MICHAEL TUFFT

michael_tufft@brown.edu

Profile:
I am first year PhD student in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies at Brown University having
completed my previous studies at the University of Oxford. A highly motivated,
independent and dedicated candidate with experience teaching English as a foreign
language to business professionals in Brazil.

Academic history:
Brown University (2021-)
PhD Portuguese and Brazilian Studies
- Awarded the Chancellor Tisch Fellowship.

University of Oxford (2015-2020)

MSt Modern Languages (Portuguese) - Distinction
- I was granted a Mitchell Scholarship to carry out my masters during which I have
focussed on the late nineteenth century in Brazil.

BA Modern Languages (French and Portuguese) - 1st Class

- I achieved a First Class degree with an average of 71.4, placing 13 th out of a cohort of
181 students and earning the highest mark of any linguist at Trinity College. In college I
was awarded a Chadwick Scholarship during my final year.

Universidade de Lisboa – Faculdade de Letras (July 2016)

Portuguese Summer Language Course – B2 (15)
- After the first year of my degree I spent a month living in Lisbon where I completed an
80 hour language course in order to improve my fluency. I achieved a B2 (upper
intermediate) certificate.

Altrincham Grammar School for Boys (2008-2015)

- 14 GCSE’s (all A*) including: English, Mathematics and Triple Science.
- AS Level Mathematics, A2 Level English Literature, French and German (all A*)

Professional experience:

Comuna do Ibitipoca (July – Aug 2019) Ibitipoca, MG, Brazil

- Spent a month volunteering at this hotel and environmental project, carrying out a
variety of tasks: translating content for social media, welcoming and guiding guests on
 excursions in Portuguese, French and English, and working in one of the hotel’s small
restaurants.

Hogan Lovells Paris (LLP) (March - Sept 2018) Paris, France

- Carried out a six-month Business Development internship at one of the world’s largest
law firms, and was asked to stay on for longer. My work incorporated several different
aspects of business development (i.e. communications, press, events, pitches etc.)

- Tasks included creating invitations for events, preparing submissions for legal directories
(liaising with partners and other teams internationally), responding to RFP’s, organising
interviews, creating and distributing newsletters, translating documents from and into
French and English, coordinating a monthly activity report etc.

UNIQUE Language Solutions (Sept 2017 - Jan 2018) São Paulo, Brazil

- English Language Instructor to professionals, teaching groups and individual students

from various Brazilian and international companies such as BMW, Qualcomm, Royal
Canin, Brenntag, Grupo GR, Tubacex, Sanofi etc.

- Completed a two week training period to learn the UNIQUE methodology which gave me
the skills to use a variety of materials and multi-media aids to improve students’
communication in social and business environments.

Workaway – Le Domaine de Perches (July – Aug 2017) Tarn, France

- Worked at a boutique hotel in the Tarn, improving my French and communication skills
in general. Activities covered most aspects of the enterprise: greeting and attending to
guests, booking restaurants, making beds and cleaning rooms, helping to prepare the
four course dinner, serving and guests.

Equalities Representative – Trinity College JCR (Dec 2016 – July 2017) Oxford, UK

- Organized many events such as talks, movie showings, social gatherings etc. often
working with other colleges or the Trinity MCR (postgrads) to make the college a more
welcoming place for LGBT, BME, international and other minority students.

- Represented students in committee meetings, communicating their opinions to senior

members of college staff.

Extracurricular:

- Yoga, climbing/bouldering, cycling and language learning (I am confident in English,

French, Portuguese and Spanish).