Mestre Maravilhoso: Why You Should Volunteer English Teaching in Rio de Janeiro

Volunteer English teaching in Rio de Janeiro is the perfect way to enjoy the Cidade Maravilhosa whilst giving back to a city that will give you so, so much.

Rio de Janeiro is a beautifully surreal cityscape in which you can go from hiking up to the world’s best urban views to partying the night away at a samba house in the space of a few joyful hours.

From Copacabana’s festive splendor to the miraculous peaks of Dois Irmãos and the city’s wild nightlife – which boasts a big party pretty much any night of the week – there is a reason why tourists visit and immediately start envisioning a future here.

“So, how can I make this happen? What life trajectory do I have to take so that I can trade hot tea and biscuits in bed for água de coco and Biscoito Globo on the beach?” These are the questions I asked myself, and so I went to work on making them a reality.

So, here I am, and whilst I do love kicking it at Ipanema with a beer in hand and the abrasive sound of baile funk permeating the salty air, one of the greatest joys I get out of living here is volunteer English teaching in Rio de Janeiro at Caminhos Language Centre.

The Portuguese school, famed for its energetic classes and rowdy caipirinha parties, also offers English-language classes to students from the nearby Cantagalo favela as part of the “Mais Caminhos” social project.

Here, volunteers in Rio de Janeiro teach kids from beginners to advanced, helping them achieve their goals of learning a new language whilst having a great time in the process.

You don’t need a master’s in education to apply – you simply need to be enthusiastic about teaching some truly awesome kids a new language (and have a pretty decent grasp of said language, naturally!).

I confess: when I first started at Mais Caminhos I was super nervous. “Teaching English to kids whose native language is Portuguese? How am I going to handle this? What do I… do, exactly?”

I thought all this because I certainly do not have a master’s in education, nor a degree in the English language for that matter, and the thought of giving lessons on the language’s complexities was starting to sound like answering a grand mathematical equation.

But the support I received from my fellow teachers, combined with the fun of teaching some super cool kids, quickly helped me settle into my role as a volunteer teacher in Rio de Janeiro.

The classes are informal and the group numbers small, meaning you can really get to know your students and have a lot of fun in the process. Sure, giving lessons on a new language isn’t the easiest vocation in the game, but the fun and satisfaction that come with the role make it absolutely “vale a pena” – worth it.

The word “rewarding” for giving these classes is an understatement – you will leave each class with a deep-seated sense of well-being in the knowledge that you are helping some wonderful kids achieve their future goals!

This article is written by James Campbell from Melbourne, Australia.  He has been doing volunteer English teaching in Rio de Janeiro at Mais Caminhos since April 2024.

Caminhos Language Centre is the largest and most exciting Portuguese school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We have an excellent infrastructure, over 15 experienced Brazilian teachers, and a friendly multilingual support staff. We are the only school in Brazil able to offer Portuguese group courses throughout the year on 10 different levels. Moreover, our school also offers more than just Portuguese lessons for foreigners, we offer you the complete Rio de Janeiro experience. Every day we organize 100% free and fun activities for you to socialize and practice your Portuguese. We can also help you with a student visa for Brazil and accommodation in Rio de Janeiro. Follow us on Instagram for some Portuguese tips and news.