Nome: Yamir Malz

Idade: 27 anos

País de origem: Israel

Tempo de aprendizagem de português: 2 meses

Narrativa coletada por Fernanda Sousa Carvalho em 11 de outubro de 2005

Well, before I came to Brazil I didn’t speak any Portuguese. I just tried to learn  some very basic words, basic verbs [...], but then I didn’t learn anything. And when I came here for the first ... I also bought myself a phrasebook with a cd that I could play and listen and [...] This was ok, but I wanted to take a language course. I could learn faster, and checked, then some [...] schools and also this school here. The problem at the beginning was that the course started late, I mean, started ...  we arrived here after this course started and we thought it will be to late to join it. And finally we joined a course here in the university, and we are here for a month and half to two months and [...]  and it’s very beneficial for me ... so I improve much better and I think ‘tis correct.

- Do you believe that ... that the course is the main thing that’s helping you to learn Portuguese?

Well, it’s certainly helping me, but it is also helping that I try to speak Portuguese outside of the classroom, and I have a dictionary and if I see a word I check it, and I try to learn by myself also, and I try to talk in Portuguese with people that I’m living with, my flatmates and I talk to people [...]so that’s quite different ...... for me I also think ...it happens to be easier here in Brazil, maybe, because I find people very communicative and very willing to... they are patient and if you don’t understand they are willing to speak slower, so it’s helping to the other who is learning ... and if I was learning Portuguese in my house, in my own country, then it would be much slower than in Brazil.

- So you’ve started learning here...

No, I didn’t. But if I wouldn’t learn ... any language I would learn in my... in ... and live ... I live there and they don’t speak the language in that ... country, it’s slower also. So it is certainly helping that I’m here in Brazil.

- So what do you feel now? Do you think that you are doing things well, is it being easy or hard?

Well, you know, I think it is easy. I didn’t expect that I would be able to speak so much in such a short time, I’ve learned so much.

- And why do you think it’s been so easy for you?

Well, there are several reasons. One is that I’ve already learned some languages, so... I mean, English is not my native tongue but I speak English, and there are some similarities, and I’ve learned some French long time ago [...], so this is helping. Besides that there is also the fact that ... like I’ve said before, the people are communicative. I also think that Brazilians, they simplify the language. I think so. I think there are many common words they use, and ... some words have several meanings, and I think it’s very useful to learn some verbs, some words and they used them in many different possibilities so... and they also... I think they make the language simpler.

- Ok. Do you want to say something else?

I like the language class here, I think it’s helpful for me, but I think it would be better to have an English speaking teacher. Although Vanessa... she is nice, and she ... I can ... it’s still possible to learn the language, with the teacher I can speak the language, but I think it’s better if the person speaks some more English. It is still possible, but ...