UNC Charlotte Welcomes Group of Teachers from Brazil
On June 28th, the Office of International Programs (OIP) welcomed a group of 44 English language teachers from Brazil to UNC Charlotte. The teachers will be in Charlotte through early August as part of a six-week professional development program known as the Programa de Desenvolvimento Profissional para Professores de Lingua Inglesa nos EUA, or PDPI.
The arrival of this summer’s group marks the sixth cohort of the program at UNC Charlotte. This grant-funded program is part of a strategic plan to improve English language teaching and teacher training in Brazil, and is possible due to a collaboration between the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES), the Fulbright Commission in Brazil, and the Institute of International Education. Grants are competitive, with only a few institutions across the United States being selected to host the group.
The professional training program, curated by the Office of International Programs’ Office of Intercultural and Educational Experiences, focuses on improving the participants’ spoken English, exposing them to new teaching methodologies and technological tools, immersing them in U.S. culture and history, and providing opportunities to connect with other professionals and students across the broader Charlotte community. Highlights of this highly impactful experience include professional development coursework and workshops, a visit to a Charlotte-area school to learn more about the U.S. educational system, a volunteering experience at a Charlotte-area school, and cultural excursions to sites of local interest as well as to the iconic Biltmore Estate.
OIP is appreciative of the many individuals who make hosting this exceptional program possible: faculty from the Cato College of Education and OIP’s own English Language Training Institute; UNC Charlotte students who serve as dedicated campus ambassadors in their role of Program Assistants; and a multitude of other Charlotte staff and community members.
