English Around Me

Project developed by English 1 students at CLAC/UFRJ. How does the English language impact your daily life?

[englisharoundme]

Why learning English is important in Science of Information?

My name is Christian, I’m 21 years old and I study Biblioteconomy at UFRJ. My writing is based on the question “Why do you think learning English is important?”

Learning English in a world that was extremely impacted by it is no longer a “want” thing, it became a “need” thing. A second language is highly appreciated in the job market these days, way more if you are advanced in English.

In my routine, being certificated that you know English is high demand when I’m looking for a job, most of the occupations in Biblioteconomy and the Science of Information requires a second language.

Thinking in the future, to get a phD requires knowledge in two more languages (besides the native), so it’s best to start studying now.

Text written by Christian Ramallho. English 1 student at CLAC.

[englisharoundme]

"My English of millions!"

Hi everyone! My name is Rita Saturnino. I’m 57 years old, I study English in CLAC UFRJ, I live in Ilha do Governador, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

My First Training is accounting technician, but I exercised other Profession as hair style, makeup and hairdresser for more than 20 years. When I was younger, I think it was beautiful people spoke another language. At the time I did not have money to learn English, After that I did not have time to learn English. Now is the moment! I have time, money, and CLAC to learn English! English entered my life through: Music, movies, and series. Also the names of the professional products and instructions written in English. Nowadays, I need to learn English to live in another country.

Learning English is very positive, because I know more about other cultures and communicate better. Speaking English, I feel important, modern, engaged and involved. I don't see any negative aspects in learning English. For me, to have more knowledge is very good.

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Me and English ✨

Hello, my name is Victória. I am a student of psychology at UFRJ and I am learning English at CLAC. I live in Rio de Janeiro and I am twenty years old. English is present in my routine on social media, books, music, movies and series. For me, learning English is essential to feel more connected to the world. And English is important for my professional career. I feel adorable when I understand or use English. But I don't like being “forced” to learn English in order to feel connected and because of my professional future. I love learning a new language but english is not my favorite language. I prefer Spanish. The negative point of learning English would be that it would be “forced” and the positive point is that I can have access to more content from series, films, books and music. English expands my identity and my opportunities.

[englisharoundme]

Hello guys, how are you?

My name is Gabriel, i have twenty five years old, i borned in Minas Gerais, but im living in Rio de Janeiro now, because i study nurse in the UFRJ.

The english is present in my routine, when i listen music and watch american series and movies, i like terror movie. I think there is no negative impact, because english help me understand new cultures and new words every day, i think it is a positive impact when i read texts in english.

[englisharoundme]

Culture, work and personal relationships… English in my life.

Hello, my name is Edjofli and my relationship with UFRJ has always been indirect. I graduated from IFRJ in Environmental Management, but I was a researcher at the Institute of Economics of UFRJ between 2018 and 2020, and now I am a student at CLAC. I am currently a project manager working with data analysis and corporate project management.

English is a constant in my life in 3 main aspects: in my day-to-day life, when I need to communicate with some friends who don't speak Portuguese, even if not very often; in the cultural aspect, when I consume foreign music, films and series (I'm a big fan of the Game of Thrones universe). Lastly, in the professional aspect, English is more influential, since I constantly need to carry out part of my work in this language, especially when writing reports and talking to stakeholders from other countries who participate in projects that I execute.

I believe that the impact on my identity is beneficial, because the more I spend time with people who speak English, the more I can open my mind regarding the logical meaning that the language has in our lives, which is good because it shows a certain relationship with my area of ​​work (data are codes that need to be aligned to make sense).

Regarding the negative aspects, I believe it is the same as most non-native speakers: I end up consuming more international culture than that of my own country. This is something I am trying to change, especially when it comes to Brazilian music. Regarding the positive aspects, I think they outweigh the negative ones, because, firstly, speaking English gives me a sense of empowerment, because I feel ready to go anywhere in the world and be able to communicate in a lingua franca. Secondly, living with the language at work helps me be prepared for future challenges in my professional life, especially in the technology field, which demands a lot of fluency in English.

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Recalculating the English place in my life: limits and possibilities

Hello, everyone! I am Thaynara Costa, I am 30 years old, I am carioca, born and raised in the west of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I am a teacher, educational advisor and postgraduate at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Since 2013, I have prioritized the study of the English language to improve my research. However, language learning has never been my priority and desire. I always felt a lot of difficulty in learning the language, especially in consolidating information. For me, everything was disposable and meaningless. However, the desire to travel alone and visit Norway to hunt Northern Lights has changed my relationship with the language. I realize that English, especially for women, allows better professional positioning and more freedom and independence to travel the world. But I see that language has gained relevance to the detriment of other languages and affects communication, culture and knowledge production. Thus, I have asked: what are the limits and possibilities of language for Brazilians? How much does the language affect our field of possibilities? And you, why did you decide to learn the language? Tell me here!

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English in my life

Hello, everyone. My name is Rodrigo Souza and today I'd like to tell you a little about how English has influenced my life. Over the years, I've realized that proficiency in the language has become an important tool for my professional and personal development. I have a degree in Business Administration and i am currently studying for a postgraduate degree in Human Resources Management. Throughout my academic and professional life, I have strived to develop the skills and knowledge needed to manage teams and people effectively in organizations. The English language is present in many aspects of my day-to-day work and it is a useful tool for my development. The search for learning the language was for a better understanding of the films and series I usually watch in their native language, in research for my degree, which por because I seek more in-depth knowledge these contents are in English, and in leisure time when I'm playing my online games. The main negative aspect of learning English in Brazil today is that since the language is not taught in schools from basic education onwards, we have to seek to learn it at another time in our lives, and with that the investment in teaching ends up being very high, so I see that it ends up creating a barrier for new people to have knowledge of the language. And the positive thing about learning English is that it is the most common language for global communication, so learning it becomes a gateway to new opportunities.

[englisharoundme]

My Experience with English: Daily Life and Reflections

Hello, I am Andryelle, 16 years old and I use English in my routine, most of the time, through songs, paying attention to the lyrics and sometimes understanding what they mean. Learning English is important, as it is the most used language in the world and ends up opening several doors of opportunities. Examples: communicating with different people from all over the world, studying abroad, traveling to some countries that speak English without it being your mother tongue and getting good jobs. Sometimes, when I'm learning or speaking in English, I feel very insecure, but at the same time, very excited and confident, because I'm learning a new language, a new way of communicating and expressing myself.

[englisharoundme]

A Little Bit About Me

Hi, I’m Aline, 28 years old, and hold a degree in language. People think I love Spanish because I’m a fan of Shakira, but my true passion is literature. Besides liking songs (especially those from Shakira) in English, I started to love English Literature, like Shaskespeare and Jane Austen. I decided to learn English so I could read the original books.

Globalization helps us get books from other countries and learn new languages. I recognize that other people find it hard to keep their Brazilian identity when learning English, but that’s not my case. I still have a strong Brazilian identity, shaped by our literature. Without it, maybe I would think like a girl from the 19th century.

I guess I didn’t say that little, did I?

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The importance of English in my life.

Hello! My name is Leticia. I was born and live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I have a degree in Law and I am military of the Navy. I decided to learn English because it is a language that offers many job opportunities. I plan to serve a period in another country. It also makes communication easier when traveling to other countries, which is also a plan. I am currently studying for other exams that require English language questions, so this learning will be important for me in many ways. The English language is present in my daily life because I really like watching movies and series, but I prefer the original audio, so I always watch it with subtitles, even at the cinema. English is present in almost everything and I am happy to learn it, even if I am just starting out in the process. I believe that this interest and enthusiasm do not affect my identity, especially because I love the Portuguese language and it has always been one of my favorite subjects in school. Developed by Leticia Beiriz, English student, CLAC UFRJ student.

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IN SEARCH OF NORTH AMERICAN FLUENCY

Today, knowing English makes a big difference, because in our country, with globalization, many things have received North American influence, whether from the language itself or even from cultural habits; although I understand that English does not connect me to my cultural heritage.

I use English in my daily life, reading scientific articles; because I work in the health area and a lot of research is of North American origin or available in this language; I rarely listen to music; outside of this context, I do not have much contact with English: when I use English in writing or speaking, I feel strange and even a little confused; listening to it is also something strange for me, depending on who is speaking and how fast they speak (accents); that is why, for me, it is important to learn this language; besides, I consider communication to be something very important; We cannot relate without communication, be it in any place or social group. Another fact to consider is that in our country, those who are fluent in a second language become professionals who stand out in the market and consequently earn better salaries.

Little by little, I am becoming familiar with English and learning to like this language; I hope that in a while, I will be able to be fluent and perhaps even proficient; lol.

Developed by Alessandra, Nurse, RJ and student at CLAC UFRJ.

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English in my routine

Hi, guys! My name is Carolyne, but you can call me Carol. I am 22 years old. Nowadays, I live in Governor’s Island to facilitate my studying routine, but my hometown is Belford Roxo. I am a nature lover. That’s why I study Biological Sciences at UFRJ, and I am a scientific initiation student on pollination at the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro. So, English is present in my educational routine through articles and books I need to read. In my personal life, I watch series and listen music in English. I think English can impact my identity in many ways because I listen to music and watch series in English, so I consume its culture and I reproduce words and customs. So, the positive aspects of using the English are learning about other cultures, expanding academic knowledge and meeting new people and places. But it has negative aspects too. One of them is the loss of native culture because they think the culture coming from the English language is better than that produced in our country.

Carolyne Cristina Miranda Miguel, a student of Biological Sciences and a student of CLAC - UFRJ.

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Hiii, what's up ? My name is Mariana Fontes. I'm 23 years old and I'm from Madureira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I graduated from IFRJ as an Oil and Gas technician. Now, I study pharmacy at UFRJ and English at CLAC UFRJ. English is present in my routine by movies, music, series, and academic resources. The impacts of English on my identity are connected with my perceptions of society. The positive aspect is the communication with the world. But it can be negative because the excessive consumption of books, videos and films in English can affect my perspective of Brazilian identity and culture.

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Our Everyday English

My name is Jorge Luiz, I am a Clac-UFRJ student, and I have a degree in Library Science and Information Unit Management. The English language is present in our daily lives, where we absorb this culture naturally, whether in music, fast food, or movies. For this reason, I need and want to learn this language more deeply. One of the negative aspects in my opinion is that we are gradually losing our own identity and our culture, our way of being as a nation, and becoming acculturated and captured by the foreign language. On the positive side, we can highlight globalization and insertion as citizens in the world.

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My history with English

Hello guys! My name is Ana Clara Araujo and i am twenty-two years old. I live in Ilha do Governador, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. I was born on April 29th, 2002 and I consider myself a reserved person.

I´m a student of chemistry at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, but I also always wanted to study pharmacy.

English is present in my daily routine through TV series, movies and music. My interest in this language started when I was ten years old and always listened to the boyband “One Direction” and watched “The Walking Dead”. Through them, I started to understand more. 

Part of who I´m today is due to the amount of English material I´ve read, and the movies I´ve watched.

Americanized culture is very present in my tastes. The positive part is how you can learn a new language and a new culture, but some people end up leaving behind their own culture and practices. For Example, a lot of Brazilian put USA at the top of the world and forget how Brazil is amazing

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ENGLISH IN MY DAILY ROUTINE

Hello, my name is Sonia. I am from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I am a psychology student at UFRJ. I study psychology because I like to understand people's behavior, thoughts, and feelings.

Psychology involves reading and learning how to help people. In my course, I also learn how to talk to patients and understand their needs. I study at UFRJ, where I have teachers and resources that support me. However, sometimes my educational process faces some challenges, which makes it tiring and difficult to keep up with my studies.

English is part of my daily life because many psychology texts and research are in English. I also watch videos and attend lectures in English to learn more and stay updated in my field. English is very helpful because it provides me with more information and connects me with people from other countries. Sometimes, it is a little difficult to understand all the words, but I feel it helps me improve my skills and be more prepared.

Regarding the positive aspects, English helps me learn more and stay informed about new developments in psychology. It also gives me opportunities to learn from people from other countries. From a negative perspective, it can sometimes be tiring, especially when English has difficult words, which can slow me down in my studies.

Sonia do Santos Goñes – English student at CLAC/Letras/UFRJ