CONVERSATION CIRCLES
CHILDREN AND TEENS
Designed for children and teens who already speak Portuguese, our conversation circles offer a relaxed, engaging and playful space to practise and strengthen their Brazilian Portuguese as a heritage language. By connecting language practice with Brazilian culture, the circles encourage participants to share experiences, knowledge and perspectives while building confidence and staying connected to Portuguese.
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
Our pedagogical approach takes into account the developmental characteristics, interests and learning styles of each age group. For children aged 5 to 9, we prioritise playful and interactive activities that support learning through stories, music, games, play and creative expression. For those aged 10 to 15, we gradually introduce activities that encourage participants to express their opinions, develop independence and take part in real-life communication.
For both age groups, Portuguese language learning is closely connected to Brazilian culture. At its core, our approach is built around three core competencies that we consider essential to learning and using a language:
Linguistic competence
This refers to an understanding of the formal aspects of the language, including vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, spelling and discourse structures. It provides the foundation for understanding and producing spoken and written language, and serves as the basis for developing other communicative competencies.
Interactional competence
This is the ability to use language effectively in real-life communication. Beyond knowing grammatical rules, it involves interpreting intentions, negotiating meaning and adapting to different contexts, people and communication goals. It helps learners build the confidence they need to take part in a wide range of social interactions in Portuguese.
Intercultural competence
This involves developing the awareness and sensitivity needed to understand and respect different cultural perspectives. Through exploring Brazilian traditions, values, linguistic varieties and society, learners develop a broader understanding of Portuguese as both a social practice and a cultural expression. This encourages more thoughtful, respectful and meaningful interactions.
While linguistic competence focuses on how the language works, interactional and intercultural competence expand learning by placing Brazilian Portuguese within the contexts where it is actually used. That is why our conversation circles explore topics that go beyond the language itself, including history, the environment, popular traditions, Brazil’s cultural and geographic diversity, the arts and everyday life.
Practising Portuguese with us is also an opportunity to discover and understand Brazil in all its diversity
TEAM
A strong educational project is never built alone. Our approach was developed by a team with expertise in applied linguistics, language teaching and educational management. Their dedication has been essential to creating a coherent programme that responds to the needs of those who want to practise Brazilian Portuguese with us.
Karina Andrade
Karina is an educator and elementary school teacher with experience in literacy, inclusive education and interdisciplinary project development. She holds a postgraduate qualification in Educational Guidance and is currently pursuing further postgraduate studies in Neuropsychopedagogy and Psychomotor Development. Her teaching practice focuses primarily on literacy and learning in childhood, respecting different ways of learning and valuing connection, active listening and lived experiences as part of children’s development. She currently works as an elementary school teacher in Brazil and facilitates our Portuguese as a Heritage Language conversation circles.
Mitsue Siqueira
With a B.A. in Language and Literature (UFF, Brazil) and a postgraduate degree in Teaching Portuguese as a Foreign Language (PUC-Rio, Brazil), Mitsue has dedicated much of her professional life to translating content in various fields. Currently working as a Recruitment Manager at a multinational company, Mitsue has been able to hone her skills in team management, process structuring and working in multilingual contexts. A Brazilian immigrant, she moved to Canada in 2021, and since then, she has come up with a multitude of ideas on how to promote Brazilian culture on Canadian soil.
INVESTMENT
For group sessions, the rate is CAD 15 per conversation hour. Individual sessions are CAD 28 per hour. Payment can be made weekly or as a single monthly payment. Participants who choose to pay the full month in advance for individual sessions receive a 10% discount on the total amount.
Group sessions (6 to 8 participants)
- Weekly payment: CAD 15
- Monthly payment: CAD 60
Individual sessions
- Weekly payment: CAD 28
- Monthly payment: CAD 100 (10% discount)
Payment must be made at least 7 days before the conversation circle.
REGISTRATION
Registration remains open throughout the year, subject to availability in each conversation circle. We are currently accepting registrations for conversation circles starting in September 2026:
Eastern Time
- Saturdays at 9 a.m.
Pacific Time
- Saturdays at 9 a.m.
If these times don’t fit your schedule, you can also register for individual sessions. While individual sessions follow the same pedagogical approach described on this page, they can be tailored to each participant’s goals and availability.
If you have any questions about the different options, please contact us at oi@casadaculturadobrasil.com.
House of Brazilian Culture in Canada. All rights reserved.