Joel Alves

I highly recommend Joel as a Portuguese teacher. He has excellent command of the language and deep understanding of linguistics and grammar. Joel teaches in a very clear, methodical way, explaining concepts and vocabulary simply and comprehensibly. He excels at breaking down complex linguistic ideas into smaller, graspable pieces. Even tricky topics become clear under his instruction. Beyond his strong technical knowledge, Joel provides personalized feedback to each student. He identifies areas needing improvement and provides clear guidance on progressing. Under his tutelage, I have advanced much faster than expected in my Portuguese study. In summary, I highly recommend Joel for anyone looking to master European Portuguese. His comprehensive knowledge and clear teaching ensures students gain a solid grasp of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

Gosto muito das aulas do Joel. Sou um aluno muito exigente, porque também sou professor de espanhol. O Joel é um linguista, por isso pode explicar bem como funciona a língua. As aulas são sempre interessantes, acho que melhorei bastante o meu nível do português. Outro aspeto a destacar que para mim é muito relevante, o Joel sabe ensinar os hispanofalantes, porque conhece as dificuldades que pode ter um hispanofalante que estuda português.

He is fabulous!

Joel is a fantastic teacher. He is very professional, engaging and always had a plan for our classes. He helped me prepare for the CIPLE exam over about a month, using sample test prompts for reading, writing, speaking and listening comprehension. Writing is my biggest weakness (he quickly identified that) and he very patiently went through my efforts, correcting each error and explaining why I got it wrong. I then re-wrote it (and re-wrote it again) until it was error-free. He focused not just on grammatical accuracy but also on tone and context. I really enjoyed working with Joel and always looked forward to classes with him. I highly recommend him as teacher!

I worked with Joel to prepare for the A2-level CIPLE exam. He was very encouraging and used a variety of materials and exercises to make sure I was prepared for all four of the exam sections (written/oral comprehension and written/oral production). I felt very comfortable when exam day came because he had ensured that I knew how each section of the exam would go. Having passed the exam, I am continuing with conversation lessons with Joel in order to further develop my skills.

Joel helped me prepare for the CIPLE A2 exam. I had studied European Portuguese independently and already felt good about reading comprehension, but working with him helped clarify various fine details about the language that helped me improved my writing skills. More importantly, the full-immersion sessions with Joel greatly improved my listening comprehension and my speaking skills. He was patient and encouraging. My CIPLE test is today and I feel confident due to Joel’s guidance!