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cultura inglesa

 
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basiltherat



Joined: 04 Oct 2003
Posts: 952

PostPosted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 9:54 pm    Post subject: cultura inglesa Reply with quote

Hi

Could someone shed some light on these 2 organisations ?

www.culturainglesa.net

and

www.culturainglesasp.com.br

Are they one and the same organisation or completely different. Their websites are very similar (e.g. font and drop-downs) but the logos are different.

Thanks for any info.

Best
Basil
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icehockey23



Joined: 28 Feb 2009
Posts: 72

PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 4:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My understanding is that they are essentially members of the same organization: Associacao Brasileira de Cultura Inglesas (but . . . . see below)

The first link is for the states: Rio de Janeiro, the Federal District, Espirito Santos, Goias and Rio Grande de Sul.

The second link is for the state of Sao Paulo but also apears to include schools in the state of Santa Catarina (?).

Cultura Inglesa basically has schools all over Brazil and in most states besides the ones listed above. The schools in cities in other states have their own school websites (!?).

I am not 100% sure about this but what I have been told is that quite a while back Cultura Inglesa was basically an agency of the Brazilian fed govt. with connections to the British Council and other "Cultura Inglesas" in South America (yes, there is still one in Argentina and were apparently others in Uruguay and Chile). However, at some point it was privatized and a select few became new owners of this new semi-franchise like organization.

This may be the reason for there being different websites with different logos - it was how the pie was divided between the new caudilos of TEFL in Brazil. Some got wide swaths of the country and others got backwaters.

Or, hey, the different website thing could be just because its Brazil.
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basiltherat



Joined: 04 Oct 2003
Posts: 952

PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 9:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OK. Thanks for that. Appreciated.

Incidentally , are all these big chains dominating the EFL scene in the major urban areas of Brazil ? I mean, organisations such as Cultura Inglesa, Wise Up, You Move etc or are there other more individual schools that operate; perhaps with just a couple of branches in the other major cities.

Which chain would you say has most of the country covered ? Would it be Cultura Inglesa as you seem to imply.

I am planning a visit to Brazil in a couple of weeks for a family break and might take a look at the TEFL scene there but would be nice to get some basic info before I go re types of TEFL organisations etc.

The urban sprawl there, I have heard, is quite astonishing.

Thanks again.

Best
Basil
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icehockey23



Joined: 28 Feb 2009
Posts: 72

PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Incidentally , are all these big chains dominating the EFL scene in the major urban areas of Brazil ?


Every inch of Brazil (urban and rural) is covered by chain schools. The EFL scene in Brazil is saturated by chain schools. The smallest town will have at least one of the chains and probably two or more.

The Wizards, Wise ups, Wisdoms, Number Ones, Yazigis, Fisks, etc. are everywhere.

Cultura Inglesa has a certain exclusivity or snob appeal. Because it was at one time a semi-official organization. Traditionally, if you were a family of cash or from cash you would send your kid to Cultura Inglesa. So it would probably have the least amount of schools of the major chains. IMHO Cultura Inglesa is probably the most (only?) near professional org of the major chains - meaning they might have instructors with a TEFL qualification. However, that does not mean that they are going to pay those instructors much.

If you are thinking about coming to Brazil and working for one of the chains . . . first of all it is near impossible to get a working visa, no chain will sponsor (Cultura Inglesa has in rare circumstances) - but some would probably just pay under the table but you dont want to work for any of these chains anyway . . . I didnt say it, someone else did on another forum, but I think it says it all:

"If you are an L1 English speaker with TEFL qualifications, the English schools in Brazil will rape you"
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openmindedtraveler



Joined: 03 Nov 2011
Posts: 8
Location: Reno, NV

PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:49 pm    Post subject: Positive experience with Cultura Reply with quote

I work for a cultura inglesia location in Brazil, and I can tell everyone that not only are they very highly respected as an institution, but the teachers command a lot of respect also even with private students. They have a good teacher training program and the people where I am have been very nice and easy to get along with. Overall for me it has been a positive experience and I very much look forward to a long career working for them.
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Isla Guapa



Joined: 19 Apr 2010
Posts: 1520
Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana

PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 5:29 pm    Post subject: Re: Positive experience with Cultura Reply with quote

openmindedtraveler wrote:
I work for a cultura inglesia location in Brazil, and I can tell everyone that not only are they very highly respected as an institution, but the teachers command a lot of respect also even with private students. They have a good teacher training program and the people where I am have been very nice and easy to get along with. Overall for me it has been a positive experience and I very much look forward to a long career working for them.


Glad to hear that you're so happy working for Cultura Inglesa. Did they get you a working visa? Are you being paid well?
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irishvan



Joined: 06 Apr 2004
Posts: 38
Location: brazil

PostPosted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 1:09 am    Post subject: Cultura Inglesa Reply with quote

I find the view of Culturea Inglesa hard to believe. I have had students from them who were in conversation classes of 20!
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openmindedtraveler



Joined: 03 Nov 2011
Posts: 8
Location: Reno, NV

PostPosted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 1:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cultura teachers do command a lot of respect, and they dont use only one approach. Part of why it is working out for me is because the lesson plans are fairly flexible allowing the teacher a certain amount of creativity. The reason I am unable to get a working visa, and why many teachers from the US and Canada are unable to get the visa is because they have to jump through some really complex hoops. They have to prove that they cannot find a Brazilian to do the job by placing an ad and documenting follow up, which is impossible because there are many Brazilians who can teach English and who can also do a good job of teaching English even. The pay is never going to be as good at an institute as it will be for your own private students, but Cultura is definitely on the high end of the scale. Plus they will help you build your resume through free teacher trainings that allow you to earn further certificates so for getting started I like it because I can learn different methods of teaching and I can gain experience to help me in future teaching jobs and acquisition of students. Dont knock it til you try it!!!
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spanglish



Joined: 21 May 2009
Posts: 742
Location: working on that

PostPosted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 2:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

openmindedtraveler wrote:
Cultura teachers do command a lot of respect, and they dont use only one approach. Part of why it is working out for me is because the lesson plans are fairly flexible allowing the teacher a certain amount of creativity. The reason I am unable to get a working visa, and why many teachers from the US and Canada are unable to get the visa is because they have to jump through some really complex hoops. They have to prove that they cannot find a Brazilian to do the job by placing an ad and documenting follow up, which is impossible because there are many Brazilians who can teach English and who can also do a good job of teaching English even. The pay is never going to be as good at an institute as it will be for your own private students, but Cultura is definitely on the high end of the scale. Plus they will help you build your resume through free teacher trainings that allow you to earn further certificates so for getting started I like it because I can learn different methods of teaching and I can gain experience to help me in future teaching jobs and acquisition of students. Dont knock it til you try it!!!


Sorry opendedmindedtraverler, but your posts really, really look like advertisements masquerading as 'real' experiences.
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icehockey23



Joined: 28 Feb 2009
Posts: 72

PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I find it somewhat ironic that a place

Quote:
very highly respected as an institution

has no problem employing a foreigner illegally.
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Jampen26



Joined: 09 Sep 2011
Posts: 20

PostPosted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 7:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's a direct quote from Cultura Inglesa in Campinas. I don't think anything more needs saying:

Cultura Inglesa Secretary: Hello can I help you?

Me (+ Partner): Hi can we speak to your director?

CIS: No she's busy, sorry

Me: I can see her in that room, and she's not with anyone.

CIS: No, how can I help you?

Me: We're ESL teachers from Australia and we're looking for work.

CIS: Ok. Do you have Cambridge certificates?

Me: Well, we're native speakers and we've been teaching for over 5 years each, we could, er, teach your teachers how to teach cambridge exams, perhaps. MY partner was the Cambridge exams Co-ordinator at our last school in Australia.

CIS: Yes, but you don't have FCE or CAE certificates? hmmmm.

Me: Yes, correct, but we have passports, surely that's an indicator of our level of English?

CIS: ok, well if you want to work for us it is a requirement that you go to Sao Paulo for 2 months in January to complete a teacher training course.

Me: To learn how to teach?

CIS: Yes, that's correct.

Me: We've, um...we've been teaching for a combined total of more than 10 years, do we still have to go?

CIS: Yes. Everyone has to go. It's a very good course.

Me: Right....ok

CIS: So do you have a visas?

Me: No, well we'll need you to help us by providing us with a letter we can use to prove that we have offers of employment before we can get a visa

CIS: Oh if you don't have a visa you can't work for us.

Me: But you know we can't do that without your help, and I'm sure as qualified native speakers with significant experience, that we would be a great asset for your school.

CIS: I'm sorry if you don't have a visa it's not possible to work for us.

Me: you know what...thanks for your help...
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Tarkaan



Joined: 10 Oct 2011
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 1:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jampen26 wrote:
Here's a direct quote from Cultura Inglesa in Campinas. I don't think anything more needs saying:

You barged in without an appointment. I would have thrown you right out the door, but not before taking your contact information and blacklisting you on the recruiting website that every Cultura Inglesa in the country uses as their primary resource when they need a new teacher.

I just want to reinforce this, so everyone understands. The Brazilians don't care about your experience. They care about your qualifications. If you don't have the qualifications, the policies of the school will probably not allow them to hire you.

There are ways the franchises can bend and break the rules, and that's how a lot of us make money, but *they don't care about you, gringo, they don't need you*. They're not going to pay you upwards of R$30 when they can get a Brazilian kid to work for half that, I'm sorry.

You need to be polite and professional. If you can't see the wizard, you drop off your CV and you march out the door. That's what you do.

Don't be a jerk. It makes the rest of us look bad.
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manindemand



Joined: 25 Feb 2012
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 11:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tarkaan, nao precisa ser racista chamando ele de "gringo"....

A bit of hard feelings there above I can see...

I thought I might chime in with my experience Cultura Inglesa...

It varies from school to school! Not one of them is alike, and with that said, there are bad ones and good ones.

I personally know a high level Brazilian teacher there where the qualifications for her to teach where that she was in the USA for 4 months, so I would guess that the qualifications vary a lot from school to school. They are individually owned and you may do good by calling around.

This is also my experience in general in Brazil, the closer to the bigger cities, the harder it is to get a job teaching at a school. But the minute you go to the more rural cities, you get offered English teaching jobs left and right - without any qualifications.

my 2 cents, hoped it helped Smile
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Tarkaan



Joined: 10 Oct 2011
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

manindemand wrote:
Tarkaan, nao precisa ser racista chamando ele de "gringo"....

Nossa senhora, pare com isso. You're going to give people a rash. If you can't take it, kid, maybe you should go back to Toledo. I hear there are lots of jobs there.
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