Our school offers highly communicative courses aimed at developing your proficiency in the Portuguese language quickly.
The courses take into account different learning and teaching styles while incorporating task-based strategies centered on the well-known fact that practice in each skill area enhances mastery of the others.
We want to systematically build students' ability to present their own ideas, opinions, and feelings – both accurately and confidently. For this reason, every activity leads students to gain ownership of the language, progressively moving them away from models to express thoughts in their own words and to improvise based on what they know.
Whether you are coming for just one week or for several months, at the end of your course we want you to feel that you learned far more than you had imagined possible, and that what you have learned is not just theory, but a practical ability to communicate in the language - to understand and to make yourself understood.
All of our teachers are native speakers, have university degrees and have been extensively trained in our methodology. They are selected for their outgoing and dynamic personalities, their patience, creativity, friendliness and, most importantly, for their enthusiasm for teaching their language. Our teachers come from a variety of backgrounds and regions of Brazil. What they have in common, though, is a genuine interest in sharing their language and culture with you.
Your classes will never be boring - your teachers know exactly what to do to make them interesting. And in a country that is as culturally rich as Brazil, that’s not difficult at all.
We aim to enable our students to learn as much as possible in the time available to them, whilst at the same time ensure that they have a thoroughly enjoyable experience that they will want to repeat!
On the first day of class when you arrive at our school you will be greeted at the door by your teacher. You will then take a placement test and be interviewed to determine the level of your Portuguese. At this stage, your teacher will be able to determine a strategy for your studies and will make several suggestions as to what areas you should focus more and the types of activities that would me most beneficial to you.
The courses we offer include private instruction, group instruction and optional activities that will help you learn Portuguese more effectively and quickly. Every course is especially tailored to accommodate your existing knowledge, needs and desires. Here is a brief summary of what you can expect from each course.
And to help you learn faster…
We think it’s very important that you select one or more extra class activities in order to increase exposure to the Portuguese language. This kind of interaction will help you practice conversation and make friends while you have fun. Take advantage of the fact you are in Brazil and explore all it has to offer.
Another interesting activity that will allow further immersion into Brazilian culture (while you help other people) is volunteering. Inquire us about the types of volunteering activities we have available.
Certificates and University Credit
Certificates are awarded to those students who have completed the requirements of our course. Our certificate will describe what you’ve accomplished in regard to the four skills: listening, writing, speaking and grammar comprehension.
We will also provide a letter grade which you will use to get university credit at your home country. This letter will contain detailed information about the course you have taken, total number of hours, curriculum, your final grade, level of proficiency, etc.
Additional services:
Our institute offers a variety of special services for you. In case you are interested in doing volunteer work, would like to learn about some social or streetwork project with children we will help you to get started.
Check out volunteer.
For students who will continue traveling after taking the course we provide additional travel arrangements.
"Excellent instruction which allowed me the flexibility to learn at my own rate. Superb teacher (Thais)"
Ronald Boivin,
学生フォーム カナダ
(Translated by Google Translate)
I registered for one-on-one instruction for two weeks. I was assigned to a well-trained respectful teacher ( Thais) who facilitated my learning by her flexibility and by addressing the specific needs I had. I arrived on day 1 only able to speak less than ten words in Brasilian Portuguese. After two weeks with Thais I was able to carry on a simple conversation, understand 50% of street Portuguese and 80% written Portuguese. Totally satisfied. The director Fran also provided me with the extra social support information I needed to fully benefit from my courses. I HIGHLY recommend Step 1 Idiomas. Location: I arrived to Brazil late on a Friday night and could not find the school because it’s in a shopping centre tower. The shopping Center is locked all weekend. On day 1, I did not know where to go in the Center to find the school. Took me about one hour to find it. Better I strictions need to be provided for foreigners. Facilitaties: the classroom and ambiance were conducive to learning but it was annoying entering the building and having to provide ID twice a day. I Students need to be aware that lunch is at their cost. I resented to have to pay Brazilian health insurance which was automatically added onto my fees. I felt rather ripped off because my Canadian private travel health insurance covers much more than the ones added on to my fees. What I loved was my teacher, her knowledge and professionalism.
"An incredible introduction to Brazilian culture and language."
Joshua Perez,
学生フォーム アメリカ
(Translated by Google Translate)
I had a wonderful time with Step 1 Idiomas. The teachers were funny, friendly, and professional. The classes were located in an easily accessible area with good access to food and transportation. The host family I stayed with was very friendly and helpful, and their place was incredible comfortable to stay at. Florianopolis is a great place to visit and vacation in Brazil and if my schedule permits I will definitely be back!
I had a great time with my teacher Kerolyn, in Florianopolis, Step 1 Idiomas. Fran, the host from the school was also very friendly and always with a smile.
The 1-1 intensive course was amazing because we could go at the speed I was advancing, which was much better than in group courses.
I really appreciated my experience at Step 1. It accelerated my understanding of Portuguese exponentially. I do wish there had been more interaction with other students and maybe even a study group to work on lessons outside of class but it was off season and i was doing a 1 on 1 course so maybe that's to be expected.
It is highly important to us that the students are satisfied in their accommodation, whether in host families or hotels.
The school has an accommodation coordinator that is here to ensure that students are happy at all times.
Host families and hotels are carefully selected by our staff. It is our aim that our students are placed only in families in which previous students have been happy.
Living with a host family is an unforgettable experience and of uttermost importance for you to improve your Portuguese quickly.
It will give you the unique chance to participate in the day-to-day life and activities of a Brazilian family, thus providing you plenty of opportunities to practice what you learn in your lessons.
At the same time, you’ll be experiencing a rich cultural environment, which will help you a great deal to understand what Brazilian people are about and to integrate yourself in this new, exciting country.
We strongly recommend that students consider living with a family, since it will greatly assist you in the learning of Brazilian Portuguese.
Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to フロリアノーポリス based on your budget, schedule and preferences.
