We refer to ourselves as a “craft school.” We create tailor-made courses to meet YOUR needs and goals.

 

Our focus is to help you overcome barriers and bring you one step closer to your dream of listening, reading, understanding and speaking English. The foundation of our method is  building rapport and trust to develop a relationship that allows us to see each student’s prior knowledge, experiences, and ways of learning. We continuously monitor each student to assess these strengths and needs to design customized classes and material to suit each group’s or student’s stage of learning and particular goals. Two principles ground our practice: a detailed on going diagnosis and an approach that goes beyond common concepts and usual techniques. Both are described below:

 

The diagnosis begins with an interview before the student is enrolled and continues throughout the entire learning process, during all classes. Based on this ongoing monitoring, we establish adequate pedagogical strategies to improve the speaker's ability to communicate in an intelligible and comfortable way. Our diagnosis is focused on sounds, pronunciation, vocabulary, speech connections, grammatical structures, and also on cultural features that may interfere with effective communication with both native English speakers and non-native speakers.

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Our approach takes into account the psychological dynamics of the learning process. We work to create an environment that is both welcoming and conducive to learning; and we strive to be attentive to each student’s physical and psychological state during each session, adjusting materials and methods to fit the student’s current needs and readiness. This practice contributes to students’ confidence and resourcefulness. 

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When there is a predisposition to learning, both from the student and the teacher, motivation, satisfaction, and contentment arise naturally. Therefore, we do not utilize standardized teaching materials and preprinted handouts. Rather, we use the ongoing diagnoses to research and craft the appropriate material to suit the readiness, objectives and interests of each student. This approach is essential for the student’s engagement and for them to become active and aware of their learning process.

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Furthermore, communicating in English is not just about grammatical or vocabulary knowledge; it is about breaking the sound barrier. We know that fluency in a spoken language means being able to speak naturally and clearly. Therefore, in our classes, we use a technique we call BSB (Breaking the Sound Barrier). The BSB method facilitates fluency by making explicit the key aspects of spoken English that are particularly challenging for Portuguese speakers: phonemes, unpronounced letters, intonation, rhythm and connected speech. Additionally, we work with the students’ articulation: how to shape the mouth and use the tongue to create the target sounds clearly. By overcoming this “sound barrier,” the student is able to express himself or herself in English with competence and confidence. 

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In order to build a relationship that facilitates the development of these dynamics and encourages commitment and free exchange, we have chosen to always keep a reduced number of students per class. Classes are either private or in groups of no more than five students. Getting to know the student closely allows us to understand their barriers, difficulties, and skills throughout their journey with the English language; and therefore allows us to build a unique course.

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Schedule a complimentary online meeting with us, with no obligation or fees involved.

 

During this meeting, we will conduct a thorough assessment of your English proficiency, understand your goals, and address any inquiries you may have regarding our teaching methods and approach. Based on this meeting, we will create and send you a personalized course proposal. Feel free to get in touch with us through the provided  link to arrange a convenient time for the meeting.