While visiting the state of Ceará for the 3rd Regional ESP seminar, teacher at the Modern Languages Department of UFAL (Universidade Federal de Alagoas) Hilda Laffitte got to know about the Casas de Cultura Britânica.
Therefore, she intended to discuss her ideas about setting up a similar school in Maceió with the regional British Council representative, Mr Denis Claire, during an English seminar in Santa Catarina. However, although she could only talk to his substitute, later on an official visit to UFAL was arranged.
Between 1977 and 1981 Ms Hilda Lafitte, the idealizer of Casa de Cultura Britânica, contacted institutes, coordinators and authorities in order to accomplish her plans. With the help of Mr João Azevedo, who was the current dean of UFAL, she established there a national project of an ESP course for Brazilian universities and their national coordinators. Dr Maria Alba Celani and Mr John Holmes came to Maceió to lead a course sponsored by the British Council.
Some time later Ms Lafitte managed to found Casa de Cultura Britânica in the premises of the Commercial Association of Alagoas. The first students were from the UFAL language course. Afterwards, the school moved to the former Rua do Apolo (current Rua Melo Morais), where a small room had to be split into two in order to house its office and a classroom. There were ten teachers and ten groups by then and most of its students were children. At that time, students had to take a Portuguese entry test to start the course.
Finally, Casa de Cultura Britânica (CCB) was granted a small room with 20 desks at Espaço Cultural Universitário, the former Rectory of UFAL, and it started growing little by little so that more and more room was provided. Nowadays CCB holds over 150 groups working in a three-period timetable for nearly 4,000 students. It also sponsors six external groups in the suburbs of Maceió, which is part of the Teaching English in Needy Communities project.
In 1989 CCB had already initiated its English teaching activity when Casas de Cultura Britânica, Francesa, Alemã, Latino-Americana and Luso-Brasileira were officially created by Professor Salomão de Almeida Barros Lima, who was the Extension Dean of UFAL at the time. Mr Lima formulated an extension programme called Extension: knowledge and social commitment.
All Casas de Cultura aim at promoting culture and rendering services to the community through regular language courses.
The heads behind the success - Coordinators through the years
It is not by sheer chance that CCB has become the largest English school in Alagoas.
A project of the Language Department of UFAL (Faculdade de Letras – FALE), Casa de Cultura Britânica has, through all these years, been supported by highly competent coordinators (all FALE professors) as well as pedagogical assistants. It is due to their hard work and creativity, allied with their big respect for teachers, staff members and also students that the school has gained enormous respect from the community and achieved success.
“ A dream come true.”
Teacher Hilda Laffite, founder and first coordinator of Casa de Cultura Britânica
Under her management the English course was started as well as moved to its present location, at Espaço Cultural Universitário.
She was the great idealizer of the project which has become reference in English language teaching in Maceió.
“The possibility of finding talents and train English language teachers, as well as democratizing access to English language knowledge to people in needy areas, which had not been done before.”
Teacher Magda Zanotto, coordinator of Casa de Cultura Britânica between 1990 and February, 1996
Some of the highlights of her management, among other aspects, were the opening of the English course to the community in 1990, the backup gained from the British Council and the language and methodology workshops provided for the teachers.
“To me, Casa de Cultura Britânica was, on one side, a triple challenge: to renovate infrastructure, value teachers by incentivizing qualification and fighting for dignified wages, and offer good quality courses. On the other hand, it was a joy to work together with such a special group, a great happiness to make friends among the staff and the satisfaction of mission accomplishment.”
Dr Márcia Rossetti, coordinator of Casa de Cultura Britânica from January, 1996 to December, 2000
The modernization of infrastructure and the introduction of information technology, as well as the permanent quest to provide good quality courses were some of the highlights of her management. Besides, staff qualification was always a priority.
“A great exchange of knowledge and harmonious living between the faculty, pedagogical assistance, office staff, and of course, our students.”
Dr Ildney de Fátima Souza Cavalcanti, coordinator of Casa de Cultura Britânica from 2000 to 2001
Continuing the excellent prior work being developed in the school, one of the highlights of her management was when course book author Professor Paul Seligson came on Ms Cavalcanti’s invitation to visit the school and give a talk to the teachers.
“Growth, learning and interaction.”
Dr Roseanne Tavares, coordinator of Casa de Cultura Britânica from September, 2001 to August, 2003
Some of the highlights of her management were the growth of number of students, reaching over 2,500 at the time, the continuous incentive to teacher and staff qualification and the consolidation of the projects in needy communities, besides significant improvement in infrastructure and equipment.
“A new personal and professional challenge at UFAL, rewarding in both ways.”
Dr Ana Cecília Acioli Lima, present coordinator of Casa de Cultura Britânica, since August, 2003
Since then, classrooms have been remodeled so as to have acoustic isolation. New course books and equipment have been purchased, and the qualification of teachers and other staff members have been widely promoted. Her greatest goal is to start a multimedia centre, whose project has already been formulated, but due to the lack of room in the building, most unfortunately it has not been possible to put it into practice yet.
Pedagogical assistant and staff
“This work together with all the coordinators has contributed to the growth and improvement of structure and pedagogy of Casa de Cultura Britânica, and it’s delightful to be in touch with the public and work mates.”
Manoel Vieira de Souza, present pedagogical assistant and also English teacher, in charge since October 1996, during the management of Professors Márcia Rossetti, Ildney Cavalcanti, Roseanne Tavares and Ana Cecília Acioli so far.
The staff members and teachers are Casa de Cultura Britânica’s trademark. Their competence and care when dealing with the public are a priority, together with constant training to keep up with the school’s growth.
The best is yet to come – future perspectives
With the upcoming of the newly-created Faculdade de Letras and its directors, Doctors Ildney Cavalcanti and Stela Lameiras, Casa de Cultura Britânica foresees a new era in its existence. The new partnership aims at narrowing the links between the two institutions both in the academic and in the administrative fields.
The setting up of the multimedia centre is one of the next plans to be put into practice. It will bring the latest technologies in language teaching and allow learners to have their acquisition and productive skills developed.
P.S This text was not made by me. I'm just publishing the ideas which constructed the most respected house of English Language of Alagoas - Brazil
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