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REFERENCES / TESTIMONIALS
----- Original Message -----
From: Delphine Gaillard
To: Vera F. Donnelly
Sent: Wednesday, February 3, 2022 7:24 AM
Subject: My Portuguese Lessons with Vera
My name is Delphine and I am currently living in Las Vegas, USA.
Until now, I had only ten lessons with Vera, via Skype, but I have to say I'm already addicted to her! I really enjoy learning Portuguese with her. She is a great teacher!
You can tell that she loves to teach! She is also very professional, always on time for the classes and answers to all my questions via e-mail very quickly. I also love when she posts things on my Facebook, because it becomes really fun and entertaining and helps me learn faster.
So, if you want to learn English or Portuguese SHE IS THE ONE!
Thank you Vera! Muito Obrigada!
Delphine Gaillard
VLADIMIR NICONOV - CAMPINAS, S.P.
From: Vladimir Niconov
To: Vera Donnelly
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2021 11:08 AM
Subject: Brazilian Portuguese Lessons
If you are looking for the ideal teacher of Brazilian Portuguese, then Professora Vera Donnelly is a perfect choice.
She has worked as a simultaneous translator English/Portuguese/English, she has rich and diversed teaching experience in universities, language schools and as a private tutor, both in Brazil and in the USA.
Her teaching skill is unparallel. Her politely demanding teaching style one can feel already at the very first lessons. The way she forces you to use correct authentic Brazilian pronunciation, by repeating loudly after her, the way she corrects your pronunciation of short fragments of the texts, is very effective.
Her explanation of Portuguese Grammar, as well as the differences and similarities between Portuguese and English, is also superior and based on deep knowledge of both languages. Indeed, her enthsiasm and love to Brazilian Portuguese and Brazilian culture and people is not just amazing. It is even contagious!
Finally, let me tell you one secret: for successful study of a foreign language, it is essential to love this language, and the native people and the country in which the language is spoken!
Vera Donnelly shows the intrinsic logics and the remarkable beauty of Brazilian Portuguese with its calm tranquil melody, well integrated French flavor, Latin style logic and marvelous emotional expressiveness.
So if somebody asks me about Vera Donnelly as a teacher, both of Portuguese and English languages, I can answer it very shorly: She is strongly recommended! Vladimir
CATHERINE MORRISON - Alexandria, VA.
From: "Catherine Morrison"
Date: Thu, 8 September 2019 19:43:27 EST
Subject: Testimonial
To: verinhacampinasbrasil@gmail.com
My name is Catherine and I have been wanting to learn Portuguese for several months. I tried learning it by myself with language tapes from the library but wasn't getting the results I wanted.
I found Vera's website on the Internet and got in touch with her. I live in Virginia and have been doing Internet courses with her and I'm well pleased!
I love the way she teaches and explains things and is patient.
I would highly recommend her Internet classes!
Sincerely,
Catherine Morrison
ANDREA ESMAY -Bend, Oregon
Andrea Esmay wrote:
From: Andrea Esmay
To: Vera Donnelly
Subject: Testimonial
Date: Mon, 22 August 2019 09:32:00 -0700
I'm an American Brazilian learning Portuguese for the first time in Brazil.
I've had classes with Vera for about a month and half and I have found it incredibly helpful to my understanding of Portuguese outside of the classroom. Vera has a great spirit for teaching while encouraging you to learn more.
If it weren't for Vera's amazing teaching skills, I would be completely lost in my attempt to learn grammar and speak Portuguese.
Andrea Esmay
Bend, Oregon/ Campinas, Sao Paulo
ASH HOLDEN - San Diego, CA.
Date: Thu, 08 Jun 2019 01:48:05 -0700 (PDT)
From: hoden ash
Subject: Testimonial
To: Vera Donnelly
Testimonial:
I stumbled across Vera's website and decided to see what she had to offer.
I was excited to see that I could operate on my own schedule. The format of her lessons works well for me given my hectic and sporadic ways.
I've only begun my studies, but have learned much from her lessons. She has a good way of teaching the language by using cultural and lifestyle references.
Regardless of your reasons for learning Portuguese, Vera is a great resource. She's also really nice.
Ash Holden - San Diego, CA.
ELIZABETH HELSLEY - San Diego, CA
From: "Elizabeth Helsley"
To: "'Vera Donnelly'"
Subject: Testimonial
Date: Oct 15, 2018 22:34:50 -0800
I have been taking lessons with Vera for 2 months now, and I have already learned a tremendous amount. Not only have I learned the Portuguese language, but I have also learned important Brazilian cultural and business customs.
My background is in international business, so learning everything I can about the local culture is especially important to me.
Vera's teaching method is simple and easy to follow. She makes learning fun by incorporating songs into the lessons and mixing it up. I look forward to learning something new in each class.
One of the best things about Vera is her passion for teaching. She is very patient with her students and is truly concerned with making sure the students are learning.
To anyone who is considering taking lessons with Vera, my advice is--Go for it! You won't regret it!
Elizabeth Helsley
TRACY FUNG
ESL Program Coordinator
Palomar College- Escondido, CA
October 20th, 2005
To Whom It May Concern,
Vera F. Donnelly has been an instructor in the Palomar College Evening ESL program for three and a half years. As the current Evening Program Coordinator, I have observed Vera's class and interacted with her on a regular basis. I recommend Vera as an enthusiastic and committed teacher who loves her profession.
Vera is a dedicated, committed teacher who endeavors to create interesting and fun lessons. She often speaks with me regarding ideas for classroom activities and she brings in pictures and props related to her lessons to use in class.
Something that is particularly noteworthy about Vera is her enthusiasm and energy. She frequently interacts with students outside of class. Vera is always willing to help and she is well-liked by other faculty members and staff.
It is with pleasure that I recommend Vera F. Donnelly as an English teacher.
CAROL LOWTHER
ESL Program Coordinator
Palomar College- Escondido, CA
May 18,2005
To Whom It May Concern:
Vera F. Donnelly has taught in the evening ESL program at Palomar College for three and a half years. Since I was the Program Coordinator, I interacted with Vera on a daily basis and observed her in the classroom. As a result, I am able to recommend her as a hard-working and creative teacher who really enjoys her students.
Vera is a very committed teacher. She plans her classes well in advance and strives to make her lessons interesting and fun. She is a most reliable individual who gets along well with the rest of the faculty, the office staff and the students.
What is most impressive about Vera is her energetic and colorful personality, which certainly comes through in her teaching. Her classes are entertaining and lively as she is not afraid to use music, dance or drama to help the students learn. Vera really cares about her students and wants them to enjoy English as she does.
It is with pleasure that I recommend Vera F. Donnelly as an English teacher!
PHIL CONRAD - Orange County, CA.
From: Phil Conrad
Subject: Portuguese Lessons Via the Telephone
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2004 19:25:14 -0700
To: Vera Donnelly
To whom this might concern
When I was unable to find someone willing to teach me Brazilian Portuguese at home privately , as I would have preferred, I reluctantly decided to give Mrs. Vera Donnelly a chance to prove that she could just as effectively teach me over the phone as she initially claimed.
I am delighted to report that after only four such lessons I am convinced to be able to achieve my objective: be fluent in basic conversational Brazilian Portuguese in three months!
I found that Vera is strict and attentive, working with me during those sessions diligently and patiently, until I get it right!
I also appreciate the fact the her teaching has the right balance of vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and practical information on Brazil.
Most of all, I am convinced that the blend of teaching over the phone with homework is the most effective way to get me where I want to go, leaving me the flexibility of my schedule that I treasure so much.
I would be more than happy to provide additional information if needed.
Phil Conrad
Orange County, CA
STACY N. -Encinitas, CA
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 2004 20:12:49 -0700 (PDT)
From: Stacy N
Subject: testimonial
To: Vera Donnelly
I am taking Portuguese purely for personal enrichment.
Traveling in Brazil a few years ago piqued my interest in the language, the people and the culture. I’ve wanted to learn Brazilian Portuguese ever since.
In the six weeks that I’ve been taking Portuguese lessons with Vera, not only has my vocabulary greatly increased, but also I’ve noticed dramatic improvements in my understanding of grammar and pronunciation.
Vera exhibits all of the best qualities a teacher can possess: she is enthusiastic about the subject, effective in her techniques, patient, perceptive and fun. She uses examples to explain difficult points and peppers the language lessons with bits of cultural and historical information.
Each class is tailored to the individual student so that you learn at your own pace.
I highly recommend Vera to anyone who really wants to (or needs to) learn Brazilian Portuguese.
Vera is super!
Stacy N. - Encinitas CA
PAUL DOMICIANO - Rockleigh, N.J.
--- Paul Domiciano wrote:
Subject: Testimonial
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 12:39:33 -0400
From: "Paul Domiciano"
To: "Vera Donnelly"
My Name is Paul. I am Brazilian and have lived here in the United States for the last thirty years.
I am an electrical engineer and handle some Brazilian accounts. I also write articles for Brazilian magazines and some of my work has also been published in the Internet.
I met Vera through a search engine and have hired her as an editor. Vera's work has been outstanding! She not only manages my Portuguese with zeal, but she also gives me suggestions on how better to express my ideas.
Vera's bilingual knowledge is also very helpful since we can communicate on either language, Portuguese or English. I also think she is a very pleasant and fun person to deal with.
Thank you Vera for your help. I really appreciate your work!
Paul Domiciano
Senior Project Engineer
Crestron Electronics, Inc
JIM VOYVODICH - San Diego, CA
From: "Jim Voyvodich"
To: verinhacampinas@yahoo.com
Subject: testimonial
Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 14:42:36 -0800
My name is Jim Voyvodich and I work for Delta Airlines.
UCSD has extension classes in Portuguese, and I took the first quarter. The class was okay, I did get a B+ in the class, but I realized the classroom experience was not for me.
My real language experience began when I found Vera. I have been taking classes for about 6 months now and have enjoyed every moment.
Vera teaches at my pace and has walked me along the road to learning Portuguese. Vera is very flexible and has great insight in her teaching methods, which is a credit to her as a teacher.
I have never tried to learn another language in my life. I enjoy every session with Vera. She makes a great cup of Brazilian coffee and we have a lot of fun! Portuguese is a very difficult language to learn, and Vera has made learning it a joy.
If you are serious about learning Portuguese, then Vera is the person you need.
Sincerely,
Jim Voyvodich
MONIKA WUTTKE - San Diego, CA
From: "Wuttke, Monika J"
To: "'Vera Donnelly'"
Subject: Testimonial
Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2004 18:53:28 -0500
I have been taking Portuguese lessons with Vera Donnelly for about two months.A friend recommended Vera, and I have found her teaching methods to be very effective.
What I enjoy most about her class is how she incorporates Brazilian culture with learning the language. As a fluent Spanish-speaker, I enjoy seeing the similarities of the languages, as well as the many differences.
Although the hardest aspect for me so far has been the pronunciation, and Vera has done a wonderful job encouraging me and making sure I understand the correct pronunciation.
I am learning Portuguese for business purposes, and within a year, I hope to have the language skills to travel and conduct business.
Monika Wuttke
BORIS BENDER - Encinitas, CA.
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 16:22:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Boris Bender"
Subject: Testimonial
To: "Vera Donnelly"
Vera is a very effective and wonderful teacher. She is not just teaching me words and phrases, but knows how to explain historic facts and how Portuguese is spoken in Brazil.
I love her lessons and I love Brazil. If you considering learning how to speak Portuguese I highly recommend you Vera Donnelly as a teacher.
Boris Bender
CELINA SONNIE - Oceansise, CA.
From: Celina Sonnie
Subject: Testimonial
To: Vera Donnelly
My name is Celina Sonnie and I found Vera´s web page via Google.CA. This web page gives excellent information on Vera and her background as well as her lessons.
I've thoroughly enjoyed our lessons and found them extremely effective and prefer your teaching methods especially being immersed in Brazilian culture.
So far from what I ve experienced, you are one of the best teachers I've had, because of your conversational and learning approach.
Celina Sonnie
SERENA DAROSA- Sacramento, CA
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2003 10:52:59 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Serena Darosa"
To: "Vera Donnelly"
Subject: Testimonial
Hi everybody! My name is Serena. I am from Sacramento, California.
Before I had started taking lessons online with Vera, I had tried other methods to learn Portuguese by myself or with books and flash cards. Some methods were helpful, but most were not.
Vera's lessons on the Internet at first I thought were kind of fast, but she is a very understanding teacher and assured me that I could take all the time I needed in order to really soak up all the information.
I took this extra time I was given and put it to good use my first lesson was perfect and I had no corrections!
Though I'm just starting, I believe there is a lot I will from Vera. I am very confident that she will do her best as a teacher to see that my needs as a student are met.
If you are serious about learning Portuguese she is the teacher for you!
Original Message----- BRAD SURAK - San Diego, CA.
From: "Brad Surak"
To: verinhacampinas@yahoo.com
Subject: Testimonial
Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 15:06:27 +0000
My wife is Brazilian, and it's been a long time goal of mine to learn Portuguese. I originally enrolled in classes at Berlitz and found it difficult, and expensive, to progress at the speed I had hoped for. While my goal was to speak fluently in casual settings, I also wanted to speak very well and have a solid understanding of the fundamentals of the language so I could also use Portuguese in business.
I wanted to follow a structured curriculum that combined reading, writing, and speaking Portuguese. Vera exceeded my expectations. Her 20+ years of teaching experience combined with her vast knowledge of languages and love of Brazilian history makes for interesting and productive lessons.
Vera was able to assess my skill level with Portuguese and tailor lessons to my particular needs. Her lessons combine music, cultural discussions, reading, writing, and video to immerse her students in Portuguese and ensure that they develop a well rounded set of skills that will enable them to communicate in a wide variety of situations.
I'm extremely happy with the results! Vera is such a supportive and professional instructor and such a genuinely nice person that my lessons with her have become one of most enjoyable parts of my week! I would strongly recommend her to anyone looking to learn Portuguese!
Brad Surak
LARRY NICKELL - West Virginia
Larry Nickell wrote:
From: "Larry Nickell"
To: "Vera Donnelly"
Subject: Testimonial
Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 09:53:34 -0500
I feel very fortunate to have found Vera Donnelly to translate Portuguese on my three way calls to Brazil.
Her English is excellent and her service is professional. I know that I can rely on Vera to give an accurate translation of both sides of the conversation. Vera has also been helpful after the call with an analysis of the conversation based on her unique understanding of life in Brazil.
Larry Nickell
LINDA SLUPSKY - Garden Grove, CA.
--- Linda Slupsky wrote:
Date: Thu, 02 May 2002 23:15:54 -0700
From: Linda Slupsky
To: Vera Donnelly
Subject: Obrigada!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Professora Vera,
Although we never met before my classes in Portuguese began in San Marcos, California, I felt like we were old friends. Our correspondence by email was great until our classes officially began. Your methods of teaching were very effective. They were challenging, yet flexible. You were always willing to accommodate my wishes. When I began studying with you, I intended to do translations into Portuguese. After a short time, we changed our focus onto just learning about the language and Brazilian culture. It was truly worth driving 3 hours and 145 miles a day, three times a week for nearly two months for your classes.
Even today, nearly three years later, I still have my copies of our taped lessons. I continue to strive to improve my Portuguese. Even a native Brasileira said my written Portuguese was very good. On my most recent trip to Brazil in February 2002, I was able to hold a conversation with a perfect stranger for nearly two hours. He said that he could understand everything that I was saying. I was able to talk about Brazilian and American culture, life and my spiritual practice of Falun Dafa. Thanks to your tutoring, many Brazilians have been able to discover the benefits of the mind and body spiritual practice of Falun Dafa.
A great teacher is one that students remember and follow long after the teaching ends.
Thank you for being a great teacher, about Brazilian culture, the language and life.
Abraços,
Linda Slupsky Garden Grove, CA
----- Original Message -----
From: Daniella Zibordi
To: verinhacampinas@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, April 13, 2001 5:50 PM
Subject: Hi!
My name's Daniella Zibordi. I have studied English with Vera for 2 months.
I am Brazilian, 23 years old. I am a Systems Analyst and I work with billing software. I visited Vera's personal web page and I liked her resume very much.
Vera is a wonderful teacher and person. She has a lot of pacience and she has a special skill to teach English and Portuguese!
My classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To me they aren't simple classes,but special moments. I highly reccomend Vera as a Portuguese or English teacher!
Bye,
Dany Zibordi - Campinas, Brazil
PROFESSIONAL TUTORS OF AMERICA (PTA) - Brea, CA.
July 24, 2002
This letter is to serve as reference for VERA DONNELLY.
Vera has been an academic tutor for our company since October, 2001. Although I am not present at the tutoring sessions, as they are done at each students' home, I have received positive feedback from the parents.
Vera has been very reliable, and has proven to be an asset to our company.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me.
Sincerely,
Ron Harraka
Director
Professional Tutors of America
(800) TEACH US
REID MIDDLETON - San Diego, CA.
reid middleton wrote:
Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 15:38:07 -0700 (PDT)
From: reid middleton
Subject: lessons
To: verinhacampinas@yahoo.com
Hello. I am a lawyer in San Diego and have been taking Portugese lessons from Vera for the past month and am thrilled with the results. I have been to Brazil twice and am anxious to go back. I am very confident that after my lessons with Vera I will be able to speak Portugese well enough to meet more people and experience more things on my next trip to Brazil.
Vera is very patient and speaks great English so the lessons are clear and easy to understand.
Her fees are very reasonable especially given how much you will learn.
I highly recommend taking lessons from Vera Donnelly.
Reid Middleton
San Diego,CA
The Pontifical Catholic University at Campinas
Campinas, February 14th, 2000
This letter is to introduce VERA LUCIA F. DONNELLY to the Educational Institutions in the United States of America.
VERA LUCIA F. DONNELLY was employed as a Faculty Member at The Pontifical Catholic University at Campinas (PUC-Campinas), S. Paulo, Brazil from June 1st, 1987 to February 28th, 1990.
Her teaching curriculum included the following subjects in the English Department at the University:
- English Language - Writing Practice I.
- English Language - Composition I.
- English Language - Composition II.
- English Language Applied to Social Communications with specialization in the following courses: Library Studies, Advertising, Publicity and Public Relations.
Her lesson preparations and presentations resulted in very successful relationships not only with her students, but also with her colleagues.
We at the University would highly recommend Mrs. DONNELLY for any comparable position at the University level in the United States of America.
Professor Nair Leme Fobé
Director
Instituto de Letras - PUC- Campinas