The School
Our Portuguese language school, located in Bristol – UK, offers activities that involve the whole family, from baby play to children’s literacy and adult classes. What do they all have in common? A passion for Portuguese, whether spoken as a heritage or foreign language.
Our Vision
To create a centre that acts as a meeting point for the bilingual Portuguese-speaking community, uniting various aspects of Brazilian culture.
Values
- To educate and value the Portuguese language and bilingualism
- Cultural integration
- Respect and ethics in relationships
- Continuous learning
Goals and objectives
- Expand horizons and create new perspectives for Portuguese-speaking bilingual students;
- Improve oral comprehension, reading and written production of each child within their limits;
- Widen students’ knowledge of Brazil, its history, culture and traditions so that children feel part of a wider community;
- Support families in which children are bilingual with the intention of forming a cohesive community;
- Awaken in children the pleasure of communicating in Portuguese as well as improving their language skills;
- Make each meeting a stimulating, enriching, challenging and ultimately fun environment for children;
- Develop intercultural education by helping students naturally widen their cultural experience
- Teach the Portuguese language to anyone who is interested in Brazilian culture.
Groups
In the children’s groups, we aim to increase knowledge of their cultural origins. Here they have the opportunity to learn more about the culture of their family members. In the adult classes the focus is on the diversity of the students themselves.
Taboa – 3 to 6 years
The 3-6 year old group works primarily on developing speech with minimal focus on spelling. This is done through play activities: art, music, games, films, and storytelling, so that the child is encouraged to speak Portuguese when participating in the planned classroom activities.
Juta – 7 to 8 years
In Turma da Juta, in addition to developing orality and encouraging interaction and new friendships in Portuguese language classes, we started a minimal contact with writing. Children are exposed to letters, sounds and rhymes, always within playful activities: art, music, games, games, movies, storytelling, with a focus on Brazilian culture. We also facilitate the occasional reading of children’s books so that the child is stimulated by the sound of the Portuguese language.
Cipó – 8 to 12 years old
In the group of 8 to 12 years, different strategies are used, since it is necessary to expand oral communication and ensure students develop their Portuguese reading and writing. However, the intention is not to lose the playful approach that consolidates in its students these three skills. For this reason, the grammar study is introduced gradually so that the Portuguese language makes sense to the child.
It is important to remember that all groups are dependent on a minimum intake of students in order for the course to be realised.
- Age ranges stated are a guide and students may be allocated to groups appropriate to their ability.
Enrolment
As part of our project launch we are currently offering promotional prices.
To guarantee a space on one of our courses, please fill in the enrolment form below and make a payment of £225 – equivalent to 11 lessons of 3 hours. Can be paid in 3 statements of £75 each.
Our curricular material is organised in trimestral sections to ensure a logical sequence of learning and close accompaniment of students learning progression. This is why we currently charge per block of 5 lessons so that students are able to adapt and make friends in Portuguese, without committing to the full trimester.
Additional siblings receive a discount of 15%
In order to guarantee your child’s place you have to follow two steps:
- Fill in the form by clicking here
- Set up your payment method (links are found in the above form).
School dates
Calendar 2022
Winter Term
1- Saturday 8 Jan
2- Saturday 15 Jan
3- Saturday 22 Jan
4- Saturday 29 Jan
5 – Saturday 05 Feb
6 – Saturday 12 Feb
Saturday 19 Feb – no class
Saturday 26 Feb – no class
7- Saturday 5 Mar
8- Saturday 12 Mar
9- Saturday 19 Mar
10- Saturday 26 Mar
11 – Saturday 2 April
Saturday 09 April- no class
Saturday 16 April- no class
Saturday 23 April- no class
Summer Term
1- Saturday 30 April
2- Saturday 07 May
3- Saturday 14 May
4- Saturday 21 May
Saturday 28 May- no class
Saturday 04 Jun- no class
5- Saturday 11 Jun
6- Saturday 18 Jun
7- Saturday 25 Jun
8- Saturday 2 Jul
9- Saturday 09 Jul
10- Saturday 16 Jul
11- Saturday 23 Jul
2- Saturday 17 Sep
3- Saturday 24 Sep
Autumn Term
1- Saturday 10 Sep
4- Saturday 01 Oct
5- Saturday 8 Oct
6- Saturday 15 Oct
Saturday 22 Oct- no class
Saturday 29 Oct- no class
7- Saturday 5 Nov
8- Saturday 12 Nov
9- Saturday 19 Nov
10- Saturday 26 Nov
11- Saturday 03 Dec
– – Saturday 14 Mar
10-Saturday 21 Mar
Carnival
1- Saturday 02 May
2- Saturday 09 May
3- Saturday 16May
4- Saturday 16 May
5- Saturday 23 May
Saturday 30 May No class
7- Saturday 06 June
8- Saturday 13 June
9- Saturday 20 June
10- Saturday 27 June
Harvest festival
Contact
Email for more information:
ocabrasil.info@gmail.com
Where to find us:
1 Jubilee Rd, St Werburghs, Bristol BS2 9RS
Meet some members the team
Sabrina Koetz Glass
Sabrina is a ‘Gaucha’ (native of Southern Brazil) with the heart of a ‘Baiana’ (Northeastern Brazilian). She graduated in both Business Administration in Rio Grande do Sul as well as Tourism and Hospitality in Bahia. After travelling between the two countries since 2001, she eventually moved to her husband’s home town Bristol.
Passionate about Brazilian culture, she has organised Forró dance events since 2014 as a way to promote Brazilian traditions and artforms in her city. Her professional direction and interest in Portuguese language teaching stemmed from an invitation to teach in a local language school. Since accepting the offer in 2013 she has taught in ESL schools, at the Ministry of Defence and as a private tutor to children, teenagers and adults including GCSE Portuguese teaching in mainstream education.
Since the birth of her two daughters, she became even more aware of the meaningful importance of maintaining native Portuguese language as a way of strengthening friendships, family ties and connecting students with their cultural heritage. This deep empathy and affinity for those in the same situation, led her to create Oca Brasil – a way of being close to home without losing the essence of our cultural origins.
Priscila Valdes
Priscila, known to friends and family as Pris, comes from São Paulo, studied Social Communication at Londrina State University and Social Anthropology and Birbeck University in London.
She has worked previously as a journalist at newspapers, magazines and publishing companies as well as in the area of communications at NGO’s in São Paulo and London. Currently she works in Finance in Bristol but her passion for the Portuguese language, as well as communication as a tool for social transformation are ever-present in her life.
She is a mother to two boys, and with motherhood came a desire to create a space where Portuguese and communication could be integrated in an environment that celebrates Brazilian culture and strengthens our cultural connection with our country of origin, giving rise to the creation of Oca Brasil.
Oca Brasil 