Tereza Lombardi is a passionate teacher and a wonderful human being. She teaches English with such method and enthusiasm that it is impossible for her students not to thrive. 

Get to know a little bit more about Tereza, her project with VP Formação, and mostly about the human dimension of being a teacher.

Who is Tereza Lombardi?

I’m a wife, a mother and an experienced teacher who is passionate about teaching English. I’m also a lifelong learner because I do believe that if you are a teacher you will always be a learner. I’m also an enthusiastic professional and I always do my best to help my students achieve their goals.

When did the English language become part of your life?

Well, I think that I started being interested in English in 5th grade when my English teacher gave us the task of translating a Disney comic strip from Portuguese to English. It was quite a challenge for us, but she was so supportive that the challenge sparkled my interest in the language and I started an English course with a private teacher. English has become part of my life since then.

When did you decide you wanted to teach English?

When you grow up in a family of teachers, have parents who are avid readers, and a mom who loved teaching Sunday school, you understand how important learning is, and how often that occurs outside of a classroom. You were encouraged to always seek out knowledge. That’s what made me to decide to be an educator.

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How has it been?

Wonderful and rewarding despite and due to all the challenges I have faced so far. Being a teacher has taught me so much and makes me a better person every single day. For example, I learned that we don’t learn from those who know the most; we learn from those who can connect the best.

What is the most challenging thing about this job?

I would say that one of them is some misconceptions about learning a language. Learning a foreign or second language requires determination and patience. Some students, especially adults, pressured by their work, want to learn English overnight and they forget that as anything you learn in your life you need to practice and be patient. it is a process.

And the most rewarding?

It is the smile on my student´s face when they thank me for having achieved their goals, i.e. either because they have passed an exam or because they were able to communicate with someone in English. This is priceless.

What is the characteristic that you believe defines you as a language teacher?

It is my belief that all anyone can learn and that mistakes are invitations to learn. As teacher I must bring out the best in students and inspire them to strive for greatness. This means that I believe in my students’ abilities to learn and that they also something to teach me too.

What do you believe are the advantages of the English learning?

There are enormous advantages. English is a global language and it opens so many doors in any field, e.g. educational, professional and social. It really builds bridges between different cultures. Thanks to English I myself had the opportunity to connect, learn and work with people from different countries whose first language is not English.

Which is the biggest difference between helping a student learning English from an A1 level, and preparing for an exam such as IELTS?

Quoting the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, “An A1 level of English would be sufficient for very simple interactions, for example as a tourist in an English-speaking country. So, I need to help my students to build this foundation so that he or she is able to do basic things in English such as introduce him/herself, asking/giving directions, etc.. Whereas when I prepare a student for the IELTS exam, they need to have at least the B1 level to progress to B2 (that is the level a student with a 6.0 or 6.5 grade in IELTS)

Tell us about this project you have with VP Formação powered by Vitae Professionals… 

Well, I was invited by VP Formação to plan and teach a course that will help students to go from A1 level to B2 level so that they will be prepared to take English language exams such as IELTS or the OET, for instance. We started the classes and I’m really proud of my students who are putting forward a great deal of effort to thrive on communicating in English. It has been really rewarding because it is possible to notice that the students are achieving the language goals required for this level.

Recommendation to anyone who’s thinking about learning English…

First and foremost: believe you can learn. Also, be patient and celebrate each progress you make. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Believe me, you will learn from them. Finally: listen, read and practice. Every day, try to read or listen to the news, TV, series, songs, in English, even with the help of subtitles.

And to those taking the IELTS…

The tips are the same, but I would add the use of previous IELTS exams to practice, working on time management by timing him or herself when solving each paper and try to record him/herself for part 2 of the speaking paper.

Our classes for the English A2 level start on July 27th (50 hours of study – Mondays and Wednesdays between 19:00 and 22:00, 200€). Levels B1 and B2 will take place between September 2022 and January 2023. Do you need to achieve a higher level of English? Get in touch: INFO@VPFORMACAO.COM.

Here you have the full video interview. Enjoy:

VP Formação by Vitae Professionals is a training entity certified by DGERT in the following areas of education and training: Foreign Languages ​​and Literature, Nursing and Health. With a training model that combines theory with practice, we seek, through trainers with relevant experience and with didactic resources and real challenges, to facilitate the learning process and provide a service of excellence, with a strong approach to our customers. VP Formação is alos an authorized OET Preparation Provider.