I'm 27 years old, and currently travelling and living in Brazil.
I've been teaching languages on iTalki for over 2 years!
Before that I was backpacking through Chile and Argentina.
And before that, I worked as an architect in Spain and Berlin!
I was raised in 3 countries, and speaking 4 languages at the same time:
German with my father, Brazilian Portuguese with my mother, and Spanish and Catalan at school and with friends!
Then, I learned English and Italian while living abroad.
Greek is next on the list!
Some of my hobbies are slacklining & highlining, capoeira, surfing, playing guitar and singing, theatre, climbing, hiking, reading, philosophy, psychology, theology and cooking!
Me as a Teacher
I pay attention to every student's individual strengths and needs, in order to adapt the teaching style and rhythm to one that works best.
My teaching experience comes from an intuitive and deductive process of learning by doing.
I like to bring this into my lessons, making you understand the language as a whole, instead of just memorising words and phrases.
My lessons & teaching style
I mainly teach through conversation, adding grammar, when needed, to expand the understanding. The topics are spontaneous and come from our common interests.
Depending on the student's level and preference, we may go for more structured “step-by-step” lessons. For this I use various grammar books and my own material.
I often use music, books and cinema to dive deeper into the language. These cultural expressions help us to learn in a much more natural and intuitive way.
I use individual Google Docs for every student, in which we write down vocabulary, exercises, lyrics, useful links, etc. to complement the lesson.
This document can be accessed at all times by the student.
I have been taking Portuguese lessons with Bernardo for a couple of months now, and I am very pleased with his teaching method. He is always patient with me and takes the time to explain things in different ways until I understand. He is also kind and funny, making each lesson enjoyable and unique. Additionally, he assigns great homework that helps me practice what we have learned in class. I would highly recommend Bernardo as a Portuguese teacher.
May 23, 2022
Ignacio
6 German lessons
Teacher’s pick
Today I had my first lesson with Bernardo, after six months of barely speaking any German. The atmosphere built in the class was the best and I really felt comfortable to speak and make mistakes, so as to learn from them. He is a super friendly guy that seems genuinely interested in those that take lessons with him and I am already looking forward to our next lesson together!
May 10, 2022
Kelly Owen
23 German lessons
Teacher’s pick
I always enjoy my time with Bernardo. He has extraordinary patience with my style of language acquisition. I know I have a ways to go, but I am already so pleased with my progress. Thanks!!!
Mar 2, 2022
Amara Abara
2 English lessons
I had really good trial session with Bernardo. Unfortunately, my laptop at issues toward the end but looking forward to working with him to improve my German.