Hello, my
name is Eriovan Toledo. I am 30 years old and hold a bachelor's degree in
International Relations. My alma mater is Universidade Federal de Pelotas,
located in Pelotas, Brazil. I was born and raised in Angatuba, a small town in
the state of São Paulo, and I moved to Pelotas in 2016 to pursue higher
education. When I saw the opportunity to take this class, I applied for the
PILA Virtual Exchange (Programa de Intercâmbio Acadêmico Latinoamericano),
and fortunately, I was accepted.
I have
extended experience working with international students at my university,
welcoming and guiding them throughout their stay. This time, it was nice to be
on the other side and feel what it’s like to be the foreign student. I had
previously done an exchange in Villavicencio, Colombia, back in 2022, which was
a truly rewarding experience.
This time,
I chose this class not only because of its content, but also because it was
taught in English—despite its Spanish title, Reflexiones sobre la
adquisición de la lengua materna y extranjera. I wanted to challenge myself
and experience learning something I love — language acquisition — through the
lens of another culture and in a different language.
I wanted
to experience this course alongside fellow educators—people who also work with
students—and learn how they face their challenges. Little did I know that many
of the difficulties we face in Brazil are also shared by my colleagues from
Honduras and Argentina. Even though our native languages differ, our countries
have a lot in common.
Unlike
most of my classmates, my major is not in English. When I graduate, I won’t be
an English teacher, but rather a Portuguese and French teacher, since I’m
pursuing a double licentiate degree. But in the end, that doesn’t really
matter—because no matter which second language we’re teaching, we all face
similar goals and challenges. We all want the same thing: for our students to
be able to express themselves and think freely in a second language, whether
it’s acquired or learned.
I’m truly
fascinated by linguistics and everything related to language. Ever since I was
a child, I’ve been in love with languages. And when I grew up and discovered
the wonderful world of linguistics, it was love at first sight.
