Teacher requesting advice

[verntern]

I am a retired UK primary teacher, not an English language teacher, and would appreciate suggestions/advice about the following matter.
My Brazilian partner and I intend to live in the UK and Brazil for alternate 6 month periods. She speaks very little English. My intention is that she eventually can enrol on a local ESOL course. I am assuming that to benefit from the most basic course she will have to have a better knowledge of English to be able to understand what a tutor is trying to impart? I am guessing that there will not be many UK ESOL teachers who can cross communicate in Portuguese? I have suggested that she brings with her some basic books/workbooks that a Brazilian student would use in their school English lessons. Then I would try to work with her to reach a simple conversational level before she enrols on a course. I would be grateful for advice regarding learning resources I could buy in the UK as additional material to begin this process. Thank you for any suggestions. Regards.

 

[Abstract Idea]

I am a retired UK primary teacher, not an English language teacher, and would appreciate suggestions/advice about the following matter.
My Brazilian partner and I intend to live in the UK and Brazil for alternate 6 month periods. She speaks very little English. My intention is that she eventually can enrol on a local ESOL course. I am assuming that to benefit from the most basic course she will have to have a better knowledge of English to be able to understand what a tutor is trying to impart? I am guessing that there will not be many UK ESOL teachers who can cross communicate in Portuguese? I have suggested that she brings with her some basic books/workbooks that a Brazilian student would use in their school English lessons. Then I would try to work with her to reach a simple conversational level before she enrols on a course. I would be grateful for advice regarding learning resources I could buy in the UK as additional material to begin this process. Thank you for any suggestions. Regards.

I don't think it is necessary for her to have a minimum previous English knowledge in order to benefit from an ESOL course in the UK. In fact there are many English courses designed for beginners which do not rely on translation methods, so even if you are in a non English speaking country the teacher tries to use only English in classroom. In fact these methods can work better in mixed classrooms, with international students, where they do not have a common language other than English.

 

[Tdol]

And if you work with her outside the classes, and help her with any difficulties she has with the materials used on her course, it will help her progress faster.

There are also a few bilingual sites for Portuguese speakers learning English here:
Bilingual Sites - ESL Web Directory - UsingEnglish.com