I have already posted some of my experiences in teaching English-as-a-foreign-language at Fisk School in São Paulo, during the 1970s.
Now I'd like to introduce my friend Lutch Bizin who has also taught English-as-a-foreign-language in the 1970s & 1980s but at Instituto Roosevelt on the corner of Avenida Ipiranga and Rua 24 de Maio at the heart of used to be the downtown area.
As myself and Lutch Bizin were walking past the 3-floor-building on the corner of Avenida Ipiranga & Rua 24 de Maio I noticed he became all flushed with emotion when remembering the times he taught English at Instituto Roosevelt. So I asked him to write a little text about those times to accompany these photos.
Lutch Bizin having the building that used to house Instituto Roosevelt at his back. 'Roosevelt', as it used to be known popularly was one of the most popular sites of English-teaching alongside Yazigi, Escolas Fisk, TWT etc. União Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos and Cultura Inglêsa were more expensive courses that catered to an upper middle-class.
Right on the corner, on the 1st floor there was a great room we called the 'Teachers' room'. That was where Brazilian and foreign-born teachers would congregate between classes. I noticed Brazilian teacher kept quiet by themselves whereas American, British, Dutch and other nationals literally ran riot, talking non-stop, telling endless jokes, smoking cigarette and having a lot of fun. Most of these so-called teachers were turists travelling South America who landed a job to help them along with their petty expenses.
This used to be the entrance to Instituto Roosevelt on rua 24 de Maio.
The old Instituto Roosevelt building looking towards Praça da República...
Lutch Bizin down at Anhangabaú Valley... see the green-and-yellow building on the left? It used to be the Bank of Boston, where Lutch worked as a young apprentice in 1974.
Carlus Maximus sitting on the main stairs leading to Olden São Paulo Post Office on a Thursday afternoon, 23rd January 2020.
Mrs. Angela Bizin and Lutch Bizin on a selfie while riding public transport in São Paulo in January 2020.
Instituto Roosevelt was put together in the early 1950s by a certain Mr Toster (we never knew his Christian name).
I believe Mr Toster, the North American owner would have opened Instituto Roosevelt in the 1950s just like other language schools such as Fisk, Yazigi. Instituto Roosevelt offered not only English teaching but also Spanish, Italian, French, German, Portuguese for foreigners and later on Japanese.
Besides languages Roosevelt hired Doris, a sweet Afro-Brazilian young lady who taught short hand.
I, Lutch, taught English there from 1978 to 1980.
The main office was located on the 1st floor; the teachers' room faced both Rua 24 de Maio and Praça da República. The teaching staff composed of a bunch of very interesting people. I remember all their faces although I can't place a name to them. I recall Simon, a Dutch fellow who spoke fluent British English; Joe, a Polish bloke from London; Munir, a lad from Lebanon; three teachers of Armenian background; one American and another English; an Indian gentleman from New Delhi; a bright teacher of English from British Guyana whose two front teeth were missing; an American national of Russian descent who reminds me of Mr Putin as a young man; another fellow of Russian descent from Yugoslavia; Mina from Hong Kong and, of course, various Brazilian teachers of English.
Our coordinator was Connie, a South African lady who had Marilyn Monroe's looks. All in all Roosevelt was a very interesting school, a landmark in the city of São Paulo which serviced the lower middle classes. Their English courses consisted of four books. Two for beginners and 2 for intermediate students. Advanced students were taught by other American methods plus lots of conversation.
In 1981, I was transferred to the school headquaters on Rua Senador Feijó; a three-story building next to the Sé Cathedral where I taught both English and German. Those were good old days!
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