Texto em Inglês 12 – How long have you been in Mumbai (Or the city where your language partner lives)?

Aviso aos Estudantes: Transcrição do Áudio Disponível Abaixo – Evite Visualizar Antes de Ouvir para um Aprendizado Eficiente!

O vídeo possui a função picture-in-picture: clique na setinha no canto inferior direito do vídeo para continuar ouvindo o áudio enquanto navega pelo texto.

Transcrição:

When I was in high school, I joined a Pen Pals program where I wrote letters to an arranged partner in another state. At first, I didn’t want to but my best friend really wanted me to do it with her so how could I have told her no? It just sounded like extra homework so I couldn’t understand the appeal it had to her. But Pen Pals was nothing I thought it was going to be like! My partner was a girl named Melissa in Maine. She always decorated her letters with highlighters that smelled like fruit and colorful pen ink colors. Melissa told me about her family, friends, and even her crushes! There were times I felt closer to her than my own best friend. But after I started college, I stopped responding to her letters. Sometimes, I still wonder how she’s doing and what it would have been like if we stayed in touch until today.

Tradução:

Quando eu estava no ensino médio, entrei em um programa de correspondência onde escrevia cartas para um parceiro designado em outro estado. No começo, eu não queria, mas minha melhor amiga realmente queria que eu fizesse com ela, então como eu poderia ter dito não? Parecia apenas lição de casa extra, então eu não conseguia entender o que ela via de interessante naquilo. Mas o programa de correspondência não era nada do que eu pensava que seria! Minha parceira era uma garota chamada Melissa, do Maine. Ela sempre decorava suas cartas com marcadores que cheiravam a frutas e tintas de caneta coloridas. Melissa me contava sobre sua família, amigos e até sobre as paixões dela! Houve momentos em que me sentia mais próxima dela do que da minha própria melhor amiga. Mas depois que entrei na faculdade, parei de responder às cartas dela. Às vezes, ainda me pergunto como ela está e como teria sido se tivéssemos mantido contato até hoje.

Transcrição e Tradução

Atividades

Principais Estruturas Gramaticais

Past Simple para Narrativa

• Uso: Conta eventos completos no passado
• Exemplos do texto:
  • “I joined a Pen Pals program”
  • “She always decorated her letters”
  • “I stopped responding”

Past Perfect (Reported Speech/Thought)

• Estrutura: had + past participle
• Exemplo: “the appeal it had to her”
• Uso: Indica posse ou experiência no passado

Modal Verbs no Passado

• Exemplos:
  • “how could I have told her no?” (possibilidade passada)
  • “what it would have been like” (situação hipotética passada)
• Uso: Expressa possibilidades ou situações irreais no passado

Used to (implícito)

• Exemplo: “She always decorated” (hábito passado regular)
• Alternativa: Could be “She used to decorate”

Past Continuous vs Past Simple

• Exemplo: “what it would have been like if we stayed in touch”
• Uso: Contrasta ação contínua hipotética com ação completa

Vocabulário Principal

Comunicação e Correspondência

• Pen Pals = amigos por correspondência
• letters = cartas
• wrote = escreveu
• responding = respondendo
• stayed in touch = mantiveram contato

Programa e Participação

• joined = entrou/participou
• program = programa
• arranged partner = parceiro designado
• another state = outro estado

Materiais de Escrita

• decorated = decorava
• highlighters = marca-textos
• smelled like = cheiravam a
• fruit = fruta
• colorful pen ink = tinta de caneta colorida

Relacionamentos

• best friend = melhor amigo(a)
• partner = parceiro(a)
• family = família
• friends = amigos
• crushes = paqueras/crushes

Sentimentos e Opiniões

• didn’t want to = não queria
• appeal = apelo/atração
• felt closer = sentia-me mais próximo
• wonder = me pergunto/imagino

Expressões Temporais

• at first = no início
• after = depois
• sometimes = às vezes
• until today = até hoje

Expressões Úteis

• nothing I thought it was going to be like = nada como eu pensei que seria
• how could I have = como eu poderia ter

Pronúncia

1. highlighters → /ˈhaɪlaɪtərz/ (hái-lai-têrz)
2. arranged → /əˈreɪndʒd/ (â-rêin-djd)
3. appeal → /əˈpiːl/ (â-píil)
4. crushes → /ˈkrʌʃɪz/ (krâ-shiz)
5. wondered → /ˈwʌndərd/ (uân-dêrd)

Extension Activity

Speaking/Writing Activity: “Lost Connections”

Instructions: Write a reflective essay or prepare a presentation (150-200 words) about a friendship or connection that faded over time.

Part 1: The Beginning

• How did you meet or connect?
• What were your first impressions?
• Use: “At first, I thought…” and “When I first…”

Part 2: The Relationship

• Describe what made this connection special
• Share specific memories or details
• What did you learn from each other?
• Use: “There were times when…” and “I remember…”

Part 3: The Drift

• Explain how/why you lost touch
• Was it gradual or sudden?
• Use: “After…” and “But then…”

Part 4: Reflection

• How do you feel about it now?
• What would you say if you reconnected?
• Use: “Sometimes I wonder…” and “What would have happened if…”

Letter Writing Exercise: Write two letters:

1. The last letter you wish you had sent
2. A letter to them today explaining the gap

Grammar Requirements:

• Use at least 5 past simple verbs
• Include one “could have/would have” construction
• Use “used to” or “would” for past habits
• Include time markers (when, after, while)

Discussion Prompts:

• “Is it natural for friendships to fade?”
• “How has technology changed pen pal relationships?”
• “What’s the value of handwritten letters vs digital communication?”
• “Have you ever reconnected with someone after years?”

Modern Twist: Compare pen pals to modern equivalents:

• Social media friends you’ve never met
• Online gaming buddies
• Language exchange partners
• Long-distance relationships

Discuss: “Are digital friendships as meaningful as pen pal relationships were?”