Learning from well-trained, experienced Brazilian Portuguese tutors has a positive impact on your learning and motivation to learn. Our tutors are experts in the Brazilian language, culture, and lifestyle.
The Street Smart Brazil Portuguese instructors are:
- Native speakers of Brazilian Portuguese
- Fluent in English
- College-educated
- Trained professionals with work experience in Brazil and abroad
Luciana Lage
Teaching Portuguese and sharing my culture is a magical process of falling in love again and again with everything Brazilian. – Luciana Lage
Drawing on her passion for Brazilian Portuguese language and culture, Luciana Lage applies her many years of experience teaching Portuguese to grow an organization and a community fully engaged in learning about Brazil and speaking the language. In addition, Luciana has taught Portuguese at University of California, Berkeley, and at the University of San Francisco.
You will often find Luciana talking with the Street Smart Brazil instructors about the importance of teaching the language and acting as ambassadors of the culture. She is positive that learning Portuguese will benefit clients far beyond simple everyday communication and will help them develop more meaningful relationships with the Brazilian people and culture, in both social and business settings.
Luciana’s clients come from all walks of life and different cultural backgrounds, including the U.S., Japan, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, and Vietnam. When teaching, she can identify — and overcome — the challenges faced by learners of varying nationalities.
Her passion for learning and sharing knowledge also led Luciana to teach business to undergraduate students in Brazil. Her business experience is perfectly integrated into Portuguese classes, as more and more clients decide to learn Portuguese motivated by professional goals.
When Luciana is not teaching or working on the business, she enjoys a variety of activities. She loves to learn and is passionate about online education. This means you can always hear Luciana talking about a webinar that she has just taken. Long walks in nature are one of her favorite things to do on a sunny weekend. She loves reading and is a big fan of movies. A glass of wine together with great conversations with loved ones always makes Luciana happy.
Education
- MBA, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
- Certificate, Life and Core Strengths Coaching, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
- BS, Business, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil
Memberships
- American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, ACTFL
- American Organization of Teachers of Portuguese, AOTP
- American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, AATSP
- Modern Language Association of America, MLA
- ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)
Recent Training and Certifications
- Virtual Teacher Specialization, University of California, Irvine, CA
- Translation and Localization, Monterey Institute of International Studies, CA
- E-learning and Digital Cultures, Coursera
- Abordagem Cultural: Produção de materiais em línguas estrangeiras, Vila Brasil
- Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects, UC San Diego/Coursera
- Mindshift: Break through obstacles to learning and discover your hidden potential, McMaster University/Coursera
Causes Luciana Supports
- Purebreds Plus cat rescue, regular donor
- South Paws pet rescue, regular donor
- Paws of War, regular donor
- Doctors without Borders, regular donor
- Children International, regular donor
- Maine Coon Adoptions cat rescue, recipient of Luciana’s Amazon Smile donations
- San Francisco SPCA, eventual donor
Daniela Ávila
My clients’ constant improvement in Portuguese is my greatest motivation to continue learning and innovating in my teaching.
– Professora Daniela Ávila
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Professora Daniela Ávila joins our team from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is originally from Rio Grande do Sul, the land of Brazilian barbecues.
Daniela brings a unique set of skills to Street Smart Brazil. She is experienced preparing speakers of Portuguese to take the Celpe-Bras certification exam. Additionally, her law degree allows her to give practical advice to her clients on the Brazilian judicial system.
Daniela went to law school and practiced environmental law for the Brazilian government in Rio de Janeiro for several years. She later moved to California, where she discovered her fondness of language teaching. Daniela then decided to take a course in teaching English as a Second Language at Monterey Peninsula College. Upon completing the program, her language skills were put to practice when she started to teach English and Portuguese with great success among her learners.
Daniela is a dedicated, knowledgeable, and passionate teacher. This passion is motivated by her clients’ improvement and achievements.
She believes that staying connected is key, and is committed to staying updated on current issues around the globe. She loves to learn and is committed to keeping her teaching sharp in order to offer her clients the best learning experience. Daniela consistently receives excellent feedback from learners, and most of them are now fluent in Portuguese.
Having lived in Brazil and in the USA, the American and Brazilian cultures are equally familiar to Daniela. She makes sure this experience translates as a benefit to her clients by sharing useful information about social and business culture, traditions, and customs.
In her free time, Daniela enjoys cycling around the island of Florianópolis, watching movies and participating in marathons. She has recently completed her first long bike ride: 200km (124 miles). Impressive, right?
Education
- Teaching English as a Second Language Certificate, Monterey Peninsula College, California, USA
- Law Degree, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Graduate Level degree in Civil Law, Escola Brasileira de Direito, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Environmental Law certificate, Brazilian Bar Association of Rio de Janeiro
Mariana Semerjion
Professora Mariana Semerjion is Brazilian, born and raised in São Paulo.
Her greatest passion is languages and culture. Mariana speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish, and French, and has a Master’s in Spanish Language Teaching.
In addition, Mariana is an enthusiastic practitioner of mindfulness meditation, has a course in Body Language with a Psychoanalytic Approach and Universal Laws, and is a certified yoga instructor.
She also has a degree in Social Communication and a postgraduate specialization in People Management . Mariana has experience in multinational companies from different segments, having worked as an executive assistant, in HR, and communications.
Teaching and learning are what Mariana most enjoys doing.
Education
- Masters in Spanish Language Teaching, Universidad Nebrija, Madrid, Spain
- Certificate in Body Language with a Psychoanalytic Approach and Universal Laws, Escola Brasileira de Linguagem do Corpo
- Post-graduate specialization in People Management, Uniderp, Campo Grande, Brazil
- BA, Social Communication, Universidade São Judas Tadeu, São Paulo, Brazil
