Gisele is an awesome teacher. She makes classes fun, and is very creative in the way in which she teaches. I loved learning and develping my Portuguese skill with her!
Gabriel Gonsalves, actor
Melanie Lockert, Fine Arts & Culture Director
Gisele is great! I’ve been taking lessons with her at an intermediate level for 10 months, and having two hours of conversation practice every week has really improved my listening and speaking skills. The classes are varied and we usually spend time conversing, working out of a textbook, and doing other things like reading magazine articles or discussing a Brazilian film.
Gisele has been teaching for several years and understands the grammar of the language very well (something I now realize is important, because not everyone who speaks the language knows how to teach it). But she also brings in a lot of colloquial expressions and idioms, which is important because spoken Brazilian Portuguese is quite different from the formal written language, and while a textbook can teach you how to write like a Brazilian, only a Brazilian can teach you how to speak like one. Plus she’s from Florianopolis so she’s pretty easy to understand 🙂
I wasn’t sure at first if group lessons would be for me, but the group sizes have been small (2-3 people), I’ve learned a lot from my classmates, and the conversation is more enjoyable with other people to talk to, especially since we occasionally meet at a coffeeshop. Definitely a great way to learn Portuguese.
Lauren Steely, Geologist
Gisele provides a perfect balance of academic and cultural instruction. Her academic teaching is equal to, or better than, the college-level Portuguese classes I took in Brazil and the United States. Gisele will work with you to develop a curriculum that achieves your goals. Her classes are always fun and provide a fresh and real perspective on Brazilian cultural issues. Gisele’s broad knowledge of various topics allows for timely instruction on events taking place in Brazil and throughout the world. Gisele is a fantastic instructor! I highly recommend her to students of any level.
Joel Aldape, Research Analyst
e aí cara, tudo bem? vocé quer falar portuguese? antes de viajar para Brasil, eu estudei com a Gisele. Eu sou americana e antes de conhecer ela eu nunca falou portuguese. Eu conheci ela na aula dela em Santa Monica em 2003 e ento eu estudava particularmente com ela na casa dela. Foi ótimo! Bem bacana! Ela me ensinou tudo! Mais do que a idioma, mas as coisas culturais tambem. Depois, eu morava no Rio há 4 anos e estudava lá tambem. Agora, eu moro em Los Angeles e eu tenho um filho brasileiro. Ele faz 3 anos e fala portuguese fluentemente. Para aprender uma idioma é dificil, especialmente quando vocé está mais velho, mas com Gisele eu nunca tive vergonha e eu quis saber tudo. Foi bem fácil. Sem as coisas que ela me ensinou, minha primeira vez lá no Rio poderia ter sido horrível. Eu recomendo Gisele si vocé quiser aprender portuguese. Com ela vocé vai falar bem logo! Boa sorte! If you can;t understand what I wrote above, then know this. Before 2003, I couldn’t speak, understand or write portuguese. Gisele established the foundation upon which I could learn and communicate in this language. If she can do this for me she can do this for anyone. Before portuguese, I studied spanish and german and I can’t understand or speak either. Languages have never been my thing, but now I am fluent in portuguese and have no problem communicating in this wonderful language.
Matthew Smith, entrepreneur
Gisele is great! I began taking classes with her while in college. I had studied abroad in Brazil and wanted to keep up my Portuguese but there were no classes offered at Occidental College. I looked for instructors online and saw that Gisele was based in Eagle Rock where I lived. I have now been studying with her for almost 2 years and I would highly recommend her to anybody who wants to learn Portuguese for the first time or improve their existing language skills.
My favorite thing about her class is that she is good at balancing grammar, reading, writing and conversation. She uses textbooks to go over verb tenses, new words and grammar but you end up having rich discussions about other topics throughout the lesson that help broaden your vocabulary and your conversation skills. As my classmate and I got more advanced, the class turned into a book group where we read Brazilian literature, wrote chapter summaries and discussed our thoughts throughout. She also incorporated culture, such as art and music, into the lessons. This made the class fun and engaging.
Overall, Gisele is a fantastic teacher because she varies her lessons and ensures her students receive a well-rounded knowledge of the Portuguese language and relevant culture.
Portuguese Classes (in LA and online) 
AMAZING instructor that is ALWAYS smiling! Worth every minute and every dime.
Thanks to Gisele I am now fluent in Portuguese, who could ask for anything more? I can read, write and speak Brazilian Portuguese which has opened the door to a whole new life! She loves to laugh and makes learning fun I give her the highest recommendation.
Giselle was super helpful in teaching me the basics before going on vacation in Brazil. I doubt I’ll go overseas again on vacation without some language lessons. The cost for lessons is nominal compared to what I spent the vacation. Whats it worth to communicate in a foreign land with strangers? Every penny.
I could not have asked for a better (or friendlier!) tutor! I started taking lessons with Gisele hoping to learn a few key phrases for my trip to Brazil. Six months later, the trip has come and gone, and I’m still taking classes. She’s inspired me to continue learning Portuguese as a second language, and what’s more, made me believe I can do it! An amazing instructor, and invaluable to anyone wanting to learn the language at any level.
Gisele is a fantastic teacher! She takes the time to make sure that her students learn all the important material and engages each one of us to be as active and motivated as possible. Before I knew it, I was able to have comfortable conversations on topics as diverse as my career plans to the latest movies I have watched.
Given the setup of Gisele’s classes (small groups) and the fact that she has been teaching for a good amount of time (and people with different linguistic backgrounds (ex: I am french speaking)), she manages to touch upon the key points and material that will boost each student’s learning abilities.
I highly recommend classes with Gisele!