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IICA No Certificate Summary
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JZer



Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh

PostPosted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 12:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

fragganika,

I am begining to work on the application for IICA. I will be excited to finally live in Brazil for one year. I have wanted to live there since I visited Bahia in 2000. I asked two people to write me recommendations and will ask for my transcripts. It should be exciting.
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amandajoy99



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 63
Location: Brazil

PostPosted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just wanted to summarize my experience with IICA (so far - it�s only been two weeks!) because It�s quite different from Fragganika�s. I think I got lucky in my placement, everyone at the school where I work is quite helpful and supportive. I was placed with a very nice host family for my first couple of weeks, but my host has to go out of town for business for quite some time so I am moving now. I have a choice between a pensionato kind of place, where many students live, and another host family. I think the salary is plenty to live on considering you have free room and board - basically that money is your spending money. I am very happy with everything so far. Good luck, JZer, I think you will have a good experience.
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fragganika



Joined: 12 Dec 2004
Posts: 60
Location: North American

PostPosted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 11:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm glad for you, girl! After long, long debates and lots of people's perspectives, I now think my bad experience was totally orchestrated by my former manager at the school.

What town are you in, if I may ask? Is it fun? Are you learning Portuguese yet?
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amandajoy99



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 63
Location: Brazil

PostPosted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 1:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

i�m in lins, SP. i actually studied portuguese for two years in college which is part of the reason i wanted to come here! but of course actually being in the country and speaking to people is a different story from an hour of class a day, even though my teacher was brazilian. so i�m trying to practice as much as possible. i�m making friends with everyone in town - the guy at the juice place, the people at the pastel stand...by asking them words. it�s good fun. the town is small (much smaller than IICA told me in their letter to me!) but i like it - unlike the town in france where i lived last year as an assistant, there are plenty of young people here, and it�s safe. people don�t even lock their doors.
i think you�re right - sounds like the school director was your problem - because mine has been so nice. she even started looking into courses at the university for me before i got here. she is very concerned about arranging a good host family situation for me. sometimes she�s a little overprotective even - she wants to have a van come pick me up and take me home when i work late, and i�d much rather walk! so basically i think the program is a little bit of a crap shoot. originally i was going to stay six months but i think i�m sticking it out for a year!
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JZer



Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh

PostPosted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 5:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

amandajoy99, I am glad to hear that everything is going well. I need to take a Saturday to fill out my application and send it in but I am quit busy with graduate school. I wish that I knew some portuguese but my university does not offer portuguese. I am actually studying for my Master's in German Literature. But I have wanted to live in Brazil since I visted Bahia in 2000. If the year goes well I might even go to Asia to save some money and then return to Brazil and buy a hotel. I would really like to live in a Latin American country but I don't want to live on $300 a month for the rest of my life.

Amanda, Is Lins, SP close to San Paulo? How far are you away from San Paulo?
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amandajoy99



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 63
Location: Brazil

PostPosted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 2:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lins is about 4 -5 hours west (and a little north) of Sao Paulo. I think the bus costs about 50 Reais.
Studying Portuguese before you come is of course helpful - but will still leave you unprepared! I would suggest getting a grammar book and trying to learn some basics of grammar, maybe listening to some good Brazilian music and reading the lyrics to get an idea of the pronunciation. Then when you get here you will be prepared to learn. I studied Portuguese for two years but still have a lot to learn, and will be able to do so now that I am actually here! You'll learn a lot just talking to people but if you have a good placement I am sure someone at your school will be willing to give you Portuguese lessons. Everyone here is eager to help me out.
$300 a month is definitely not something I'd want as a permanent salary but it goes a long way in Brazil and I think is perfectly adequate for a year or six months with free room and board.
I would say it's worth doing anything to come here just for the guava ice cream and the fruit juices - for about 50 cents you get a whole pitcher of amazing juices of fruits that may not have a name in English - my favorite is maracuja - think it's passion fruit.
Good luck with the application! But I wouldn't stress about it, I think most people who are qualified get a position.
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JZer



Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh

PostPosted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 3:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

amandajoy99, Well sounds like you are having fun. I really doubt that I will learn much grammar before I go to Brazil because I have a full plate. I am work as a TA and classes. So it keeps me busy most hours of the day.

From what everyone says it is not to hard to get into the program but I am sure that many Brazilan schools would love to have a native teacher for 750 Reais a month. I have experience teaching German and English so I think I should be good to go. I taught at an English summer camp last year and will teach at another one this summer in China.
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fragganika



Joined: 12 Dec 2004
Posts: 60
Location: North American

PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 5:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jzer... did you apply yet?
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JZer



Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh

PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 7:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

no, I am waiting for some letters of recommendation!! Why do you ask? I still have some time to apply. I hope it works out.
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fragganika



Joined: 12 Dec 2004
Posts: 60
Location: North American

PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 10:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

oh, i got it mixed up. right about now would be the time you'd be starting work, but for some reason i thought it was the deadline for app's...

i was just curious about your application process or if you got in... but that's gonna have to wait for a while! Smile
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fragganika



Joined: 12 Dec 2004
Posts: 60
Location: North American

PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 10:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Amanda - why did you study portuguese for 2 yrs? Most people in NorthAm choose spanish! (not that i'm complaining, i love portuguese!)
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nomadamericana



Joined: 18 Dec 2004
Posts: 146
Location: Minneapolis, MN

PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 11:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What is the website for this program? I am interested in finding out more information. Thanks!
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amandajoy99



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 63
Location: Brazil

PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 2:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

fragganika, most n. americans take spanish - that�s probably half the reason i took portuguese right there! the other reason is, i wanted to go to brazil!
and, i�m a language nerd. can�t help it. i studied french and italian before portuguese.
nomadamericana, the website is http://www.mgt.com.br/icbeu/ click on etp/esl trainee handbook at the left. the info is at times not well organized and clearly not written by a native speaker, plus the picture on the cover of the �handbook� is straight out of the 70s, but don�t let it put you off the program.
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JZer



Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh

PostPosted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 3:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

fragganika, I am applying to start in February 2006. So the application deadline is October but I plan to send my application in by May because I am impatient. I have to remain at my University until December in order to finish my M.A.
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amandajoy99



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 63
Location: Brazil

PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2005 1:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JZer -
be aware that you may have to harass IICA to get your acceptance and placement info. i applied for february entry and sent my app in in july. i didn�t hear a definite response until december! by then i was getting anxious and called them because i was going to have to either buy a plane ticket or find something else to do.
later, i found out that my host school director had chosen me way back in august and had been asking IICA weekly if i was coming or not. somehow they didn�t think that would be important info to communicate to me! they say you�ll hear within 60 - 90 days, i think, so once a reasonable amount of time has passed start emailing and calling! there are some serious disorganization issues with IICA!
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