Private lessons with top Portuguese instructors near San Francisco, CA

Portuguese is my native language. I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Teaching Portuguese (2000-2003) and a 400-Hour Specialization Course in PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE (São Luís School of Education- Brazil). I worked as a Portuguese teacher at Public Schools from 2004 to February 2016, when I moved to the USA. I have already taught Portuguese online. The sessions are created and tailored to help you with your Portuguese.

I learned all the Portuguese I know from taking many different Portuguese classes at college, including grammar, linguistics, and literature and from living in the "Portuguese House" (at the Foreign Language Student Residence, part of on-campus housing at BYU) for two semesters. I specialize in teaching Portuguese to speakers of Spanish, but I can also teach anyone who wants to learn, even without any other prior language experience. I have grown to love the Portuguese language and the people of the various Portuguese-speaking countries around the world.

I take a holistic approach when teaching Portuguese. I teach grammar, vocabulary, conversations, reading, writing, and Portuguese culture. I want my students to discover, explore, understand, experience and appreciate the beauty of Portuguese!

Gina has a BA and MA in Portuguese language and literature. She has family in Brasil and teaches both Brazilian and European Portuguese. She is very active with the Brazilian community in her city, promoting the Portuguese language and culture. She does translation and interpretation work as well as tutoring and teaching. Gina travels frequently to Brasil and Portugal and is very happy to share her passion for the Portuguese language. from bio: Buongiorno! Bom dia! Buenos dias! Bonjour! My name is Gina and I am a professional linguist with a Master’s degree in Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and French. In addition, I am a Chartered Linguist, MCIL with the Chartered Institute of Linguists, a professional organization (UK- based) for translators, interpreters and language professionals. I work as an interpreter (medical, psychiatric, and general /conference interpretation). I do freelance translation work and am currently doing translation projects for Duolingo and an art gallery in France. I have been teaching and tutoring foreign languages since 1990: adults, college and high school students, and grade-school children; classroom, group, and private lessons; for business, travel, and exam preparation. My passion for languages started at a very young age. I grew up multi-lingual, have lived and spent time in multiple countries, and am always involved with international groups in my community. I am a member in the following organizations: Chartered Institute of Linguists (UK) International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters (IAPTI) American Association for Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese Language Busters (Brazil) Tous Bénévoles (France) Alliance Française of Charleston APTRAD (Portugal) Translators Without Borders Istituto Italiano di Cultura (Italy/Portugal) Instituto Cervantes (Spain/Portugal) I love to share my passion for languages with others. My lessons can focus on conversation, grammar, test preparation , etc, depending on the needs of the student. Let me know your goals and we can work out a lesson plan.

ABOUT BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE: Brazilian Portuguese is spoken in Brazil and is my favorite language to live, laugh and enjoy life in. I lived and went to university in Brazil to master my Portuguese so I could document dying languages in the Amazon (which I did - ask me for a link to the article, and I'll share!) Learning Portuguese is the best way to connect with the people, learn how to sing and understand Brazilian music (samba, pagode, sertanejo, forro, axe, chorrinho, etc) and speak to people in this beautiful language. WHY LEARN BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE: If you plan on traveling to, or living in Brazil, these lessons are for you! Learning Brazilian Portuguese also allows you to receive a raise in your job and is perfect if you want to be a translator, a freelance writer in different languages, or if you simply want to be connected to Brazilian culture. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PORTUGUESE IN PORTUGAL AND BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE? The simple difference is the accent and a few phrases of formality. Portuguese spoken in Portugal is a little more formal and uses "tu" (informal you) conjugations while Brazilian Portuguese doesn't. We will learn the difference between the two and hear how they sound as well. HOW I TEACH: My love for this language knows no bounds. I teach through guided structure, nurturing your knowledge and adding to it in a kind, supportive and encouraging manner. We master the foundations (present tense, greetings, communication, various scenarios + vocabulary) and advance from there. We learn how to say commands and requests, speak about our lives and tell stories, ask questions and practice conversation. Our classes are immersive, which means we speak in Portuguese from the get-go and with repetition, exposure, and learning through association (applying concepts to your personal life and practicing speaking them in the language), we integrate Portuguese into our lives. I use games, music, art, miming, theatre, drama, multi-media and dance (all forms of learning) to inspire us to live in the language and create more associations. HOW WE LEARN LANGUAGE: We learn language through living in the language. We are courageous and kind to ourselves as we venture into a new world, and practice being vulnerable while being guided in a safe space to attempt to communicate in a new language, literally. We learn through meaningful interaction, analysis, and coming to our own understanding. I offer this style of teaching so that we feel confident in our ability, because all of us can learn a new language and master it.

Studied nearly two years of Portuguese while receiving B.A. in Spanish from the UW. Portuguese is extremely fun and relevant for anyone interested in travel!