I have been studying Portuguese with Daniela consistently now for several years. I found Daniela when I was seeking to improve my Portuguese to prepare for an upcoming trip to Brazil. I had learned some Portuguese many years ago, but felt I was losing most of it with lack of exposure and practice. I wanted to improve it enough to not feel too shocked when I went back to visit Brazil.
I soon realized that my short-term goals with Portuguese could be enhanced with long-term ones, and for that reason I did not hesitate to continue to study Portuguese with Daniela even after my Brazil trip so that I could further deepen my fluency. Daniela is so easy to converse with and always has interesting subjects to offer for discussion.
She also is an excellent listener and doesn’t over-correct, so I never feel inhibited or afraid to speak. She also emphasizes formal grammar usage while introducing other conversational ways Portuguese can be heard. One of the best things about Daniela is her ability to understand who you are as a unique individual and what your interests are, so the classes are more engaging because the topics fit my personality and interests.
I think this was an easy decision to continue regular lessons with Daniela because she makes the learning so personalized that I can continue to read articles, study grammar, and converse, all without feeling like a “student” but as an adult that is learning something in a more natural way. With the time I’ve been studying Portuguese with Daniela, I’ve progressed from halted conversation to more fluency, which was an initial goal she helped me reach, and also developed a greater understanding of the complexities of Portuguese grammar.
I’ve developed a comfort in absorbing the various media in Portuguese, so now I can comfortably read articles in the Folha de São Paulo, series in Portuguese on Netflix, as well as subscribe to many Portuguese language influencers in social media that broaden my exposure.
Daniela has helped me feel comfortable delving into the world of the Portuguese language and with this, I can also expand my classes with her and we can continue to develop interesting topics of conversation and discuss expressions, grammar and vocabulary that come up in these new areas. I will say that I was a good student when I was young, but as an adult, I cannot learn in the same method as when I was younger and I think Daniela knows how to teach adults and get them motivated to study again.
She knows we need different tools to learn because we’re busier as adults, and she can take our interests and use them as learning tools in the Portuguese language. I feel so fortunate to have her as a teacher and I feel she can accompany me on my entire journey to deepen my knowledge of the Portuguese language and Brazilian culture
John F.