Student Comments
“I have been studying Portuguese with Cris Vieira-Rozenblit for over a year. Even though I am an advanced student and speak Portuguese fluently, I found it amazing that I learn a lot from classes with Cris. She is very organized, very professional and she has an uncanny ability to pick up and discuss nuances and relevant details. In my profession I deal with foreign languages and leading linguists every day. Cris is the best teacher of Portuguese I have met. When we studied writing in Portuguese I also noted that Cris is an extremely thorough and competent editor and points out errors that others would, probably, either not notice or not bother to correct. Brazil ahead is strongly recommended.”
Vladimir Kolesnikov
Interpreter, United Nations
"Last September, I spent an unforgettable week in Salvador, Bahia. I had the most amazing time, and if there was one thing I didn't enjoy, it was my own ignorance - I didn’t speak a word of Portuguese. As soon as I landed in NY, I started looking for a language school. I wanted a friendly and warm environment, casual feel yet a demanding program and teacher which would work around my hectic schedule. I also wanted to learn about Brazilian culture and people, music and habits, not only the language. I found all that and more in Brazil Ahead. Right now, as I am typing this, I am away from home, in Eurore for the performance, a message from my teacher Claudia arrived. She's sending me links to look up, things to practice, making sure I stay on track. Can't ask for anything more than that.
Thanks Brazil Ahead."
Milica Paranosic
Composer and Performing Artist,
Music Faculty The Juilliard School
“I was nervous that despite being advertised as a course for Spanish speakers, the class would in fact be slow and boring. To the contrary, the lessons moved at an excellent pace, were well-organized and felt like real immersion. One of the main reasons I enjoyed the course so much, learned so much and was so excited to go back was the instructor, Cris. Her witty, intelligent and helpful style was the perfect fit for someone like me who had already learned another Romance language and was looking to dive right into Portuguese. Brazil Ahead succeeded as well in placing me in a class with two other students who, like me, already spoke Spanish and were enthusiastic about diving into Brazilian Portuguese. The class was an excellent value for my money and I would recommend it to anyone who is eager to learn Brazilian Portuguese. Legal!”
David Osborne
Product Manager, Learning Environment Survey
New York City Department of Education
"I have been enrolled at Brazil Ahead for Portuguese classes since April 2008. Cristhiane Vieira-Rozenblit, Managing Director, has a wonderful staff. Claudia Van Holt the Academic Coordinator is my instructor, and her knowledge about Brazil is vast. Her teaching method is well organized and challenging with well-planned lessons. Material is compiled from the lesson book, real life, research, music and films. Her explanations are always clear and concise. The classes are very interesting and inspire me to learn more. It is significant for me to be proficient in the Portuguese language (speaking, reading and writing). My parents were born in Brazil, and it is part of my heritage. Brazil Ahead continues to be supportive on a day-to-day basis to ensure that I achieve my goals. I highly recommend Brazil Ahead to anyone aspiring to learn a new language."
Gilda de Assis
Executive Assistant
"I studied Portuguese for 8 weeks with Brazil Ahead prior to traveling to Brazil on vacation. In addition, I learned cultural tips to avoid social faux pas and rip-offs. Brazil Ahead also helped arrange a reliable tour guide for me in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil Ahead private lessons were much more effective preparation than using one of the audio CD courses. The classes were fun and fast-paced and customized. Think of your Brazil Ahead instructor like a personal trainer in a gym. You will develop much faster with a trainer than working out alone. I definitely recommend Brazil Ahead."
Alexander Ng
Risk Manager
“Cris, from Brazil Ahead, is a great teacher. She has so much enthusiasm. She prepares special props for each class, and gives fun homework. She makes posters that I can hang on the wall and review throughout the week. She brought back, from Brazil, some movies in Portuguese, which she has me watch in between lessons, and then we talk about them and go over the dialogue. We listen to and discuss Brazilian music, which helps me understand the Brazilian culture, and makes learning the language more fun. Cris really loves teaching."
Ron Lev
M.D.
"The amazing aspect of Brazil Ahead is that they customize the classes for each student’s specific needs. Given that I am a Spanish speaker, the course was specifically geared towards the difficulties as a Spanish speaker such as pronunciation and conversation. They also accommodated the classes at late night to match my schedule needs. Teachers and staff are very nice and hardworking."
Shay Felemovicius
MBA student
“I went to Brazil Ahead to prepare for a trip to Brazil. The progress I experienced in one month was excellent. I went from speaking nothing to being ready to live and travel in Brazil on my own. Within my first week in Brazil I was conducting interviews in Portuguese with leaders in the non-profit and business sectors. I recommend Cris because she’s passionate about helping you learn Portuguese, and because she’ll do what she can to make your time in Brazil rewarding and enjoyable. She is a first-class instructor with successful methods. If you want to learn Portuguese, Brazil Ahead is the place.”
Nicholas Anderson
Senior student at UNC-Chapel Hill
“I was very satisfied with my classes at Brazil Ahead. The teachers and administrators are excellent and knowledgeable, as well as personable. Going beyond their plans they had developed for classes and material to be covered, they were flexible enough to answer our questions and respond to individual concerns. In so doing, and by virtue of their explanations of points of grammar, pronunciation, and usage, as well as some games and learning devices, our learning was substantially advanced. After trying to learn Portuguese for several years, this semester advanced my knowledge most significantly. I will certainly feel more comfortable in my next trip to Brazil than I did before.”
Patricia Rich
Writer
“I started meeting with Cris because I was going to study in Brasil for four months. I had no portuguese base but I spoke Spanish. In just two weeks, I learned so much! Cris is organized, and went at my pace. We watched movies, commericals, listened to Brazilian music - the small immersion into the culture was very helpful!"
Manuela Odell
Student of Arts
"Cris is by far the best language teacher I have ever had. The pace is challenging and she's continually pushing me forward. The teacher, texts and excercises make learning Portuguese a lot of fun."
Sally Brackett
Software Developer
“My daughter Julia, 11 years old, was born and raised in NY, I am Brazilian and we go back to visit my family every year. Yet, she grew up speaking only English. So, in an attempt to save the day, and not let the ball drop completely, I decided to hire a private tutor from Brazil Ahead. Their method is intelligent, creative and personal, the teacher is aware of the student’s life style and their interests, bringing forward in them a desire to express themselves using the freshly learned language. I realized it one day, in a situation where my daughter wanted to tell me something in public, but needed to be discreet and to my surprise, quickly switched to Portuguese and used what she had learned very carefully and correctly. We are very happy with the progress.”
Isa Brito
Fashion Stylist
“Brazil Ahead has a keen sense of what each student needs to learn Portuguese. We use different stages: worksheets, songs, and conversing. I am now confident enough to go to Brazil.”
Johanna Elias
English Teacher
“Since 2008, I have taken several courses at Brazil-Ahead and continue to be pleased with the quality of instruction offered by the school and my personal progress in learning Brazilian Portuguese. As anyone who is learning or has learned a foreign language can appreciate, it can be a lot of work and sometimes we are more motivated than others. Therefore, I believe that the environment in which we choose to learn a language is equally as important as our desire to do so. Brazil-Ahead provides an ideal environment in which to learn Portuguese. As I think about why I have returned to Brazil-Ahead to take multiple courses, three words come to mind: dynamic, effective, and consistent.
Brazil-Ahead offers a very dynamic environment in which to not only learn Portuguese but also learn about the richness and diversity of Brazilian culture and to meet other people who share this common interest. The classes are interactive and emphasize conversation/usage of the language from the beginning. In addition, Brazil-Ahead frequently hosts a variety of social activities and cultural events to provide their students with additional opportunities to speak Portuguese, reinforcing what was learned in the classroom.
When I began studying at Brazil-Ahead, I spoke no Portuguese and found their teaching methods to be extremely effective with the right balance of grammar, conversation, and role-playing. I was actually surprised at the speed in which I was picking up the language and my level of confidence in using it. After four courses over a ten-month period, I am able to communicate proficiently, in writing and verbally, with friends and business contacts in Brazil.
Finally, the best thing about my experience at Brazil-Ahead is that it has been consistent. I have studied with several different instructors and each has been a real professional, delivering classes which are interesting and well-organized. This, coupled with the fact that the staff and instructors are genuinely nice and a fun group of people, makes Brazil-Ahead an ideal place to learn (and to speak) Portuguese. I have taken Portuguese classes in a couple of other schools, but Brazil-Ahead has provided me the most value given the time, energy, and investment required to gain proficiency in the language.”
John A. Lindsey
Development Director
“After looking everywhere I found a place and teachers able to adapt to my hectic schedule.
They were very flexible and classes were relaxing, dynamic and invigorating making me not only to learn about the language but also about their culture.
Brazil Ahead is a whole new experience.
A new way to learn and have fun learning Brazilian Portuguese.
My two teachers are the best; João and Chris not only help me to improve my pronunciation but also adapt their teachings for a spanish speaker as I am.
I could never find a better place to learn Brazilian Portuguese.”
Osvaldo Granja
