In Conversation With...
Arthur Bruel Sallas
Brazil
Tell me a little about yourself.
I’m from Brazil, and I’m going to turn 17 this week. I've lived here in Portugal for eight years and I love Portugal and Cascais, it reminds me of Rio de Janeiro and is the part of Portugal I most like.
When did you start studying at ELC?
Er… I was in my eighth year… four years ago!
Why did you come to ELC?
Well, I needed to improve my English, because I want to study at a university, United Kingdom or United States. I think I’m going to NYU, New York University, to Cinema. Today we need to speak English. I have already studied in a British school and I always have English but I need to improve more, to have a place where I could talk English, to practise, and, well, to talk fluently.
What do you like most about studying here at ELC?
Well, I like to study here because we don’t have big classes and we are friends, so we are talking at the same time as we are learning. I don’t feel like I am in a class studying – we are practising English, we are talking, and we learn at the same time, and that’s great.
Since you started, what areas do you feel you have made the most progress in?
Oh, well, I have to be honest – talking! I was really shy, now I have more confidence, so it’s the part I think I am most improved in.
Why did you decide to take the FCE exam?
I think it’s great to have it on my CV. Also, I have to do my English exams when I go to university in England or America, so I want to practise before, to see how it is. Of course, I want to say, I don’t just want to do the First Certificate, I want to improve so I will love to go to upper levels, to move on.
What advice would you give to younger students?
I think that first of all, first day of class, don’t have to be shy, don’t think that you are going to school. It’s more fun here! We are in a class but you are going to make new friends, not just study. I think that we don’t need to make this hard work, so I think we have to be as if we were in a country where the official language was English.
Thank you Artur!
Teacher: Gerry Aldridge
Interviewer: Emily Davies
