TEACHER CASE STUDIES

Listen & Learn: Hello Carly!
Carly: OI, tudo bem? (Hi, how are you doing?)

Listen & Learn: Prazer em conhecê-lo/ conhecê-la! (It’s a pleasure meeting you!)
Carly: I am Carly and I teach Portuguese at Listen & Learn. It is important to be clear that I teach Brazilian Portuguese because, despite the similarities with Portuguese from Portugal, Brazilian Portuguese has many words with different meanings, even when they are written the same as European Portuguese. So, be careful while using Brazilian Portuguese in Portugal and vice-versa!

Listen & Learn: Oh, wow! That’s very interesting! Are there any other interesting facts that come to mind?
Carly: Another fact about Portuguese (actually, about every Latin language) is that we attribute gender for things. For instance, mesa (table) is female, so we use the article “A” to characterize the female gender of this object. “A mesa.” Meanwhile, espelho (mirror) is male, so we use the article “O”: “O espelho.” This isn’t always easy to get at first, so some Portuguese speakers might tease you, but just ignore them! These mistakes are part of the learning process. It is better to laugh from these mistakes than let them make you shy and quiet. If you don’t take the risk, you will never learn!

Listen & Learn: That’s some valuable advice. Can you tell us a little about your history as a teacher?
Carly: I am from Brazil and I am the oldest daughter of a mother who got a degree in languages. Her two majors at university were Portuguese and English. Due to that, she always encouraged my sisters and me to dedicate ourselves to Portuguese while we were at school, to read books, to speak correctly and to know the grammar rules very well, which it is not easy, I must confess. Beyond her concerns with Portuguese, she also enrolled us in an English school, so we could learn a second language while we were still young. However, while my mom loved languages, she worked for an aircraft company. Many of her clients were foreigners who wished to learn Portuguese to help them make the most out of their visits to Brazil. So, I started teaching Portuguese to foreigners. That was the time I truly valued my mom’s efforts in obliging us to learn Portuguese and English.

Listen & Learn: What a lovely story! And how did you come to teach with Listen & Learn?
Carly: Well, based on this experience, I decided I wanted to be a teacher. I moved to Canada and then applied for a position at Listen & Learn. The company stood out to me because of the variety of language courses you offer, because of the positive students' testimonials, and because, in the company’s mission, it says that they provide "fully-qualified native speaking professionals who are hired not only for their qualifications but also for their experience and passion for teaching." I was a perfect fit for this position, and I knew that Listen & Learn would challenge me to deliver my best!

Listen & Learn: Yes, it certainly sounds like it! And has it been a positive experience for you?
Carly: Teaching at Listen & Learn is very pleasant and productive. The staff are highly organized, and they allow us teachers to establish the teaching pace according to the student's needs. Moreover, we have the opportunity to teach students in the comfort of their homes, at their time convenience, either face-to-face or online.

Listen & Learn: It sounds like you are very proud of what the students get out of their time with Listen & Learn. What do you hope from your students?
Carly: I expect my students to dedicate at least one hour per day, five days a week, to their Portuguese studies. The effort is always worth it. Learning a new language keeps your brain active and helps you to get more freedom while traveling!