Olá, sou a Mariana.
I have been teaching European Portuguese for the past 14 years and it gives me great happiness to witness my students thrive and become comfortable with the language.
As a teacher and coach I'm driven by a desire to empower my students to build the confidence to express themselves and interact in Portuguese with ease.
I place strong emphasis on building a solid foundation and on understanding the value of trial and error —recognising that learning takes time and calls for patience and self-compassion.
I'm fascinated by stories.
Stories broaden the scope of our imagination and expand our perspective inviting curiosity and anchoring learning in meaningful context.
Learning Portuguese has its challenges but through my years of teaching I came to realise that students make progress and retain information more effectively through context-based, curiosity-led associations.
It may not be easy but it needn't to be daunting. It can be genuinely fun and deeply rewarding, by letting go of the pressure and to allow the learning process to unfold at its own pace.
I use different materials, I write my own stories and I also adapt works by Portuguese authors I admire, such as Sophia de Mello Breyner, António Torrado, Eugénio de Andrade or Manual António Pina.
These writings combine poetic sensibility, a deep affinity with nature, profound simplicity, imaginative storytelling and a wonderful sense of humour.
I have written a little riddle about Maria do Mar:
Maria do Mar é filha do pescador.
Herdeira dos sonhos e lamentos
Senhora da noite.
Criadora das marés
esconde na sua sombra
segredos de um barquinho
que se põe à meia-noite.
Who is Maria do Mar?
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