I am recent high school graduate, and have just returned from teaching English in Brazil for the summer as a volunteer. Now that I am home the pressure is on to figure out where I am going to college. My original top three choices have all accepted me.. but now I find myself leaning toward the college that I visited while I was in Brazil. I want to go into secondary education with an esl minor. The goal is to eventually be teaching english to exchange students who are in highschool. The problem is, even though I speak some portugese, I am not terribly fluent. This would put me a semester behind, as I would be required to attend portugese classes, if I do attend UNASP in Brazil. This would end up costing my parents more money in the long run.. I guess my question is, is it worth going to Brazil and picking up Portugese? Would it benefit my major in any way or should I stick to my original choices?

I guess you can practice your portuguese right there where you are. Get involved with portuguese speakers. They´re everywhere. Your college might have portuguese studies. Change e mail with speakers. Read. Buy books. I'm sure you'll do just fine. Send news.

Tchau

Celso

Do you want to teach in Brazil, or in the US? If you imagine yourself teaching ESL in America, go to an American university.

If you want to teach EFL in Brazil, then you could study there or here.

I just finished my MA in TESOL last year. I'm not sure about undergraduate programs, but in the graduate program (and with employers I've worked with) - they look for teachers who know a second language and culture. If you are going to teach in the States, pick up another language that will serve you well here (my 2nd language is German, and it has not served me well). I'd suggest a language that your employer would see as "useful" in matching their demographics.