Article about Learning Brazilian Portuguese

Here is an interesting article about learning Brazilian Portuguese.
http://pimsleuregyptian.seointhai.com/2010/02/01/why-is-it-important-to-learn-brazilian-portuguese/
 
Over the years I have met many amazing students who had studied Portuguese using CD's, DVD's, and software. These students could read Portuguese fluently and could say what they needed to say. It was not smooth or natural, but it worked.  However, students were puzzled in the face of simple, everyday language. As fluent as they were, understanding native speakers of Portuguese was still a major challenge. To fine tune these skills, you need to be around Brazilians and learn from live interactions both in a learning setting and in social situations.
 
This is what inspired the creation of Street Smart Brazil!