Instituto Cultural Idioma
R. Florianópolis, 96 - Barra Salvador - BA 40140-320, Salvador, Bahia 404140-320, Brazil
Instituto Cultural Idioma
Group classes have a maximum of 9 students in a group, have four sessions per day and happen from Monday through Friday. There is always a 20-minute break after 2 sessions. So, a four-session class has its break half way through - after one hour and 40 minutes.
A group must have a minimum of 3 students. In the event that there is only one student enrolled in a group course, classes will be reduced to 50% of the regular schedule. If there are only two students enrolled in a group the classes will be reduced to 75%.
Every class at every level contains grammar, reading, and writing activities as well as interactive role-playing activities for all group members. Speaking, listening, comprehension practice, and Brazilian music complement the more formal parts of the lesson.
On the first day, students receive a book which must be acquired and paid on the spot that supports their learning process throughout the course. Inside and outside the classroom, teachers and other members of the school staff encourage the students to use as much language as they can in Portuguese, so the student can practice what is learned during the classes.
Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar and Activities
You can choose from the following class times:
Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.
Average | 5 students |
Maximum | 9 students |
Age range | 18 years old and older |
Average | 30 years old (27 in the summer) |
ICI is a Portuguese language school for Brazilians and foreigners and was created on May 2002, by us, two teachers with over twenty years of experience teaching at Universities and language institutions and studying in and outside Brazil.
ICI works on all the levels of communication in Portuguese for foreigners. These courses are held all year. ICI operates on a system of weekly enrolment, which means that it’s possible to start on any Monday for a course of any length. From one week up to any number of months.
We can provide your clients to a more meaningful and personal experience in Brazil. Knowing the language makes that possible. From the start of the programs students will be in contact with native speakers, within and beyond the classroom. There will always be many opportunities for them to learn to express themselves in a real-world setting. We can even assist those interested in volunteering in the area, offering an exchange that involves not only language but the gratification of helping others as well.
At ICI students gain a deeper insight into the magnificent and captivating country that is Brazil by delving into its culture, traditions and history – all of this while enjoying the benefits of the lively capital city of Salvador and learning how to speak Portuguese surrounded by its warm environment.
They also surround themselves with a staff of teachers and other support professionals whose mission is to focus on them and the quality of their experience. Our staff is made of very talented and dedicated people who spare no effort in responding to our clients’ needs, whether through customized lesson plans or individually planned adventure packages based on their interests.
If our students are not satisfied in any way or things do not go according to plan, they have not only a shoulder to lean on, but also a staff willing to move heaven and earth to help and ensure that their experience in Bahia is the best it could possibly be.
ICI has partnerships with the following universities and colleges in Brazil. You can gain full or conditional acceptance into one of these institutions.
The nationality and age mix at Instituto Cultural Idioma varies over different time periods, courses and levels. Throughout the year, the average age is 30. In the summer, the average age is 27.
ICI teaches students from all over the world, including:
The Instituto Cultural Idioma is located in one of the best neighborhood of Salvador, Barra and it's 200m from the beach and really next to restaurants and shopping. The school's excellent location ideal location to study Portuguese: students can choose a group course, one to one or even better combine both courses with the combos!
Studying at ICI means learning both the Portuguese language and Brazilian culture. Classes have a socio-cultural thematic approach, aspiring to bring students into contact with Brazil, Salvador and the Brazilian people, for a better overall understanding of the culture. Therefore, we offer our students a variety of learning activities that take place outside the classroom, like field trips to places of cultural interest, visiting markets, supermarkets or museums and other socio-cultural institutions.
The school itself was very convenient and comfortable. The teacher was good but she just stuck to the book all the time and didn,it mm didn't bring in material (like videos or reading) from the "real world." This made the class a little repetitive. I felt that there weren't enough extracurricular activities planned: usually just two per week. This left me wondering what to do with all my free time in the afternoons. The school staff was wonderful: they made coffee every day for the students to drink during out morning breaks and one day they even brought samples of local foods for us to try. The housing that I arranged through the school was both good and bad. It was good in that the host mother was excellent: communicative and caring. It was bad in that there was no air conditioning and it was impossible to open the windows given the noise on the street on the first floor. Overall the Experience was good. I would just recommend that the teacher bring in a lot more authentic material into the classroom and that several more extracurricular activities be planned each week.
Show details » Read more...It is a waste of space, time and money. If you are a complete beginner, and especially if you are not a Spanish/French/Italian native speaker, avoid this school. They do not teach and cannot teach Portuguese. What they do is correct your bad Portuguese. So if you know a lot of Portuguese words and basic grammar and want to refresh your existing and most likely broken Portuguese, then maybe you will find this school useful. Big maybe.
Another point is that do not book more than a week of classes, at any school. Pay for a week and try them out first and if you like the school, extend your stay right at the school. I regret paying for 4 weeks upfront; wasting 2 weeks of my life trying to make it work and then simply quitting the school and giving them my money as a gift. The money they did not earn or deserve. Disgusting experience.
Good luck!
The small class was great, it meant each student got a lot of attention from the teacher.
The teachers (Catia and Catrina) were amazing - really friendly, helpful and good at explaining the difficulties in Portuguese pronunciation or grammar.
Great location, really easy to find but also quiet.
It would be nice if the school could put on more cultural activities or things to do outside of the classroom. Brazil and Salvador have so much going on all the time, it would be a really great way for the students to get to know the city and the culture.
It’s a safe location in a really cute house. Everyone was warm and inviting. My teacher spoke only Portuguese and Spanish but did an amazing job communicating with me. We worked on my listening and responding skills as well as working out of the text book. On Fridays they have a cooking class, making a traditional Baiano dish. They accommodated my vegan and gluten-free diet. It was so much fun and I felt a part of a community. I really wished I booked more than one week!!!
Show details » Read more...The school is located in a private house sandwiched between (now) two huge appartement building in the Barra neighborhood of Salvador. The neighborhood is fairly safe, has several small shops of all kind and is within walking distance of Shopping Barra, and even of the Barra lighthouse and the beach, but expect some hills! The infrastructure is fine with several class , and rooms as well as computer facilities and water available to students. And Lara in the secretariat was always ready to provide help and suggestions.
During the first few days of the first week of my stay, I was almost alone, save for one other student who had a different level. so instead of a group course I had 2 hours of individual classes per day with one of two coordinators/teachers of the school ,who patiently helped me in my first learning steps for Portuguese.
Later on and during the last two weeks of my three week course , more participants arrived and I was in a group course. The teacher was excellent: She had a very structured and systematic approach, exuded enthusiasm and was very lively and varied in her teaching. Catia was perceptive of the strength and weaknesses of the various students and actively encouraged each one's participation. I definitely learned a lot : about grammar, pronunciation, slang, music and the general culture of Brasil. Catia is definitely one of the best teachers I have ever had.
The only point about which I was a bit disappointed concerned the limited extra-curricular activities. There was one visit to the Casa da Musica , an afternoon cooking activity and a sun-down drink at the Alliance Française. I could see that with current staff levels it might not be even feasible for the Institute to organize a lot of extracurricular activities .But it would be very helpful if - alternatively- there were some brochures available in the secretariat to indicate interesting places to visit, such as eg museums, parts of town, locations of dance or cultural courses or to provide a list of cultural events, exhibitions, concerts etc.. . taking place in the city so that students would know what is going on in town, and could discover for themselves.
It would also be useful if the Institute could suggest a newspaper, magazine/ publication/internet site which students could buy or consult to find out about events. It could certainly help for students to have a more diversified experience it they so wish.
Finally, at a risk of revealing my age :a physical map of the city on the wall of the secretariat would also be nice :-):-)
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I did not use the housing facilities as I was staying with a private family I knew before coming;
I attended Instituto Cultural Idioma while working at the local university. The combination of immersive language use in my professional and personal life and courses that I could take at the speed I needed allowed for really amazing language learning. The staff were skilled and provided language frameworks that helped contextualize the language I was learning to use elsewhere. My trip to Brazil wouldn't have been the same without the school.
Show details » Read more...The school was very nice. The teacher also. They were very friendly and helpful.
What I did not like was the following: I booked one week. Because of carnival the school did not start on Monday as I booked, but on Wednesday. I could stay with the family the days before which was great. I started school on Wednesday and I asked when I could make up the two missing days and if it would be possible the upcoming week. She told me it would be ok. So I came to class on Wednesday morning and she asked me around 12 noon if I could stay in the afternoon to make up the class. I told her no, because I already planned to meet with to architects friends of my uncle. So she told me no problem. Since the secretary told me I could make up class also next Thursday and Friday I booked a trip to the chiapada diamantina. As I left on Friday she handed me a bill. I asked her what that was for. She told me for the two additional days. I told her I was in school for three days and booked five. So she told me she will talk about that to the administration. So I had one day on Thursday and no day on Friday, because Thursday was private and that was a lot of discussion that I did not have to pay it extra.
Anyway everything else at the school was perfect and also very recommendable.
Was all good. Very happy with everything. No complaints.
Show details » Read more...Homestays are carefully selected and offer students the opportunity to learn more about the local culture in a comfortable setting while studying Portuguese in Salvador. These homes are often between 5 - 15 minutes away from the school by public transport. Families usually offer affordable meal plans that allow you to sample the local cuisine. If you have special requests or diet restrictions (because of religion or health reasons), please let us know in advance. Your housing starts on the Sunday before your first day of class and ends on the Saturday after your last day of class, unless otherwise noted. Learn more about homestay housing
It is possible to live in a rented apartment during your study in Salvador, but this tends to be more expensive. ICI provides some assistance with apartment rentals or you can rent an apartment on your own. Learn more about apartment housing
We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.
Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you.
Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Salvador based on your budget, schedule and preferences.
Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.
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