Brazilian Camila Barbosa, an English teacher for 20 years, transformed her own professional and personal trajectory into a project with social impact: an English course aimed exclusively at immigrant women. Living in Porto since 2022, as soon as she arrived she experienced an episode of xenophobia in a bank that made her rethink her purpose of teaching.
“I was trying to open an account and a manager who helped me, after analyzing my documents, history and everything, started the conversation wanting to know what I had come to do in Portugal”, he says. Did you hear from the manager: “There are no jobs here, did you come to be unemployed? What are you going to work with here? Because the Portuguese speak English very well, we don’t need classes”these.
That was when he had the idea. “I don’t need to work with you, I’m going to dedicate myself to teaching immigrants.” From there, he began to develop the project. “I was already part of groups of immigrant women on Facebook, I started researching the panorama of courses and classes there. And it was in these groups that I understood that without English there is no qualified work, but, at the same time, the courses are expensive and very far from our reality here”highlights.
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According to the professional, the language is essential for anyone who wants to work in the country. “In Brazil, English is quite important, but, as our country is huge, our domestic market is also large and offers many opportunities. Portugal is a small country and is part of an economic bloc with several different languages”, he highlights. “English here is more than important, it is crucial. Speaking this language is the main gateway to qualified work, professional growth and new opportunities”he complements.
In the course you created, there are several teaching levels, from zero to high-intermediate (B2). The classes are onlinelive, with a teacher, and everything is recorded so that the students can watch it later. “So that students who work shifts or who don’t have a fixed day off can follow the course even when they need to be absent”details. There are up to eight students in each class, and the digital material is free.
The initiative was also designed with three main pillars. “We grow together and we learn together; we learn from our mistakes and we don’t judge anyone — classes are a safe space; and empathy always“, he highlights.
According to the professor, there are already success stories after the course. “One of our students has an aesthetic clinic that serves many foreigners and, before Flow, she was unable to provide services in English at all. It wasn’t just the ‘blockage’ related to the level, but a blockage since her school days”, she recalls. “Nowadays, she can provide services in English and is no longer afraid to communicate. This is one of many cool stories since I started with the project in 2023”he highlights.
The course created by the Brazilian costs 20.50 euros per month, with one-hour classes, once a week. In addition to knowledge, the immigrant celebrates that the project also works as a support network. “In classes, students help each other, listen to each other, support each other, and this is transformative. Projects that promote cooperation, growth and respect certainly help women create support networks”.
amanda.lima@dn.pt
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