio

sale pepe

mandorle

Procedimento:

Lavare l’insalata e tagliarla in pezzetti piccoli

Sbucciare le mandorle e tritarle

Tagliare le fragole in fette sottili

Mischiare il tutto

e condire con, sale, olio, pepe e aceto con  il formaggio di capra in cima a tutto.

Eccellente!   One great thing about a blog is that it can be read at your own rhythm…need time to go grab that vino before continuing?  Now you’re speaking our language!

 è il tuo turno :  as a simple comprehension check and as a way to practice writing, simply  answer the questions below in italiano in our comments section. Or ask us anything – don’t understand something in here? have another question?…teachers will respond!

1) Che cosa fa Daniela ad Austin?

2) Quale potrebbe essere una variazione di frutta per questa ricetta se uno e’ allergico alle fragole o se a uno non piacciono le fragole?

3) Qual’e’ la vostra ricetta preferita?

Did you know?  Andiamo hosts monthly wine dinners? Experience four-course authentic Italian meals paired with amazing Italian wines. October’s dinner will be hosted by Paolo Bernardi.  Not only is Paolo the President and Importer for VinUS, but he is the man behind all of Andiamo’s Italian wines.   RSVP here on FB , or email andiamoitaliano@gmail.com or call 512-719-3377 to reserve your spot.

To practice more Italian,  particularly listening comprehension, tune into our video-interview of Daniela in our previous blog entry  , don’t miss Dolce Neve while you’re perusing our collection, AND stay tuned for the dashing, charming Alex of Cotone in our next video-blog (vlog)!

For continual practice (if you’re in Austin…) join us and experience our innovative curriculum, proven  methodology. Try a free class.  Our next session starts Oct. 27th!  Learn more

Grazie a tutti – specialmente Daniela Marcone !  Via these guest posts, we aspire to continually create new & authentic material through which we build language proficiency while we connect Austinites in a language-learning community.  Interested yourself?  Have recommendations or know somebody you’d like to see featured in a guest post?  Please let us know.  Arrivederci !

POLYGLOT AUSTIN: OUR MULTILINGUAL, MULTICULTURAL CITY!

Bem-vindos to the latest Portuguese installment of our ongoing ‘Polyglot Austin”  blog series, where we celebrate the city’s cultural diversity while taking an interactive approach to language learning.

Through our beginner and intermediate Portuguese videos below (subtitled, with full transcription provided!), we introduce you to Bruno Vinezof, a Brazilian native and founder of the incredibly soulful rhythm & percussion group Maracatu Texas.

Practice your Portuguese while you learn more about this afro-brazilian percussion genre infusing Brazilian culture into Atx.  Did you know you can join Maracatu in Austin??  Check out their lively performances and classes .

Also! Read on to see how you can win an 8-week Portuguese class at Brazil Day Austin 2014.

Austin boasts an especially strong and colorful Brazilian music scene. Que lindo maravilhoso!

What an enriching experience learning about the history and culture of  “Maracatu” which conveys, specifically, the rhythm of Northern Brazil.   In the past, in the era of slavery in Brazil, the Maracatu groups crowned a black king and queen who would be the communicators between the Portuguese slave owners and the black community to which they belonged. These traditions are still honored in Marcatu groups today.

An array of alfaias, a type of Brazilian drum, artwork in themselves!

Watch, listen, read transcripts  – have all kinds of fun!  Then,  answer our questions (em português) in the comment area; one of our teachers will get back to you.

Beginner Level

Beginners, to get the most out of this exercise, watch it first without sound, while reading the subtitles.  Then, watch the video again with sound. See how multiple viewings of segments of the video improve your reading & listening comprehension.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL TRANSCRIPT 

Beginner Questions

1. Pernambuco fica em qual região do Brasil?
2. Bruno conhece países nas Américas, e mais um continente. Qual é o outro continente?
3. Que tipo de instrumentos músicas Bruno toca?

Intermediate Level

J: Pode descrever o lugar onde você cresceu? / B: Eu cresci numa cidade chamada Olinda. É uma cidade muito antiga, com mais de quatrocentos e setenta anos. Olinda tem muito casarões antigos, e é uma cidade com muita música, e o carnaval é muito famoso. CLICK HERE FOR FULL TRANSCRIPT 

Intermediate Questions

1. A cidade de Olinda tem quantos anos?
2. Para Bruno, qual é a diferença mais importante entre a música brasileira e a música dos Estados Unidos?
3. Think about the following two phrases: O Maracatu “veio para o Brasil com os escravos,” and “servia como um intermédio.” Why does Bruno use the preterit in the first phrase, and the imperfect in the second?

We thank our friends of  Morena Soul, the lively, fun, locally grown Brazilian-music band for introducing us to the Brazilian scene in Austin.  Meet them here, in our first Portuguese blog entry and be sure to follow their performances as well (schedule).   What dynamic people, groups and strong bonds that unite Portuguese-speaking musicians in Austin!

Like the sounds and cultural richness of  Brazil and the fast-paced rhythms of samba?  Don’t miss Austin Samba (the largest Brazilian cultural organization of its kind in the US) present the largest celebration of Brazilian music and culture of the year at their event ‘Brazil Day Austin 2014‘!  Dance, drink, eat, practice your Portuguese AND!!!…. enter to win an 8-week  Portuguese language class with Freestyle!  Come meet us at our table there and enter a drawing (free!) to win!

Last, but certainly not least, if you love practicing your Portuguese, make sure BRAZILPOD is in your repertoire!

The Freestyle Lifestyle

We do language learning a little differently at Freestyle!

Our one-of-a-kind approach to second language acquisition uses technology and interactive media in a way that brings the most recent, relevant, high-usage vocabulary and everyday expressions to our students in an entertaining and effective way. Join us as we continue to revolutionize language learning!

Fall I Session starts 9/2, join us for a free trial class or Saturday ‘cafe’ – info@freestylelanguagecenter.com

Polyglot Austin: Our Multilingual, Multicultural City!

Bienvenidos to the next Spanish installment of our ongoing ‘Polyglot Austin’ blog series where we celebrate the city’s cultural diversity while taking an interactive approach to language learning!

Meet Eugenio del Bosque, Director Ejecutivo of the local Austin non-profit, Cine Las Americas.   Watch these beginner and intermediate-level videos as Eugenio explains (en español) what he does at Cine and the challenges Cine faces – subtitled, transcripts provided!

 

An international event that unites amazing films, talented filmmakers and passionate audiences in Austin, Texas

 

De veras amamos Cine!  Freestyle + Cine = Match made in heaven!  Our friends at Cine Las Americas work day in and day out to bring Latin American films—films made by or about Latinos or indigenous peoples of the Americas—to life in ATX.  Not only do we love how Cine promotes multiculturalism in our city by “creating a truly Pan-American cinematic experience”, their predominantly Spanish language films (some Portuguese), like Memorias de un soldado and Mateo, engage our students all year long, offering great language practice and development.

Film is absolutely our favorite medium for language acquisition – ¡Gracias, Cine!  Just ask Keeley Steenson, the Outreach and Operations Manager of Cine, who is also one of Freestyle’s Spanish students; La extraordinaria Keeley is in our intermediate series which embraces the cinematic approach to language learning.

 

Eugenio del Bosque, while busy running Cine, graciously offers his time to our students at our annual ‘Summer Session Guest Speaker Series’

 

¡Vámonos!  Watch, listen, read transcripts  – have all kinds of fun!  Then,  answer our questions (en español) in the comment area; one of our teachers will get back to you.

Beginner Level

Beginners, to get the most out of this exercise, watch it first without sound, while reading the subtitles.  Entonces, watch the video again with sound. See how multiple viewings of segments of the video improve your reading & listening comprehension.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL TRANSCRIPT (in ‘about’ section)

Questions:

1. ¿En qué trabaja Eugenio? 

2. ¿Qué le gusta a Eugenio de Austin?

Intermediate Level

Q: ¿Me puedes describir un día típico para Ud., para ti en el Cine las Americas? / Eugenio: Bueno lo que a mi me gusta de Cine las Americas es que no hay un día típico, como es una organización sin fines de lucro, es una organización que nos dedicamos a la promoción del cine y de las artes. Siempre hay algo nuevo. Típicamente es mucho trabajo de oficina, mucha cuestión de comunicación con la audiencia, con los miembros, con patrocinadores; números, siempre contabilidad y presupuestos; postulaciones para apoyos de gobierno y corporativos y bueno, siempre las películas ¿No? Siempre buscando películas ó tratando de ver películas.

Q: Y ¿Cómo consigues las películas?    / Eugenio:  Bueno las películas, nosotros abrimos una convocatoria para el festival, siempre estamos tratando de ver películas pero para conseguir películas nuevas…

CLICK HERE FOR FULL TRANSCRIPT (in ‘about’ section)

Questions:

1. ¿Qué tipo de organización es Cine Las Americas?

2. ¿Qué es una convocatoria? Por qué Cine las Americas abre convocatorias?

3. ¿Cuántas películas al año ve el comité de Cine las Americas?

Have we mentioned how much we love Cine?!  Have you seen their Hecho en Tejas  film panorama?! They even have after-school programs that provide “a bi-lingual space to bring the tools of media creation and distribution to a widely diverse group of students within the Austin Independent School District and beyond.”  Talk about diversity in the community! We can’t think of a more worthy organization in Austin to support!  If you also want Cine to continue to bring Austin multicultural cinema,  be sure to support their ‘Save Cine Las Americas’ campaign by August 31st!

The Freestyle Lifestyle

We do language learning a little differently at Freestyle!

Our one-of-a-kind approach to second language acquisition uses technology and interactive media in a way that brings the most recent, relevant, high-usage vocabulary and everyday expressions to our students in an entertaining and effective way. Join us as we continue to revolutionize language learning: NEXT Open House Fri. Aug. 22nd 6pm-8pm at 801 Rio Grande!

Polyglot Austin: Our Multilingual, Multicultural City!

Bienvenue to the French installment of our ongoing ‘Polyglot Austin’ blog series, where we celebrate the city’s cultural diversity while taking an interactive approach to language learning! In this post we highlight 2 French Austinites, Sarah & Philippe, and our city’s long connection to France. 

Our Texanized version of Fleur-de-lys, ‘ le symbole de la France’!

Despite the 5,000 mile distance, French culture has permeated the heart of Texas–its history, its language, its people– for centuries.  The omnipresent Six Flags Over Texas represent the deep cultural and historical liens we have with France.

The second flag, white with gold fleurs-de-lys, represents Texas under France in the late 1600’s.

Flash-forward to the 21st century! Meet Sarah and Philippe who bring their très French vibes to Freestyle. As current Spanish students, learning their 3rd language, they get the Freestyle lifestyle – Go Polyglot! 

While Sarah hails from Annecy in the beautiful S.E. region where France meets Switzerland and Italy…

 

  …Philippe moved to Austin from Bordeaux. Happily, we can find good Bordeaux wines at The Austin Wine Merchant  in  ATX  to keep him here!

 

Follow along as we listen to Sarah, une jeune femme très branchée (hip), who works in “le domaine de la communication“, and pétanque-playing Philippe, an artist in both leather repair and le jardinage. Qu’est-ce qu’un potager?  Tu ne sais pas? Must read and listen to find out!

Beginner Level- Sarah Bovagnet

To get the most out of this first video, where Sarah simply introduces herself, watch it once without sound, reading the subtitles. Then watch it with the sound on. See how multiple viewings of segments of the video improve your reading & listening comprehension.  To practice writing, answer some questions below in French and you’ll hear back from our teachers!

For full transcript, click Youtube logo bottom right of video; transcript in the ‘about’ section.

Questions:

1. Comment gagne-t-elle sa vie? (une autre façon de poser la question: qu’est-ce qu’elle fait dans la vie?)

2. Qu’est-ce qu’elle n’aime pas à Austin?

Intermediate Level- Philippe Barbaroux

Q: Que faites-vous dans la vie? / Philippe: Je répare le cuir, le plastique et le vinyle, alors c’est les fauteuils en cuir, les sofas, ou les sièges de voiture- par exemple, tout l’intérieur d’une voiture. Potentiellement je peux réparer à peu près tout ce qui est à l’intérieur, si c’est pas trop important au niveau des dégâts.

Q: C’est bon à savoir, j’en ai besoin! / Philippe: Oui, c’est bon à savoir, ca peut aider! ca évite d’avoir ,des fois, acheter tout un nouveau sofa quand on peut faire juste une petite réparation.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL TRANSCRIPT (in ‘about’ section)

Questions:

1. Qu’est-ce qu’un potager?

2. Quels sont les avantages et les inconvénients du jardinage au Texas?

3. Qu’est-ce qui pousse bien à Austin?

 

The Freestyle Lifestyle

We do language learning a little differently at Freestyle!

Our one -of-a-kind approach to second language acquisition uses technology and interactive media in a way that brings the most recent, relevant, high-usage vocabulary and everyday expressions to our students in an entertaining and effective way. Join us as we continue to revolutionize language learning: NEXT Open House Fri. Aug. 22nd 6pm-8pm at 801 Rio Grande!