Hello, my name is Maria Alves and I'm an experienced native Portuguese - Europe tutor currently living in Portugal. I have been giving Portuguese - Europe lessons online with Verbalplanet since 2024. I am currently offering a free initial trial lesson for new students.
5 Reasons to get started...
Check out the top 5 reasons people learn online with us...
Free trial lessons
Builds confidence
Personal to you
Flexible lesson times
Experienced teachers
Meet me on
Latest Reviews
Ron W United Kingdom
I have had 20 lessons with Maria and they have been really well structured, enjoyable and invaluable in learning European Portuguese. Each lesson covers a different topic and includes vocabulary, grammar, reading, listening and speaking. The class material is excellent, following the same form each lesson, and it is provided at the end of the lesson.
Maria is flexible in what to cover and will adjust learning paths to best benefit the student. I would recommend Maria to anybody starting out or progressing with Portuguese.
Jutta K Germany
I've had a couple of classes with María. Her lessons are well-prepared, structured, tailored to individual needs and engaging. The objectives she sets are always clear. María is passionate about teaching, which ignites joy. I highly recommend taking classes with María.
Ron W United Kingdom
This was my 3rd class with Maria and I really like the format which covers all the different aspects of learning in an interesting way.
About me - English
Hello!
I'm Maria and I´m from Portugal. I have a degree in languages and I am TEFL certified. I´m fluent in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, and I've been teaching for the past couple of years to students of all ages and backgrounds, from total beginners to the more experienced looking to brush up on their grammar and vocabulary.
I know what it takes to learn a second language so I'm here to help you in your journey, to keep you focused and excited with your progress.
I make my classes as engaging and interactive as possible and ensure the class is tailored specifically to you to ensure I help you get the best out of your skills and focus on what you´re most interested in, and what will be most useful based on your needs.
Qualifications & Experience
I have a bachelor's degree in Foreign Languages (Portuguese, English, Spanish, and German) from the University of Minho, and I am TEFL certified with TEFL UK.
For the past two years I've been working as a teaching assistant and one-to-one English and Portuguese tutor working with students of all ages and experience levels.
Teaching Approach
I modify my teaching methods to fit my student´s individual needs. All my classes have a theme to give context to the grammar and vocabulary topics being studied followed by speaking activities and writing activies. The different exercises and activities that I include in a class depend on what students engage with the most. For example: younger students tend to prefer games or more creative and dynamic activities, but older students tend to appreciate simpler tasks that give them a sense of progress in their language skills. I always try to get to know my students before preparing the classes so I can determine which topics and activities will be most suitable for them.