fala português?
about.
Oi and obrigada for visiting our website! I am Valeria Buffo, founder, manager and teacher of the Brasil on the Hill project, started in 2012. This project resulted from my passion for Brazilian language and culture and my natural instincts to share these with the entire world!
To say a bit about me: I am a mineira (from Belo Horizonte, capital of the mountainous state of Minas Gerais), mom of two fantastic (naturally!) American-Brazilian kids and a former journalist who absolutely loves the communications field. Living in Washington, DC, since 2001, I’ve done a bit of everything, including selling Brazilian jewelry at Eastern Market, teaching Portuguese at the World Bank and Georgetown University and working as a political analyst at the Organization of American States. In 2012, looking for more professional fulfillment, I took on the challenge to create Brasil on the Hill, which has become a source of infinite joy for me.
It is this joy that I bring to each and every class. From the conception of each course to the selection and elaboration of materials, my passion and commitment to quality learning are always there. This is true of every teacher who works on our team, too! The result, and it could not be otherwise, is a unique learning experience, where fun and structure are perfectly combined.
Hope you get inspired to join us and on your way towards a beautiful Brazilian Portuguese world!
testimonials.
Brasil on the Hill has been a fantastic way to learn Portuguese! I like that they have classes dedicated to students who speak Spanish, to take advantage of the similarities (and highlight the differences) between the two languages. The dialogue-focused classroom sessions have helped me quickly catch on to conversational vocabulary, pronunciation and tone, and the progressive curricula building on verb tenses has been critical for my learning journey. The weekly two-hour sessions have been helpful for keeping Portuguese “in my head” – I notice what a difference it makes when I’m between semesters and missing that weekly practice! I appreciate the professors’ (I have had Valeria, Viviane and Mariana) dynamic and fun approach, and their upbeat attitude. I recommend Brasil on the Hill for students interested in learning the Portuguese language and exploring Brazilian culture!
Allison Martin
Portuguese for Spanish Speakers 1, 2 and Advanced - 2017/2018
I would highly recommend studying with Brasil on the Hill. The instructor, Paula, tailored the lessons based on what I already knew and wanted to learn. From day 1, the classes were conducted entirely in Portuguese; I picked up new skills quickly and she gave me plenty of homework/readings to reinforce what I learned. Overall a great experience - the classes flew by!
Langhan Denhard
Private Classes - 2016
I loved learning at Brasil on the Hill where I've taken Newcomers through Advanced and the Subjunctive workshop with Valéria. Her courses were engaging because she provided cultural lessons and a variety of activities to practice listening, speaking, and writing. All of my classes were small groups, so there was always lots of attention and feedback. Valéria's courses were interesting and fun, so it was easy to learn and improve my Portuguese!
Holly Polish
Various Courses, 2015-2018