04.

201 7

newsletter

BRAZ-TESOL

Reflection Articles by
BT NEWS INTerviews
Questions Paulo Scheffer,
About Our Own Vinicius nobre, Luciana
Professional tassia trajano, Santos
Development and fernanda bem Pinheiro
BY Natália guerreiro
 Letter from the EDITOR
PAGE 4

ISSN 1516-182X

BRAZ-TESOL GENERAL COUNCIL

Executive Board
THE USE OF CONTENT-BASED INSTRUCTION AS A
PAGE 5 VIABLE SOLUTION TO EAL TEACHING IN RIO DE
JANEIRO STATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS | Lúcio Scheffer

Current challenge in managing teaching

PAGE 10 of young learners | Vinicius Nobre

Advisory council

Every class is multilevel | Tássia trajano

PAGE 14

Reflection Questions About

PAGE 18 Our Own Professional Proofreaders
Development | Natália Guerreiro Daphne Walder, Higor Cavalacante, Marcelo
Barros, Natália Guerreiro.

Graphic design

Advertising
Putting yourself out there – on the way to
PAGE 24 establishing credibility | Fernanda bem

braz-tesol Around the country

PAGE 28

BT News Interviews | Luciana Santos pinheiro

PAGE 30 by natália guerreiro

2|
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Dear BRAZ-TESOLers,
This is the last newsletter this year and
we have compiled texts from diverse areas and
contexts to broaden our reach and understanding
of the ELT world. We hope you all find the pieces
as interesting and enlightening as we did. I also
encourage you all to keep debating issues and
innovations to contribute to the growth and
improvement of English teaching and learning.
The first article in this issue is by Paulo
Scheffer, whose research on content-based
learning sheds light on possible paths to enrich
English language teaching in state public schools
in Rio de Janeiro. Paulo raises questions about
how teachers approach language acquisition and
learning and suggests different perspectives to
promote changes in the field.
In the second article, our past president
Vinicius Nobre addresses the complexity of
managing teachers of young learners. Vinnie
discusses teachers’ necessary knowledge basis on
language acquisition and learner profile, as well as
challenges in recruiting and offering development
opportunities in the field of YL teaching. It is
definitely a thought-provoking article for both
managers and teachers.
In the third text, Tassia Trajano contributes
with her experience on working with multilevel
groups and differentiation. She discusses materials,
lesson planning and delivering, and encourages
teachers to pay closer attention to the opportunities
groups of learners open up in class.
Natalia Guerreiro, in the fourth article,
discusses challenges in teachers’ professional
development, following her plenary session in the
SIG Symposium held in July. She poses readers four
meaningful questions aimed at catalysing action
and change in our attitude towards development
to seize opportunities in our daily routines.
inspire you all to choose a personal challenge that
may teach you new competencies and impact our
reflection about the way we build our professional
image.
After that, Chapters in Brasília, Goiânia,
Mato Grosso do Sul, Pernambuco, Rio de
Janeiro, and Rio Grande do Sul and the SIGs
Bilingualism and Bilingual Education, Mind, Brain
and Education, and Young Learners and Teens
shared their successful local events in the past few
months. Check out the contents and launches and
remember to contact local chapters and SIGs with
relevant ideas, inquities and suggestions.
Finally, Luciana Pinheiro answers questions
about the challenges and opportunities of materials
writing in English language teaching. She also gives
tips to those willing to get started in the area.
I hope you enjoy the texts in this issue
of the newsletter. Let me know what you think, I
look forward to reading your comments. Also, be
prepared for changes in the newsletter in 2018. All I
can say is that you will have even more opportunities
for development, discussion, sharing... We are
definitely very anxious to putting it all together!
See you next year!
Marcela Cintra | newsletter@braztesol.org.br
Scan the QR Code and
listen to our President’s
message.

Fernanda Bem’s account on creating a

YouTube channel to generate credibility may

4|
 Paulo Scheffer is the owner of Great English Conversation in Volta Redonda, RJ.
He also teaches English language at President Roosevelt High and UGB (Centro
Universitário Geraldo Di Biase), where he teaches Literature in English and coordinates
the “English and Translation” specialization program as well. Paulo has a Master’s
Degree in Literature in English from UERJ and does research on William Shakespeare.
You can contact him by writing to greatenglish@uol.com.br.

THE USE OF CONTENT-BASED

INSTRUCTION AS A VIABLE SOLUTION
TO EAL TEACHING IN RIO DE JANEIRO
STATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Four years ago I was granted a grammar or meaningless text translations, all
scholarship at the University of Kansas (KU) spoken in Portuguese.
along with other teachers from my state of Rio It is curious that the “Grammar-
de Janeiro, as well as Minas Gerais and Brasília. Translation Method” (GTM) was a popular
There I saw the idea of the Content-Based approach in the 19th century to teach Latin,
Instruction (CBI) for the first time. I initially an already dead language (Brown: 2007,
regarded it as just a new method, but I was p. 18). Many teachers seem unaware of
eventually convinced that such an instruction the fact that methods focused on grammar
was exactly what I was looking for my classes are over 2,500 years old (Rutherford apud
at a state public school, where teachers have Rajagopalan, 2013:47) and keep using them,
to follow a mandatory Minimum Curriculum for although the PCNs (Parâmetros Curriculares
English as an Additional Language (EAL) based Nacionais) prioritize communication as
on text genres, such as recipes, biographies the great goal of ELT (Brasil, 1999:11), the
and resumes. Rio de Janeiro State Minimum Curriculum
The goal of that six-week refresher course (CMERJ) indicates that the aim of state school
was to show Brazilian teachers that CBI can
help teachers and students work together on
more natural acquisition of English skills. I have
been doing further research since I came back
from Kansas, in order to apply this approach
to the state school where I work. I have also
spread the word among my undergraduate and
graduate students at UGB (Centro Universitário
Geraldo Di Biase), showing future teachers that
it is up to them to change the elementary and
high school scenario they insistently complain
about, of classes focusing on decontextualized
|5
foreign language classes should be oral and These new directions, however, make sense
written comprehension through the exploration when a teacher understands that the focus of
of different text forms (Governo, 2012:3) and, an English lesson must be the practice of the
on top of that, the recently-developed BNCC language that will build students’ confidence
(Base Nacional Comum Curricular) enforces when they are exposed to it in real life,
students’ right to acquire knowledge they can either in conversation or reading. The resilient
use, rather than be exposed to theoretical GTM, on the other hand, may not be so
concepts and linguistic categories for future helpful for, according to Oliveira, it offers few
reference. According to it, students must use opportunities for oral practice in the classroom,
the language and build a repertoire of linguistic once the teacher and the students use their
practices. BNCC also mentions the challenges shared native language to translate and to
ELT will have to face in Brazil, one of which is explain everything (2014: 77). In most Brazilian
the overcoming of a technical view of language regular schools, we may then conclude, there
that limits it to grammar explanations of is instruction about an additional language, not
decontextualized sentences, whereas the focus in it.
should be on a discursive viewpoint based on The notion of “learning about something
the construction of meaning (Brasil, 2015:201- rather than learning about language” is the
202). I heard numerous state teachers (this very core aspect CBI can offer us, according to
is how I will refer to “Rio de Janeiro State Davies (2003:1). This means that the content
public school English teachers” from now presented by the syllabus or curriculum must
on) complain a lot when we were required to be themes, topics or text types that will help
implement the CMERJ. The reason for those build learners’ knowledge in other areas.
complaints was the absolute change the new Brown points out that “language becomes
curriculum proposed, once they were used to the medium to convey informational content
root most of their teaching on grammar, which of interest and relevance to learners”, that is,
is not explicit in the program. it “takes on its appropriate role as vehicle for
accomplishing a set of content goals” (2007:49
“one of the challenges - my italics). In fact, if the language lesson
is an opportunity for students to rehearse
elt will have to face in
what they might face outside the classroom,
brazil is the overcoming state teachers – as well as any other teacher
of a technical view – should never use Portuguese as the main
of language that vehicle of communication with English as an
limits it to grammar Additional Language (EAL) students in Brazil.

explanations of Brown also highlights that the relevance

sentences.” of the content in CBI lessons promotes “intrinsic
motivation and empowerment” (49-50). The
6|
importance of using relevant material can be
seen in ESL contexts such as foreign students
going to an American university. Stoller and
Grabe state that CBI is used to teach them
the language skills they will need for their
studies using content that is related to their
fields (1997:1-2). Sometimes content classes
are taught by a language teacher aiding an
area specialist. The former may introduce
the linguistic elements the students will need
to understand when they are exposed to the
latter’s lecture and material. This is called the
“Sheltered Model”, according to Davies.
Other universities offer the “Adjunct Model”, elementary and high school pupils may not
in which separate language lessons prepare be using professional study material, we may
foreign students for the regular lectures they find another subject that may have things in
will attend in the second language (2003:1). common with the CMERJ quarterly content
In an EFL context such as ours, Davies and have interdisciplinary lessons. The English
suggests the use of CBI’s Theme-Based Model, teacher could, for example, join the discussion
in which teachers may choose content from of the sociology teacher in order to provide the
“an enormous number of diverse topics”. students with topics for an opinion article in the
Besides being team-taught like the Sheltered high school junior classes. This way students’
and Adjunct Models, Theme-Based CBI may knowledge would be reinforced. An exciting
also be delivered by a solo teacher, situation alternative would be to work on learner’s non-
which better corresponds to the Brazilian academic interests, bringing, for instance,
reality. Davies also mentions that “teacher(s) biographies of pop stars to senior classes. The
can create a course of study designed to unlock texts chosen must be authentic, even though
and build on their own students’ interests” (1- abridgements are possible.
2). In an attempt to adapt this model to the Teachers may take several different roles
Rio de Janeiro State public school reality, the and “become” specialists in the area discussed
themes selected can be directly connected to in the text, introducing themselves as pilots,
the text forms appointed the CMERJ. chefs, or even TV hosts. Communication
CBI is not called a method or approach with students must always be in the target
because it can be adapted to other methods language, however simplified in terms of
or approaches. Some aspects of a Content- grammar, explicit pronunciation, word order
Based Instruction lesson include, firstly, the and redundancy (Heo, 2006:26). Before each
desire to attract our students’ attention. As our text is approached, however, the teacher

|7

“Trying CBI may be the
chance to promote
effective language
acquisition, rather
than staying inside our
comfort zones”
must supply students with the linguistic tools
they will need to understand the text. This is
called scaffolding (Stoller and Grabe, 1997:3)
and may be performed, at a conceptual level,
by showing flashcards or realia before the
reading task. Alternatively, the teacher may
prepare a game using the main vocabulary or
grammar structure of the text. Notice that even
this preparation must be done in the target
language. Students must practice it from the
very first minute of the lesson.
In summary, trying CBI may be the
chance to use contents that students need
or like in order to promote a more effective
language acquisition, rather than staying inside
our comfort zones, teaching about English,
which may take students nowhere. After all, if
language is a means of communication, why
should we waste our time speaking Portuguese
in our English classes?
REFERENCES
BRASIL. Ministério da Educação. Base nacional
comum curricular.
BRASIL. Ministério da Educação. Secretaria de
8|
Educação Média e Tecnológica. Parâmetros
Curriculares Nacionais: Ensino Médio. Brasília:
MEC/SEF, 1999.
BROWN, H. Douglas. Teaching By Principles:
An Interactive Approach To Language
Pedagogy. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:
Prentice Hall, 2007.
DAVIES, Stephen. Content Based Instruction
in EFL Contexts. Miyazaki: 2003.
GOVERNO do Estado do Rio de Janeiro.
Currículo Mínimo 2012: Língua Estrangeira. Rio
de Janeiro, Secretaria de Estado de Educação:
2012.
HEO, Yoon. Content-based instruction. TESL
Working Paper Series. vol. 4, n. 2, p. 25-32,
2006.
OLIVEIRA, Luciano Amaral. Métodos de Ensino
de Inglês: teorias, práticas, ideologias. São
Paulo: Parábola, 2014.
RAJAGOPALAN, Kanavillil. O Ensino de Línguas
como Parte da Macro-Política Linguística. In:
GERHARDT, Ana Flávia L. M.; AMORIM, Marcel
A. & CARVALHO, Alvaro M. (orgs.). Linguística
Aplicada e Ensino: Língua e Literatura.
Campinas, SP: Pontes Editores, 2013.
STOLLER, F., & GRABE, W. A six-t’s approach
to content-based instruction. In M. Snow & D.
Brinton (Eds.), The content-based classroom:
Perspectives on integrating language and
content. White Plains, NY: Longman, 1997.
Its your turn to open your own
English School.

Learners as critical thinkers

Teachers as planners
Spontaneous interactions
Management solutions

Humanized methodology

Unlimited resources

IN ENGLISH
(62) 3093 1313 /(62) 3096 1214 MADE BY TEACHERS
http://chatinenglish.com.br/seja-um-franqueado FOR TEACHERS
 Vinicius Nobre is the Academic Manager at Cultura Inglesa São Paulo and is in charge of
Teacher Development, Course Design, Education Technology and International Exams.
He is a CELTA and ICELT tutor and assessor, a course book writer and a co-author of
Getting into Teacher Education: a Handbook. He is also a past president of BRAZ-
TESOL. Vinnie holds an MA in English Language Teaching (Chichester University) and a
specialization certificate in Business Management (Fundação Dom Cabral).

Current Challenges in
Managing Teachers of
Young Learners
English Language Teaching might still The YLs teacher also seems to need
be perceived as a fairly marginal professional a greater level of awareness of their role,
activity in many contexts, relying on teachers reflecting upon how their decisions can impact
with little or no formal education in the field. the motivation of their students. For example,
Finding committed language teachers who Cameron (2001) talks about the importance
display basic competences to perform their job of striking a balance between demands and
successfully is likely to be one of the biggest support and suggests teachers apply the
challenges managers face nowadays. When Goldilocks principle: tasks that are demanding
it comes to identifying teachers for young but not too demanding and in which the teacher
learners, the challenge is even bigger for a provides support but not too much support.
number of reasons.
One of the reasons why teaching young
learners might be particularly challenging
relates to the fact that a more comprehensive
approach needs to be available to teaching
this age group. The learning process should go
beyond the language itself or the ability to help
learners establish intelligible communication.
Working with young learners means helping
them develop in a more holistic way. Read
(1998), for example, explores the idea that
language learning is part of whole learning
and that it is our role, as educators, “to help Being sensitive to the appropriate balance
lay secure foundations for all those years in the between challenge and support demands
future when they will continue to study.” Not experience, knowledge and a willingness to
something that one can easily learn how to do truly connect with learners. It is not easy for
in formal teacher development initiatives. organizations to find professionals with this

10 |
background and drive. Neither is it easy to the specificities of how children think and
implement an environment of reflection that behave and what they need. Students in this
will allow for further investigation of how their age group can, for example, be negatively
practice might be improved. Oftentimes the affected by assessment techniques used for
teaching of young learners is considered to be older learners (Ionnaou-Georgiou & Pavlou,
a ‘simpler task’ directed to the novice teacher, 2003) - hence the importance of devising
who is still getting their bearings. tools that account for the children’s motor,
Adding to the (often neglected) affective, linguistic, social and conceptual
complexity of teaching English to young stage of development. I have encountered,
learners, Brewster, Ellis and Girard (2002, p. nevertheless, several assessment tools that
53) raise the importance of ‘learner training’ fail to recognize that children are different
and how activities can gradually lead pupils from adults. Raising this awareness in all
to a conscious development of their own teachers who work with young learners
learning strategies so they can become more is a challenge managers seem to face
independent learners. Pinter (2006, p.99)
reinforces this belief and suggests incorporating “allocating more senior
some kind of ‘learning to learn’ in our language teachers to deal with
classroom in order to raise children’s awareness
this age group would
of the various factors that influence their
learning and their thinking. Nonetheless, in my
be the ideal course of
experience as a manager, only teachers who action to a manager of
are aware of the strategies they themselves YLs. However, it does not
resort to and who are conscious of their own seem to be very feasible
development as professionals can move on
in practical terms.”
to implement effective learner training in
their lessons. Given that it is considered to today. Managers need to help teachers
be an important feature in the YLs classroom, develop an understanding that, in spite of
as suggested by Pinter and Brewster et al, the potential threat that children may see
allocating more senior teachers to deal with in any kind of assessment, it can still be a
this age group would be the ideal course of relevant component of their learning process.
action to a manager of YLs. However, it does Ionnaou-Georgiou and Pavlou (2003), for
not seem to be very feasible in practical terms. instance, defend its importance and list
There are other features in the teaching some purposes that assessment can serve:
and learning process that can be specific to (1) to monitor and aid children’s progress,
the context of dealing with YLs. Testing and (2) to provide children with evidence of their
assessment, for instance, also need to be progress and enhance motivation, (3) to
carried out by professionals who understand monitor performance and plan for future work,

| 11
 In summary, I believe that more attention
needs to be paid to the importance that the
YLs teacher has and the complexity that their
work presents. Being a manager in this context
can be particularly challenging when it comes
to recruiting and investing in the right human
resources that also understand their role and
the specific demands that working with YLs
raise. From my experience, these are some of
the most common obstacles to the recruiting
and development of an effective teaching staff
of YLs:
1. Language Proficiency is often
underestimated: many organizations
believe that one doesn’t need to have
a very high level of proficiency in the
English language if they are ‘only’ going
to teach children. This belief prevents
a lot of professionals who work with
young learners from investing in their
own language awareness, creating a
paradigm based on poor command of
the target language that can be extremely
detrimental to children’s development.
when working with young learners, end
up transferring the skills they use when
teaching adults without delving into the
features that might be specific to a very
different profile of learners.
3. There aren’t many development
opportunities that cater for teachers of
this age group: many teaching awards
and international courses focus on a range
of techniques, methods, approaches and
practice that do not necessarily prepare
teachers for the reality of a young learners’
context. Many professionals I have worked
with mentioned that they felt unprepared
and expressed a desire for further training
that aimed specifically at this age group.
Managing teachers of young learners
today means finding professionals who
are not just experimenting with the career
and who display a good level of language

2. Few professionals are interested in

this age group: there are several career
paths for the English Language teacher
(ranging from the university context to
Business English) that might seem more
profitable and easier. Dealing with young
learners demands specific knowledge of
language acquisition and pedagogy that
might discourage professionals who are
not particularly interested in this area of
expertise. Some teachers, who feel they
have a better chance of securing a job

12 |
 proficiency and solid knowledge of
the age group. It also means creating
opportunities for them to develop
continuously and acknowledging the
importance of the work they do. These
are tasks that grow more and more
challenging as we learn more about the
complexity that lies within effectively
educating children in a second or foreign
language so that they become whole
learners and, hopefully, more fulfilled
human beings.
REFERENCES
Brewster, J., Ellis, G., & Girard, D. The primary
English teacher’s guide. New Edition. Essex,
CALL FOR PAPERS
Are you willing to share your practical ideas and research in the
BRAZ-TESOL Newsletter? Send your text to Marcela Cintra
at newsletter@braztesol.org.br
Deadline: January 31, 2017
Words for Ar ticles: 1000 - 1500
Words for Accounts: 800 - 1200
England: Penguin English Studies, 2012.
Cameron, L. Teaching languages to young
learners. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2001.
Ionnaou-Georgiou, S., & Pavlou, P. Assessing
young learners. Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2003.
Pinter, A. Teaching young language learners.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Read, C. Towards whole learning. In A-S. Gika.
& W. Superfine (Eds.), Young learners: Creating
a positive and practical learning. London:
IATEFL, 1998.
Do not forget to send a headshot
and short biodata attatched to your
writing.
| 13
 Tássia Trajano studied Languages at UERJ (Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro)
and she has been working in the EFL field as an educator for more than thirteen years.
Nowadays, she works as a writer and coordinator at the Research and Development
Department of Wise Up. She has given support in writing books for adults and
teenagers. Tássia is also CELTA and TEYL certified.

Every class is multilevel

Every class is multilevel. This is a fact of
which most teachers might not be aware, and
the ones who are aware tend to disregard. The will have (or lack) abilities that help them
aim of this article is not to blame teachers for
possibly having ignored the multilevel nature
of classes, but to open teachers’ eyes to this
reality.
Both in English language schools and in
private classes we usually administer placement
tests to get to know the levels of our students.
We place students in a group (or at a level) and
plan our classes according to that level. We
expect all students at a given level to make
mistakes accordingly, to produce samples of
language accordingly, to react according to
their own mistakes, and to interact according to
characteristics that we consider to be inherent
to that level. But this is not what frequently
happens.
Rod Ellis, in the book Second Language
Acquisition, explains that, although students
may follow similar patterns while acquiring
L2, there are internal and external factors that
influence the way learning happens. Some of
the factors that influence student learning are
their ages, backgrounds, abilities, expectations,
competencies, strategies, goals,
knowledge. What we consider to be a beginner
level will certainly not fit every student in
a class. Some of the beginner students
learn faster than others, or they can have
certain characteristics that will lead them to
develop language and social skills that other
students at the same level may not develop.
The multilevel nature of a class is present
not only in the knowledge of the language,
but also in other characteristics. Jill Sinclair
Bell, in Teaching Multilevel Classes in ESL,
describes a class with students from different
levels that are learning English. She highlights
that, besides the level, the teacher of that
class needs to consider other factors such as
“those pertaining to the student’s previous
experience with education, those relating to
the culture and those relating to the individual
and

14 |
student’s personality.” The factors mentioned
by Bell are related to how students deal with
the language. The strategies they use, the
problems they overcome, and their reaction to
mistakes are some of these differentials.
The first paradigm that we teachers need
to break is the fact that levels are determined
only by the amount (and by the type) of
vocabulary, the knowledge of grammatical
structures, or the language skills students have.
A student may lack vocabulary but may use a
series of strategies to cope with this lack of
vocabulary and, therefore, use the language
well. The concept of leveling should embrace
the fact that students’ level is determined
by what they can do with the language they
know. In this concept, the capacity of using the
language and of communicating is as important
as knowing specific details of the language
itself.
Most schools usually ignore this
heterogeneity that classes present, and the
responsibility of taking this feature into account
is transferred to the teacher. Bell emphasizes work in groups, the 4Cs (Communication,
that for a multilevel class to work properly
we need to consider plurality when thinking
of classroom management, when assessing,
and when planning classroom activities. Some
teachers end up not doing that because of lack
of time, of complex syllabuses, and of several however, in
other reasons. This can generate problems
with time management (for example, when we
take a lot of time trying to explain a topic to
students when we could save a lot of time if
we knew a better way for them to learn), with
lack of interest from students (when we explain
topics students already know), and so on.
“The first paradigm that
we teachers need to
break is the fact that
levels are determined
only by the language
skills student have.”
After reading the items mentioned in this
article, you may think these are the problems
all teachers face. And you are right: they
frequently occur in classes not only because
of the material used but also because most
methodologies were not designed to serve
multilevel environments.
Natalie Hess, in her book Teaching Large
Multilevel Classes, carefully lays down some
principles to teach multilevel classes. From these
principles, it is important to highlight three:
variety, collaboration, and individualization.
In a world that defends equality and in a job
market that seeks people who are able to
Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity)
are intimately connected with the principles of
a multilevel environment.
When it comes to variety, we tend
to use different types of activities;
multilevel classes, we need to
know our students’ areas of interest, their
backgrounds, and their beliefs to identify the
different attention spans we will have to deal
with. Once we know our students better,
planning classes that acknowledge these
differences may be more straightforward.
On the other hand, there is an important
| 15
point in the concept of variety: sometimes we
plan a class with activities that cover all four
skills and we believe we have achieved variety,
but that is not always true. Variety involves not
only understanding the needs of students and
covering topics they are interested in but also and become better risk-takers. Although
providing students with choice. We may have
few students in a class who are ready to do an
activity while most students in that class are not
ready to do that specific task. Instead of simply
skipping that task, or of having all students
do it, why not prepare two different tasks for
students to choose the one they feel more
comfortable doing? Providing students with
choice is an effective way not only to promote
variety but also to teach students what variety
and critical thinking are all about.
“Variety involves not
only understanding the
needs of students and
covering topics they
are interested in but
also providing students
with choice.”
Hess highlights that collaboration is
another principle that may be misleading.
Most of the times we tell students that they
need to help each other. The author explains
that collaboration does not have much to do
with helping, though. The word “help” implies
that someone lacks the ability and that the
other needs to supply that. In other words,
“helping” implies a unilateral view. Once we
16 |
understand the variety of abilities our students
have, this collaboration will mean to exchange
knowledge and to cooperate in order to
reach the same goal. Through collaboration,
students negotiate meaning, participate more,
collaboration is one of the most important
principles of multilevel classes, it is one of
the most difficult principles to be fostered.
Students tend to be shy or even annoyed at
the prospect of collaboration, but it is our duty
as educators to show students (through real-
life examples) how essential collaborating is.
Monitoring the work of groups or of pairs and
checking whether students are really sharing
ideas – instead of merely doing an activity
individually and putting the individual parts
together – will certainly make the difference in
the way students understand collaboration in
the classroom.
Individualization is the principle that
summarizes the soul of multilevel classes. We,
teachers, are usually concerned about losing
track of students’ performance and that is
exactly what is most likely to happen if we do
not understand the multilevel nature of classes
and try to fit every student in the same box -
the level. All classes should have time and
adequate opportunities for each student to
show his or her personality and styles and to
put into practice his or her abilities, strategies,
and all other aspects that make that specific
student different from all the others. Again,
it is hard to foster individualization having to
respect a rigid schedule and a strict syllabus;
however, it is not impossible at all. Saving time
at the end of each class to know students better
(for instance, assigning homework that leads
students to talk about their strengths and
weaknesses), applying diagnosis tests, and
even talking to students and keeping a record
of all that information may help you plan classes
that will respect each student as an individual.
Being multilevel is not new. It means
understanding diversity and it is a reality we
REFERENCES
Bell, J.S. (2004). Teaching Multilevel Classes in
ESL. Toronto: Pippin Publishing Corporation,
2004.
face since the beginning of time. Opening our
eyes to this reality may cost us, teachers, more
time, attention, work, and sensitivity; however,
it is part of our job as educators to look for and
to find the best paths for our students to take.
At the end, the results are, for sure, a more
democratic teaching and learning environment
that is closer to the world we idealize.
Ellis, R. Second Language Acquisition. Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 1997.
Hess, N. Teaching Large Multilevel Classes.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
| 17
 A teacher since 2000, Natália Guerreiro learned a lot about professional development
through BrELT, the Facebook community she helped moderate for three years. She
is currently an advisory council member for BRAZ-TESOL and an English language
license specialist for the Brazilian Air Force. She holds a B.A. in English (UFRJ), an
M.A. in Applied Linguistics (University of Melbourne), the CELTA, and the CPE.

Reflection Questions About Our

Own Professional Development
If all professionals need to keep
developing after their initial training, that is
perhaps all the more true of teachers. We are,
after all, in the business of helping other people
learn. Hattie (2013) points out the paradox of
teaching for a living and acting as though our
own learning will just take care of itself. Freire
(2002) is even more vehement, asserting that
we do not have the moral standing to go into a
classroom if we are not learning ourselves.
Even if calling it a moral imperative
may sound like a bit much, there is little
argument that initial and continuing
professional development are part and parcel
of being a professional. In fact, as Ur (2002),
Richards (2015), and Richardson (2016) argue,
professional development (PD) is an element
of the very definition of “profession”, a status
deeply sought by the field of English Language
Teaching. We teachers are well aware of that
fact, so much so that 97% of the respondents
of a recent Cambridge University Press survey
stated that PD is important to them.
In marked contrast with that realization
lies reality: teachers do not always engage in of Finardi and Dalvi’s (2013) study in Espírito
PD activities or do not engage as much as they Santo. As they were public school teachers,
would like to (CUP, 2017). The reasons for that
vary, but time and money constraints are often
cited (CUP, 2017; Caltabiano, 2016). Although
anyone can see how busy and underpaid
teachers can be, CPD can also be done for
free (e.g. webinars and free magazines) and
as part of one’s routine as a teacher (e.g. peer
observation and peer teaching). Therefore,
although lack of money and time are very real
constraints, they cannot be the whole story.
That is why, when asked about the
challenges of PD in the BrELT/TD-SIG panel
at the BRAZ-TESOL 15th International
Conference, Caltabiano went beyond those
well-known deterrents and pointed inwards
as well: ‘fear’. Fear of exposure, fear of failure,
fear of feeling inadequate. As a Turkish teacher
said in the Cambridge survey, “I shy away from
it [professional development] as it involves
investigation and possibly exposure of my level
of abilities. It is my personality which prevents.”
1. What’s in it for me?
One reason for investing in PD is a salary
increase, at least according to the participants

18 |
they would get promoted after concluding
postgraduate degrees. Unfortunately, other
types of PD, such as studying for a language
proficiency certificate, remain largely
unrecognized by the state. Meanwhile, in the
private sector, the relationship between PD
“To fight the inertia
of not seeking
enough professional
development, we may
need to question our
own beliefs about it and
about who we are as
professionals.”
and income is not so clear-cut; however, PD still potential. “What a person can be, they must
may, one hopes, open up better opportunities. be”1, he summed up. PD can indeed be the
Finardi and Dalvi’s participants also reported the
effect of PD on their confidence as professionals,
both because they could learn more about the
field and because they could confirm intuitions
they had derived from their practice. Such need
to feel more confident was also conveyed by
Colombian teachers, especially regarding their
language proficiency (González, Montoya, &
Sierra, 2002). In addition, the participants of
the Colombian study expressed the wish to
belong to a community of teachers, so they and obviously, the benefits for our students
could share experiences and learn from one
another.
In a way, those reasons echo what
became known as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,
which is often represented in a pyramid (see
Figure 1). PD can help us feel we belong to
the ELT community (rung #3), increase our self-
esteem as teachers or improve how we are
perceived by others (#4), and perhaps even
affect how safe we feel in our jobs (#2).
Figure 1 - Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
If PD can relate to nearly every level of
needs, it is without a doubt very connected to the
top tier (#5): self-actualization. Maslow (1943)
defined self-actualization as fulfilling one’s own
key to taking on new roles and responsibilities
in the ELT profession (Richards, 2015) – such as
management, mentoring, and materials design
–, but that is not all. As a teacher who did the
DELTA in her 50s put it, “It’s easy to get in a rut
and stick to the tried and tested, but it’s also
tremendously rewarding to experiment and
try out new things and try to become the best
teacher I possibly can – not ‘the best teacher
in the world’, but try to fulfill my potential. (…)
will be evident.” (Diana Croucher in Richards,
2015, p. 701).
Not only did Croucher resonate with
Maslow, but she also emphasized how PD can
feed back into a teacher’s own motivation and
1 Updated from the original “What a man can be, he must
be.”
into her students’ learning. Hattie (2013), too,
reminds us that teacher development should
be about the effect it can have on students’
learning first and foremost. And isn’t the Eureka
“Even if our initial
training has no gaps,
which is unfortunately
not true of most cases,
language learning
and education are such
complex and evolving
phenomena that we
cannot master
them at once.”
moment students have – or watching them
develop communication skills in English – what
makes teaching worthwhile?
2. What areas do I need to improve on?
Even if our initial training has no gaps,
which is unfortunately not true of most cases
(Richardson, 2016; Finardi & Dalvi, 2013;
Rodrigues, 2017), language learning and
education are such complex and evolving
phenomena that we cannot master them at
once.
To help us reflect on what knowledge,
skills, and attitudes we need to work on,
Cambridge English Language Assessment, the
British Council, and EAQUALS have developed
frameworks for language teachers (see Figure
2). They much resemble language proficiency
20 |
frameworks, such as the CEFR, in that they have
a limited number of levels and categories across
levels. Richardson (2016) points out that, while
the teacher development frameworks may label
concepts slightly differently, all three contain
the following areas: lesson and course planning;
language learning management; assessment
and evaluation; language proficiency (knowing
the language); language awareness (knowing
about the language); and professional conduct
and values, including management of one’s
own CPD. The frameworks also highlight,
although not unanimously at the headline
level, the importance of knowing methodology,
understanding learners, and being able to use
digital media.
Scan the QR Code to read
the Cambridge English
Teaching Framework.
By reading each descriptor and
comparing it to what we notice about our
teaching, we can map out our current stage of
professional development, which will probably
present a jagged profile: we may be very
advanced in our teaching skills, for instance,
but still at a more basic level when it comes to
assessment; we are perhaps proficient in the
language, but have yet a lot to learn in terms
of language description, etc. With that profile
in mind, we can both play to our strengths and
decide what areas we need to work on so we
can be the best teacher we can for our students.
Alternatively, if we would like to move on to
teacher education, materials development,
management, or research, we can check
the framework that the British Council has
developed for those roles.
3. What is it that I don’t believe I can do or
learn and how can I change that?
When we start looking at our own
developmental stage, it is not uncommon
for anxiety and insecurity to rear their ugly
heads. For instance, the teachers interviewed mindset, the understanding that whatever our
by Gonzalez et al (2002) spoke of the need to
improve their language skills and, at the same
time, the fear of facing their “low language
proficiency”.
Studying – be it language or long enough and if we employ strategies to
methodology – can indeed remind us of how
much we don’t know yet. Even practicing can
be intimidating at times. Brazilian teachers
reported to Rajagopalan (2005) that they often feeling smart when we are flawless to feeling
felt anxious when talking to native speakers of
English. Research shows that teachers’ lack of
confidence on their own language proficiency
often spills over to their teaching skills (Lee,
Schutz & van Vlack, 2017). Interestingly enough,
non-native teachers’ insecurity correlates to
how proficient we perceive ourselves to be in
the language, not necessarily how proficient
we are (Rajagopalan, 2005).
In a way, it is like many NNEST (Non-
native English-speaking Teachers), despite
being the majority in the world, feel like frauds,
not the real deal, second-class professionals
(Bernat, 2008). Of course, teachers who
perceive themselves to be native speakers
of English also face insecurities, with Lowe
(Lowe & Kiczkowiak, 2016) mentioning the
psychological effects of not being regarded as
a “real teacher”.
In either case, the solution seems to be more
and not less professional development, as
that can help teachers feel validated by the
teaching community and more confident about
their abilities. That requires, however, a growth
current state of knowledge and skills is, it is
but a temporary portrait. Much like we tell our
students, we need to be aware that we can
too improve if we apply ourselves hard and
overcome initial obstacles, managing our own
learning (Claxton, 2005). It is a matter of, as
Dweck (2006) brilliantly puts it, going from only
smart when we are learning.
4. Who can help me and whom can I help?
Even school teachers, who work in a
team, have that moment of closing the door of
the classroom and being on their own. If on one
hand that provides us with some independence,
it can also make us feel isolated and fragile
(Rodrigues, 2017). As an experienced teacher
from a public school in Colombia said, “We
are all islands; we are fragments, and from
fragmentation there cannot be progress in
knowledge.” (Gonzalez et al, 2002)
Fortunately, it does not have to be like
that. In fact, as Ur (2002) reminds us, to be
professionals we need to be a professional
community. For that, we need to learn how to
talk to one another, “learning to share ideas and
to listen without judgement” (Burns & Richards,
2009), so in dialogue we can examine our
own beliefs and practices and solve problems
collaboratively.
| 21
 Teacher associations, such as BRAZ-
TESOL, and online communities, such as
BrELT, are two major ways teachers can free
themselves from this isolation and engage with
other teachers. After all, what teachers do best
is teach, which is why if you tell me how many
teachers you know, I will tell you how many
learning opportunities you may be letting pass
you by.
“if you tell me how
many teachers you
know, I will tell you
how many learning
opportunities you may
be letting pass you by.”
Cambridge English Language Assessment.
Cambridge English Teaching Framework.
Retrieved from http://www.cambridgeenglish.
org/teaching-english/cambridge-english-
teaching-framework/, 2014.
Cambridge University Press (CUP). The state of
teacher development: Full report. Retrieved
from http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/wp-
content/uploads/2017/05/State-of-Teacher-
Development-2017-full-report-Cambridge-
University-Press-ELT.pdf, 2017
Claxton, G. O desafio de aprender ao longo da
vida (Trad. Magda França Lopes). São Paulo:
ArtMed, 2005.
Dweck, C. Mindset: The new psychology of
success. New York: Ballantine, 2006.

REFERENCES EAQUALS. The Eaquals framework for

Bernat, E. Towards a pedagogy of teacher training and development. Retrieved
empowerment: The case of ‘impostor from https://www.eaquals.org/our-expertise/
syndrome’ among pre-service non-native teacher-development/the-eaquals-framework-
speaker teachers in TESOL. English language for-teacher-training-and-development/, 2014.
teacher education and development, 11, 1-8,
Finardi, K., & Dalvi, M.A. Crenças de
2008.
professores de línguas sobre a formação inicial
British Council. Continuing professional e continuada. Gláuks Online, 13 (1), 113-134,
development framework for teachers. 2013
Retrieved from https://www.teachingenglish.
o r g . u k / s i t e s / t e a c h e n g / f i l e s / C P D % 2 0 Freire, P. Pedagogia da autonomia: Saberes
framework%20for%20teachers_WEB.PDF, necessários à prática educativa (25th ed.). São
2015. Paulo: Paz & Terra, 2002.

Caltabiano, B. CPD challenges and González, A, Montoya, C., & Sierra, N. (2002).
achievements in a language institute [Talk]. What do EFL teachers seek in professional
Brasilia, 15th BRAZ-TESOL International development programs? Voices from teachers.
Conference, 2016. Íkala, 7 (13), 29-50.

22 |
Hattie, J. Maximising the dividend of teachers of English and their anxieties
professional learning [Recorded lecture]. (pp. 283-303). E. LLurda (Ed.) Non-native
Retrieved from https://visible-learning. language teachers: Perceptions, challenges
o rg / 2 0 1 3 / 0 2 / j o h n - h a t t i e - p re s e n t a t i o n - and contributions to the profession. New York:
maximising-the-impact-video-transcript/, Springer, 2005.
2013.
Richards, J. Key issues in language teaching.
Lee, M., Schutz, P., & van Vlack, S. Non- Cambridge: CUP, 105.
native English-speaking teachers’ anxieties
and insecurities: Self-perceptions of their Richardson, S. Professionalism in English
communicative limitations (pp.119-136). In J. language teaching [Recorded lecture].
Martínez Agudo (Ed.). Native and non-native Retrieved from https://youtu.be/p3JN_
teachers in English language classrooms: ghpQfY, 2016.
Professional challenges and teacher education.
Rodrigues, L. Formação continuada em língua
Boston: De Gruyter, 2017.
inglesa. In A. M. de Carvalho (Ed.), Formação
Lowe, R., & Kiczkowiak, M. Native-speakerism continuada de professores: Uma releitura das
and the complexity of personal experience: A áreas de conteúdo (2nd ed.) (pp. 147-160). São
duoethnographic study. Cogent Education, 3 Paulo: Cengage, 2017.
(1), 1-16, 2016.
Ur, P. The English teacher as a professional.
Maslow, A.H. A theory of human motivation. In J.C. Richards & W.A. Renandya (Eds.).
Psychological Review, 50, 370-396, 1943. Methodology in language teaching.
Cambridge: CUP, 388-392, 2002.
Rajagopalan, K. Non-native speaker teachers

| 23
 Fernanda Bem is a teacher and teacher trainer. She has worked with developing
materials and pedagogical structure for several courses and today manages her own
school in São Paulo. She is interested in methodology, marketing strategies in EFL
and teacher development. She holds the Cambridge Certificates TKT, CPE and CELTA
and is a Cambridge Speaking Examiner. She has a growing YouTube channel called
Teacher Fernanda - www.youtube.com/TeacherFernandaB

Putting yourself out there

– on the way to establishing
credibility
I have been teaching for 17 years. It still expensive. Quick lessons to learn, really.
feels strange to add this number up. That is Because of those lessons, I constantly think
longer than most of my current students have about how much we have to work in order to
been alive for. I fell in love with teaching from establish ourselves as strong, qualified and
day one and I strongly believe I am at my best prepared professionals, how much time (and
when I close the door, pick up my marker and money) we invest to become better teachers.
start my lesson with that nice warmer. During But, once we get ‘all that’, are we really ready to
these years, different kinds of professional show it to the world? Can we promote ourselves
development opportunities came my way: and put ourselves in the big ‘out there’ in order
Cambridge exams, courses on teaching to get back what we deserve? Tough question.
techniques, entrepreneurship and the market Teachers are funny, myself included. We get so
of EFL; and every day I learn more about how involved in the lesson plan, the thorough delivery
much I do not know. of that specific grammar or vocabulary topic, and

I have worked for different schools, our students’ progress that we may forget we

franchise chains or otherwise, and also for are just like every other professional searching

myself, as a private teacher, and today I have for recognition, better working conditions

my own school, with my own group of teachers and motivating challenges. It is common to

and all the problems and joys of being “my

own boss”. These 17 years taught me different
aspects of our profession and the market of EFL
and I have come to the conclusion that there is
much more for us to know besides what goes on
between the teacher and the student(s) within
the four walls of the classroom. Lukewarm
coffee scares clients away as well as a cold,
uninterested greeting at the reception of the
school and getting new clients is hard. And

24 |
see EFL teachers on Facebook groups and
forums opening their hearts, saying how sad
it is to be compared to native-speakers who to establish credibility and get what they are
are teachers simply because they were born
here or there; how underappreciated they feel The way I see it, we, teachers, should
when students haggle about how much to pay
and how abusive schools can be, offering (or
usually not offering) this or that. In a 24-hour
cycle of news and fake news, how can students
and employers know whether you provide
good service, different from and better than
other kinds of professionals?
What we tend to forget, though, is that
every single professional goes through the
same thing, day in and day out. People who
work in the commercial area have to meet
their sales targets, which grow exponentially
every time they are met; newbies have to
claw their way to grow in their companies and willing to exchange thoughts with my
while senior staff worry about being replaced
by the hot millennials; doctors and dentists
cannot advertise their service because of strict
regulations in their field, hence they can only
count on word of mouth. This is certainly not
a competition to point out who has it worse.
However, maybe this is the moment for us to
stop, take a breath, look at professionals from
other fields and ask: what do they do in order
worth?
express and expose ourselves and all that
we have acquired, just as an eager manager
seeking for a promotion or an advertising
executive pitching a new client: like we mean it.
We are great, experienced and accomplished
professionals, who can indeed bring a lot to
that specific student or company’s table. We
have to get out there and talk about what we
know, humbly but surely, attributing credentials
and experience to everything we can offer.
We know what we are talking about; we have
studied all about it, after all. There is no shame
in saying you know stuff. We ask that from our
students, we value their progress, why not see
that in ourselves?
Last year, I started my very own YouTube
channel about English tips for students from all
levels and ages. It has been a growth experience
and a definite paradigm shift. At first, I was
incredibly afraid of rejection. Will people enjoy
what I have to say? Will they believe I know
what I am talking about? Can I share what I
know without sounding pompous? And what I
discovered is that being there, open-heartedly
viewers automatically establishes credibility to
myself as a teacher. People will stop and hear
what I have to say. It is amazing and the power
comes with great responsibility. It is difficult to
find good, trained YouTubers who do not offer
miracle solutions for students and quick fixes
for whoever is on the other side of the screen.
| 25
 Here are other things I have learned and may segregate your audience rather than
would like to share with you: bring them together. Be online the kind of
- Fight fears that come from general teacher you are face-to-face.
concepts: “I’m not prepared yet.” / “I don’t - Word of mouth is vital for you to establish
want to sound arrogant.”/ “I don’t have to yourself. Use it. Promote and share good
show what I know in order to fight for what feedback with ‘the world’ and show people
I deserve.” These are too vague ideas and how great you are. Again, no shame in that,
important, recognized CEOs, for example, as long as you are honest.
would never question these things before - It may sound redundant, but in order to
going for that promotion. establish your credibility, you must remain
- YouTube is not the only tool to use to put credible. Always keep your professional
yourself out there. Try Instagram or Twitter, development as a top priority. Your
or even blogging, in order to expose your audience will give you trustworthiness as
thoughts and background experiences to quickly as they will realize you are not ‘all
your target audience. that’.
- The virtual world is an amazing window What I am saying is: once you know it, show
for this kind of exposure, but mind your it. And you will always reap more rewards than
‘virtual persona’, or who you are in your you can sow.
virtual life. Avoid displays and opinions that

26 |
 Inscrições abertas para o maior evento
de professores de inglês da America Latina
Acesse www.braztesol.org.br/internationalconference

| 27
 The Teacher Development SIG organized
their traditional event in São Paulo on September
29th. “Synergy in ELT” brought together talks
related not only to teacher development, but also to
phonology. Isabela Villas Boas and Catarina Pontes
were the opening and closing plenary speakers
respectively.

The Goiânia Chapter held its already traditional

one-day seminar on October 7, 2017. According to
attendees to Teaching Changes, this was one of the
chapter’s ‘most successful seminars, which provided
participants with a lot of practical ideas and food for
thought’. The full-house event had Natália Guerreiro
and Paul Seligson as plenary speakers, as well as
workshops and talks on a variety of topics such as
gender, teaching young learners, CLIL, and the use of
authentic materials, to name a few.

On September 1, the Mind, Brain, and Education

SIG gathered at the BRAZ-TESOL headquarters in
Sao Paulo to host the SIG launch, which had around
70 participants. It was the official beginning of a
group whose sole purpose is to debunk neuromyths
and promote facts about how the human brain
actually works. Follow theBRAZ-TESOL MBE SIG page
on Facebook and join it against the perils of
educational misconceptions.

On October 21, the Rio Chapter gave voice to its

teachers with different presentation formats (talks,
workshops and an interactive fair) and topics ranging
from gender in ELT to improvisational theater. Teachers
started the day by taking a look at the history of
BRAZ-TESOL and the benefits of becoming a member.
After that, there was a heated discussion on the future of
the ELT professional and how we can deal with the
changes that are already here.

28 |
A new BRAZ-TESOL Chapter was launched on
September 30, in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do
Sul, in the presence of over 220 teachers. President
Yvelize Wielewicki, along with the board and
minders, worked really hard to make it a success,
with so many top-notch speakers, publishers and
sponsors. BRAZ-TESOL President Henrick Oprea,
First Vice President Higor Cavalcante, and Secretary
Fernando Guarany, who is also the BTMS Chapter
Mentor, delivered the plenaries and welcomed the
state to our association. May Mato Grosso do Sul
Chaptergrow steadily in the years to come and
become a majestic Ipê - such as the one in its logo -
and fill the ELT community with colour and life.

The Bilingualism and Bilingual Education SIG -

B&BEd SIG - gathered on August 26 at Instituto
Singularidades In São Paulo to discuss the various ways
language can be taught and perceived in childhood.
Alessandra Lombardi, Marcelo Rangel and Marisol Lage
spoke in this trilingual event about language
acquisition and the various ways children express
language.

August was the month BRAZ-TESOL came to

On October 20, the BRAZ-TESOL Brasília Chapter
held its Half-Day Seminar, with plenary speaker
John Corbett and twelve other presenters, three of
whom were first-timers. It has been our goal to
encourage people to begin presenting and to
mentor them, and we feel it has paid off. It was a
very inspiring afternoon, with very active and
engaged participants.
President Henrick Oprea flew to Rio Grande do Sul
to see the premises of our next international
conference. The clever board of Rio Grande do Sul
Chapter took advantage of this opportunity to
have him talk about assessment in a one-day event
called "Once a teacher, forever a learner", held at
Universidade Caxias do Sul. The event also
counted with great talks about readers,
technology, and instant activities delivered by
Virginia Galvão, Cristina Pescador, and Cátia
Thönnigs, respectively.
Campinas for the very first time with the Young
Learners & Teens SIG. In the first talk, Rodolfo
Mattiello presented research on what sparks slang in
our students. Then Sandra Rodrigues presented her
work on how musical projects can engage and
empower students.
On October 7, the BRAZ-TESOL Pernambuco
Chapter held an afternoon event to motivate
teachers to pursue professional development, and to
consider the personal aspect of it. It also intended to
revive the chapter, which has been quiet for nearly 2
years. Unfortunately one of the guest speakers
couldn't attend the event, so Jeremy Harmer filled in
for Fernando Guarany's spot and talked about the
importance of curiosity and how to "activate" 2-brain
teaching. After the coffee break, Dave Allan talked
about what motivates teachers and managers,
drawing on research and Dave's extensive
experience on both roles.

| 29
 BT News interviewee

LUCIANA SANTOS PINHEIRO

is the director of Allya Language Solutions,
ESL content editor and writer, language
consultant and a curriculum designer.
She holds a Doctoral degree in Linguistics
from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do
Sul (UFRGS) and an MA in Linguistics from
Universidade de Caxias do Sul. She has
broad experience in ELT, teaching from pre-K
level to postgraduate students. She workED
as an ELT editor and content writer for
bilingual programs, two National Schoolbook
Programs (PNLD 2012/2017), and for a variety of
renowned publishing houses.

In this issue we have the pleasure to bring a subject that interests many of us and
provokes discussions about teaching and learning: materials writing. Luciana Santos
Pinheiro shares her experience and details about material development and how one
could get started in that career path. Enjoy the read!

1. First of all, we would like to know about at language institutes like Cultura Inglesa,
your career development. What were your in Porto Alegre, then taught at Colégio
main steps, achievements and challenges in Americano, at the language Program at UCS,
ELT? and many other schools. In 2004 I became
Well, it all started back in 1994, interested in bilingual education and since
working for Teddy Bear Language School, then haven’t stopped studying about it. In
in Florianopolis. My passion for ELT and very 2009 I had my turning point, I was invited by
young learners made me very interested Richmond to work for the first time on materials
in understanding all the facets of putting development, my editor was Gisele Aga at the
into practice all the different methods and time, and we had the greatest gift of having
approaches of teaching and learning a second our book chosen by the National Schoolbook
language. After that, I moved to Rio Grande do Program – PNLD/2012. I haven’t stopped
Sul and pursued my career development going ever since. I took some courses on material
from a post-graduation in Language Teaching development and content editor. I can say that
at PUCRS, a Master’s degree in Linguistics at I have been writing for all different publishing
UCS to my doctoral degree in Linguistics at houses, levels and purposes, like two PNLDs,
UFRGS. During all that time I taught English bilingual programs, robotics, from pre-K to high

30 |
school. This is one of the reasons that made market that consider the different possible
me and my business partner, Lisiane Schulz, profiles within the same class. There will never
start a language assistance business. One of be materials which can meet everyone’s needs
the biggest challenges was to put together a at the same time, so publishing houses tend to
trustful and efficient team, and I’m pretty sure generalize their content so as to suit a greater
we have nailed it! number of profiles. What we, developers, can
and should do is make sure we vary the activities
2. Materials development is a broad area in and have a wide range of profiles in mind when
the ELT market. What would you say are the developing a unit – always respecting our
main challenges facing a professional in this editor’s requests, of course.
field?
Developing materials is an extremely 5. What perspectives do you think the future
demanding job, as it requires you to use holds for materials writing in Brazil?
various skills all at once. I would say that the I think it is growing day to day. We are
greatest challenge is to make sure you are facing new opportunities on a daily basis.
constantly coming up with new ideas on how Publishing houses have realized that there is
to contribute to both students’ language and no one better than our own professionals here
personal development. in Brazil to deeply understand the real needs of
our English language learners.
3. And what is the profile of a materials
development professional? What specific 6. Finally, some BRAZ-TESOLERS would like
competencies should someone develop to to make a career move towards materials
thrive in this area? writing. What tips would you give them to
I believe it is of great importance that get started on the path?
those interested in developing ELT materials Master different methods and
have solid knowledge of language, various approaches, so you truly deliver what is
teaching methodologies and the target ordered, and be able to confidently discuss
audience for that material. It goes without any learning content, strategy or technique.
saying that experience in teaching and creativity Take a course on materials development and
are also essential features. get to know the main steps of an editorial
project. But, most important of all, be punctual
4. Some people say that materials tend to and be somebody one can rely on.
be generalized and do not cater for different
learner profiles. What is your take on that?
I suppose that may be true for
some of the current materials available.
However, there are a number of books in the

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