Are you learning Brazilian Portuguese and are looking to improve your accent? Good idea! Not because having an accent is embarrassing or shameful, not at all. We all have an accent, so you shouldn’t be ashamed of it. But when speaking a second language is important you try to sound like a native as much as possible. Because if your native accent is too strong, locals might not understand you completely. Things can get lost in translation and lead to confusion. Nobody wants that.
Having a good Brazilian accent, even if not perfect, will open more doors to you. For example, you could have a better chance at getting a job that requires good Portuguese skills. Or you could make more Brazilian friends because you’re able to communicate and make yourself understood. And it’s even more important to have a good accent if you want to travel or move to that country. You’ll have to immerse yourself in their culture and talk to their people. So good pronunciation will save you tons and will make you feel more confident.
TruFluency recommends that you work on your Brazilian Accent with these 3 Netflix shows. Sounds crazy? Well, believe it or not, it is possible to improve your accent while watching TV. After all, you’ll hear native actors speaking casually as if they were in a real-life situation, so that will train your ear. You don’t even have to think that you’re studying, just relax and watch the show. You’ll notice how you’ll absorb the accent gradually.
1. Irmandade
This Brazilian Netflix series is set in the 90s. It’s about an honorable and honest lawyer, Cristina, who finds out her brother, Edson, has been put into prison. Edson is the leader of a criminal organization
It’s about two estranged siblings, Edson and his sister Cristina. Edson is a man who is in a rough prison for being the leader of a criminal organization. Cristina is a very honorable and honest lawyer. As you can imagine, when Cristina finds out her brother is in prison, she’ll be faced with the tough reality of seeing her brother in such a horrible place. Plus, she’ll find herself in the middle of a tough decision: helping her brother or going against him.
This series is starred by actress and singer Naruna Costa. As well as by the actor, singer and winner of the 2022 Gran Premio del Cine Brasileño for best actor, Seu Jorge. Just by seeing the famous actors that perform in this show, you can already notice the quality that it has.
Irmandade, “Brotherhood” in English, has very positive reviews. All you have to do is check the trailer commentaries and you’ll see people praising it. It was so successful that it already has a second season.
It’s perfect if you have the heart for a dark story with descriptions of the tough world of law and prison.
Watch the trailer: Irmandade | Trailer oficial | Netflix
2. 3%
You know there are tons of dystopian films and books that have gotten very popular for how good they are? Well, Brazil has their very own popular dystopian series! And it is incredible! Even cooler is that it’s the first Netflix original series in Portuguese and the second non-English Netflix original series.
3% is about a society divided in two. In one of those sides of the society, called Inland, people are very poor and they don’t have a good quality of life. But when people turn twenty years old, they start a process to see if they’re worthy of living on the other side of society. Of course, this happens only if they succeed in the process. On the other side of society, called Offshore, everything is better, they have great technology and more opportunities for a good life. But not everyone wins this chance and is estimated that only 3% succeed.
What’s great about this series is that dystopias always reflect something about our reality, especially our societal issues. So, it’s the perfect opportunity for you to learn some Portuguese vocabulary to discuss important real-life situations and topics. Even if you don’t watch with the mentality of studying, you’ll automatically learn some words that could be useful for you.
Oh, and of course it’ll also help your accent. There are many different characters as the show goes on. This will help your ear train its listening, as you’ll hear different voices even if all have a Brazilian accent. Hearing a wide variety of voices is a great practice for real life, where you always encounter different personalities, voices, and talking speeds. Practicing your listening will help you improve your pronunciation and accent, as you’ll understand better the details of each word sound.
Come on! What’s better than a show that will be beneficial in every way for your conversations in Brazilian Portuguese?
The show was very successful as it started in 2016 and was renewed for four seasons. The last episode was aired in 2020. So, you have four different seasons to watch, enjoy and learn from!
Watch the trailer: 3% | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix
3. Iron Chef Brasil
We’re guessing you’ve heard of Iron Chef. Yes, that widely popular reality show about the culinary world that has you on the edge of the chair every episode. There are different versions of it depending on the country and, of course, Brazil has its own Iron Chef show.
This show was just released in 2022, so it only has one season, but it’s worth a watch. It’s a fascinating and exciting show, and as we know fun is the best way to learn something. You’ll acquire vocabulary and improve your accent without noticing. The best that this show has is its variety of Brazilian chefs and celebrities. Just like with “3%”, having so many Brazilians talking, each with their own type of voice and speed, will train your ear to understand natives better. Which will ultimately help you improve your own pronunciation and acquire a Portuguese accent.
But is it possible to learn something else besides a Brazilian accent from Iron Chef Brasil? Yes! What’s great about this competition is that it will show you a huge part of Brazilian culture: its gastronomy! As we know culture and language go hand in hand. Imagine talking about traditional dishes with a Brazilian person. They’ll love you! Plus, you’ll also learn some vocabulary for the kitchen.
Who knows, you might even want to try to cook one of the recipes from the show. That would be a great exercise for your language skills: cook while following a recipe that’s in Portuguese. And if you’re cooking with another person, pronounce everything in Portuguese.
That’s not it. With Iron Chef Brasil, you’ll also get to know some important Brazilian public figures, like the actresses and presenters Fernanda Souza and Andressa Cabral.
Watch the trailer: IRON CHEF BRASIL | Trailer oficial | Netflix
Sound Like a True Brazilian with the Help of TruFluency
Now, you have three amazing shows to acquire the Brazilian accent in an entertaining way. But what else could you possibly do to sound more natural at Portuguese? First, one way to keep learning the accent with these Netflix shows is to write down the words that you notice are more difficult for you. Then, pronounce them out loud; repeat the moment in the series in which you heard the word if necessary. You could also pick a character you love and try to speak like him/her; it’ll be fun.
You could also try to watch some Brazilian movies, listen to songs in Portuguese and watch your favorite Brazilian YouTubers. Do all of that combine and little by little you’ll notice your accent improve. But maybe even then you want to polish your pronunciation and accent even more until you sound like a real native. If that’s the case, then TruFluency is your best option.
We offer Portuguese classes. Wait, wait, wait. Don’t go. These are not boring lessons that teach you grammar and nothing else. Even though we do teach all areas of the language, because they’re important, our main focus is on speaking. In fact, we have our very own Bellieu Method that consists of speaking using what you’ve learned so far. We want you to achieve language fluency. So there will always be speaking practice time.
Because we believe immersion is the best way to learn, we have native teachers that will create an all-Portuguese environment. That means, they won’t use much English when teaching. It’ll be like the way you learned your first language, by always being surrounded by it.
Choose one of our language packages and schedule lessons to fit your schedule. Or take a two-hour trial class. You’ll see how much we will help you in your Portuguese journey.
