Reflections on Teacher Training in the Brazilian Private Sector: The Current Situation & The Challenges Posed My background For the last 6 years I’ve been working as a teacher market, assessment and observation of teaching often trainer out of Rio de Janeiro, involved both in formal, involves ‘keeping the students happy’. When this internationally-recognised training courses and more means providing real opportunities for learning, then informal, tailored workshops, observations, etc. Before it’s obviously a good thing. When it means, for that I was working as a teacher trainer in London, and example, playing a whole-class game instead of so this has given me an insight into the situation on making principled choices as to how to improve key both sides of the pond. Now would therefore be a good skills, however, it’s not. time to reflect on the current state of Damian Williams play and Brazil and the upcoming During my time in Brazil, I’ve had the challenges an ever-growing EFL sector pleasure of being able to work with here poses. some excellent teachers, however, and what has always taken me aback has The current situation in Brazil been the fact that every single teacher I’ve met here has been more than willing In recent years, and due to a combination to learn, explore and develop. Very often, of political, social and economic factors, however, the opportunities don’t always Brazil has seen unprecedented growth. In exist (or if they do they are prohibitively fact, it was recently reported by the BBC expensive). So what types of training are that Brazil has now overtaken the UK as currently available? the world’s sixth largest economy. This has meant the majority (especially here in Formal training routes the south of Brazil) have been able to make significant improvements in their The two courses which are most widely daily lives. This has brought new recognised and standardised globally are opportunities, coupled with a need to learn English in the Cambridge ESOL CELTA and DELTA. The former order to capitalize on those opportunities. Private is designed as an entry-level course for teachers with language schools are doing well, and this means more no experience, and the latter is for teachers with more demand for teachers. experience who wish to build on this and extend their knowledge of teaching practices. Most EFL teachers are non-native speakers, as is to be expected in a non-English speaking country, and as Both of these courses are currently available in Brazil, such bring with them expert knowledge of the unique to varying degrees, and interest in them is growing. challenges Brazilian Portuguese learners of English However, two current aspects at present limit their face, and how to best help them. In fact, the key availability; a lack of approved trainers, and very high requirement of most private language schools here prices. Another significant problem is that Cambridge when recruiting teachers tends to be knowledge of has very strict rules on the administration of these English, supported with an international certificate courses for centres, in order to provide fair assessment (Cambridge main-suite usually being the certificate of for all. These require careful study in order to know choice). exactly what’s involved. Due to the high demands placed on a lot of centre administrators in this busy However, this also means that there is a large bank of market, mistakes often occur which are detrimental to teachers who have had little (and sometimes no) the effective running of the course. This is something I formal training in teaching skills, despite expert have experienced both as a trainer and assessor for knowledge of the language. Combined with the these courses. However, to be fair, this is not true for commercial pressure of running a successful private all centres, and some cope extremely well with these language school in a very competitive and crowded administrative demands.
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