Case Studies: Clients

Hello Victoria! Thank you for taking the time to meet with us and answer our questions today. Could you begin by telling us a little about you and why you decided to learn Portuguese?

I am a lawyer, working with a human rights NGO. Part of my work involves travelling to Brazil. I discovered last year on my first trip to Brazil that it would be useful to know at least the basics of Portuguese. I already speak French and Spanish, so I thought this would be manageable.

That’s very true! Speaking the local language is a great asset when doing business. And why did you choose Language Trainers for your Portuguese course?

I was attracted to learning Portuguese with Language Trainers because of their flexibility and the option of online courses, especially in a time of COVID-19, but more generally because the flexibility of taking online classes is an advantage. You don’t need to leave your desk, and the class times can be easily adjusted. I also found the Language Trainers team to be helpful and efficient. From the moment of my first contact, the staff was polite and friendly. Then, throughout the course, there was good follow-up and communication.

That’s great to hear! And what has been the most rewarding aspect of your classes?

The whole language learning experience with Language Trainers has been rewarding. The thing that stands out the most for me are the lessons with Cristiane, my teacher. Also, I believe that my language ability has improved thanks to Language Trainers. In particular, I feel more confident when speaking the language. I have picked up some of the basics which are important for speaking the language, and that is thanks to my teacher. It was also very useful that the classes were conducted as much as possible in Portuguese. This gave me the opportunity to use my new skills in the ‘real’ world. It was good to be able to ask a native speaker about specific grammar points, especially regarding topics that are specific to the country where I will be travelling and working.

I’m very glad to hear that! Our teachers are one of our greatest sources of pride. Would you recommend taking a class with Language Trainers to another student? Why?

I would highly recommend other students to enrol in a language course with Language Trainers for all the reasons I mentioned before, especially the flexibility of the lessons, and the teachers’ professionalism. I can, of course, only speak about Cristiane.

Certainly, Cristiane has been a very important part of your learning experience. Could you tell us a bit more about her and her teaching style?

Cristiane was always a good teacher, in my opinion. She explains and describes things well, and she has varied teaching techniques, such as repetition, and making corrections in a gentle way! Cristiane is very friendly and cheerful. We always laughed a lot, which helped me relax and learn more easily. We really had fun in our lessons. Besides, she prepares the lessons well. I could see that she put a lot of thought into what I needed to learn, and why I was studying the language. This is why we focused on improving my skills to be able to engage in basic communication when I’m in Brazil. It was great that she expected me to be able to have impromptu conversations on particular topics in Portuguese. Because she encouraged me to speak, even at a basic level, I had the courage to engage in conversations, despite my mistakes. It was also good that she corrected these gently as I was speaking. She also brought to class a diverse range of fun and useful activities. These made the lessons interesting and fun. The topics and grammar activities revolved around everyday situations, like buying food in a restaurant. This helped me see that I was getting ready for real life situations. Cristiane is also reliable – if she says she will do something, like sending material, she does it. The classes always started on time, so it was easy to organise my day around them.

We are so glad you have so many good things to say about Cristiane. And of all the things you learned with her, do you have any favorite expression?

Yes, my new favourite expression in Portuguese is “Deus te abençoe!”