More readings:
Lingua Viva series by Prof. Duarte
Dicas de Dad by Dad Squarisi
Both of these people write regular, and lively, newspaper columns trying to deal with the often thorny issues of correct usage. As with all (probably) modern languages, there's great variety among daily (dia-a-dia) speaking and correct written Portuguese and the older written forms which became greatly relaxed during the course of the twentieth century.

For actual lessons each week I meet for an hour+ with a lively, brilliant woman from Sao Paolo. We speak only in Portuguese. She finds interesting things on the web about grammatical structures and usage, which we go over together. Sometimes we read articles friends have sent her, or simply talk about things happening in our own worlds. My self-confidence in speaking is developing slowly, but it's coming along. I find myself even able to 'think' in Portuguese sometimes, if I consciously talk to myself, e.g. about what I see around me, what I'm going to do that day, etc. I suppose I should be writing this in Portuguese....

Last summer I started studying Brazilian Portuguese in preparation for a possible work-related trip to Brazil in
2003. I've always enjoyed studying foreign languages and had first looked at Portuguese about 15 years ago
using the Assimil books and recordings.

This year I discovered the Pimsleur and RosettaStone courses:

1) The Pimsleur courses are published by Simon & Schuster. You can find them at auction on eBay and for sale at
Amazon.com for way less than the MSRP. Through a wonderful site called languagelovers.com I learned that you
can get a $150 rebate from S&S if you buy one of their $40 mini courses (any language they offer) and one level-I
comprehensive course (under $200). Be sure to check that the rebate offer is still in force. And I've been able to
sell the 3 comprehensive courses on eBay myself after using them! Each contains 30 lessons on CDs or cassettes
and can be studied while driving or anywhere that reading would be inconvenient. The native speakers are clear
and pleasant to listen to. The courses move along methodically and comfortably; you will not build up a huge
vocabulary - but you should come out with a great accent!

2) rosettastone.com offers excellent courses. You can buy a CD version or subscribe for $20/mo or $50 for 3
months to the online version. It consists of a series of 4 visual frames seen at once with accompanying voice and
written texts grouped in lessons and subsections. The speakers are excellent here, as in the Pimsleur courses.
With RosettaStone you definitely get a broader vocabulary.

I've made use of a text called Travessia, but without the accompanying videotapes. It has wonderful dialogs and
vocabulary.

There's a spectacular, and readable (!) reference grammar of Modern Portuguese (focussing on the Brazilian
variety) by Mario Perini (2002). Unfortunately it costs $60, and it's too soon for there to be any used copies
showing up on the Web.

If you like music, try the first CD on Velas by the Jacques Morelenbaum Quartet of A.C.Jobim bossa nova songs. It
comes with complete text to all the songs. They're sung with great clarity and verve by Paula Morelenbaum and
Jobim's son Paul, so you'll pick up lots of basic grammatical structures and the vocabulary of sentimental love.
Since I'm a cellist and so is Morelenbaum, I got a special kick out of this recording, which includes a dynamite
arrangement of Felicidade (remember it from the classic film Black Orpheus?).

Items read so far:
issues of VEJA, Brazil's Time, etc.
O homem que fica - by Magalhaes Jr.
As maos de Eurydice - Pedro Bloch
A moratoria - Andrade
Myrna - Nelson Rogdriguez (a series of Dear Abby-type columns which appeared in a Brazilian paper in 1949)
A fascinating book on the Portuguese 15c and 16c voyages of discovery (I'll get the title ASAP)