Little England was founded by Simon St. Clair Smallwood, an English teacher from London, who studied languages at Oxford University and came to Brazil in 1973. By 1982, it was already becoming clear that the demands of globalization meant that there were increasing numbers of executives from national and multinational companies, who really needed to improve their language skills but who were unable to continue their studies due to travel and work commitments.  The solution was to create a course that would combine a condensed regular English curriculum with a focus on such business activities as making Presentations, hosting Conference Calls and holding Meetings.  Today’s LE programmes are the result of more than 30 years of trial-and-error organic evolution.

 

Activities

 

Our original motto in 1982 was: “Spend 5 Days in England without Leaving Brazil” and we have tried to remain true to the intent and spirit of this phrase ever since.

 

From the moment they arrive at LE until the time they leave, students will neither hear nor speak any Portuguese. For this reason we require that all candidates should have at least a pre-intermediate level of English.

 

The program is highly intensive and demands total participation in the classroom and during the many other student-teacher activities which take place over the course of the day.