TEFL Courses & Certification in Brazil

As the fifth largest country by area, it may seem hard to choose where to go to get TEFL certified in Brazil. There are many great options that offer different experiences based on their regions. But no matter where you end up, you will be met with an incredible Brazilian experience.

Rio de Janeiro. You will be standing tall and proud like Christ the Redeemer after receiving your TEFL certification in Rio. To offset all of the hard work you put into your TEFL certification in Brazil, Rio has many opportunities for relaxation—such as Copacabana—and adventure! You can spend your free time sipping drinks on the white sand beaches, or checking out the views from Corcovado and Sugarloaf Mountain.

São Paulo. As the most populous city in Brazil, São Paulo serves as a great destination for your TEFL certification. You can peruse the many museums, attend a street carnival, or eat copious amounts of rice and beans at pay-per-kilo restaurants. You will be in constant awe at the stunning street art you pass by everyday as you move through the city easily on the trains that connect one side of the city to the other. São Paulo will samba its way into your heart. 

Brasilia. Filled with white, modern architecture, Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, is another great destination for TEFL certifications. Although not a favorable city for walking, Brasilia offers a great chance for uncovering the facade of the architecture, which opens up travelers to a lively nightlife, all of the food to make your tummy happy, and a unique Brazilian experience. If you are willing to open yourself to Brasilia, Brasilia will open itself to you.

TEFL courses in Brazil can vary, and that is certainly the case in Brazil. It is important that you set goals for yourself and understand your learning style (and soon-to-be teaching style) in order to pick a program that suits your needs and that will also help you fulfill your goals. 

With some programs, you can become fully certified in one month of full time classes, or do it part time and complete it in three months, while other courses are completed in 120 hours, partially online with a couple of weeks of face-to-face instruction. There are also some courses that require 30 hours of in class teaching practice. All of these practical hands-on experiences will only better prepare you for the classroom.

We always encourage you to take advantage of the options to practice and learn in an in-classroom setting, so that you are gaining experience while being guided by professionals. Teaching is a big deal job—just think about your own educational experiences. It will be challenging, but so incredibly rewarding. Many TEFL certification classes in Brazil will help connect you with TEFL jobs in Brazil and also around the world.

Depending on your program, accommodations are going to vary greatly for TEFL abroad in Brazil. Some may leave it up to you to find your own housing, while others may support you with giving you some housing options. Be sure to talk to your program provider about this major detail so you can secure your housing before you board your flight.

Visas are required in Brazil (and are often good for 10 years so you can visit again, too) so it is important that you plan ahead and start working on your visa process early. This can sometimes take close to a month to complete and it’s best to start early so that you can have plenty of time if things go awry. Be diligent and thorough, almost as if this is your first TEFL assignment. Make sure to check our embassy directory for most updated embassy information.

If you plan to teach abroad, then getting your TEFL certification abroad seems to make sense, right? Right. You will gain experience and confidence in the classroom, and also in living in an international setting. Teaching is hard. Moving to a new country/city is hard. And managing both of these at the same time is, you guessed it, hard. But it’s not impossible. You just have to learn what works for you and it will help your transition much easier.

Because Brazil spreads across such a vast space across South America, we encourage you to explore outside of the region you end up for your TEFL certification classes in Brazil. If you are able to spend time on the beaches along the coast, make sure you go inland and experience the liveliness of the rainforest. Or if you spend most of your time in a big city, make sure you also find ways to connect with the beautiful nature Brazil has to offer.

Your TEFL abroad in Brazil will open doors for you to teach English there, or elsewhere in the world. This is your tool for meaningful travel, so use it wisely and intentionally. Teaching in Brazil may be your ultimate goal—or China, or Thailand—but no matter where your TEFL courses in Brazil lead you, work hard and remember the lessons you pick up along the way.