Freedom through language

Cainã Perri de Souza’s mother sold her house in order for him to learn English. Now a teacher trainer, he’s ensuring thousands of Brazilian children don’t have to make sacrifices to access education.

For Cainã Perri de Souza (MEd Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) 2018), English language meant escape. It meant being able to watch his favourite films, sing his favourite songs – and as he grew older, a chance to see the world.

But growing up in a small Brazilian town, he had no opportunity to learn it.

“My dad died when I was eight years old,” Cainã says. “My mother worked two jobs, and we had no money. You could learn English if you went to private school, but we couldn’t afford that.”

It is a perpetual problem in Brazil, he says. Speaking English can open doorways to global networks, higher salaries, and a better life – but lessons are an exclusive opportunity for the wealthy. He set out to end the injustice; not only would he speak it, he would become an English language teacher and democratise access to quality education.

When a private English language institute opened in Cainã’s town, it did not bring him any closer to that goal – until his mum decided to beg. Surprisingly, the teacher agreed to teach him for free. “Teacher Claudia,” Cainã smiled. “I was nine years old, and she changed my life.”

His language skills and drive carried Cainã to university – although his mother had to sell her house for him to get there. “She used the money to fund my degree, then four months in Canada for my TESOL qualification. Finally I was able to teach English."

He travelled the world to teach in Turkey and Peru, before returning to Brazil. Initially planning to teach, he was soon invited to work as a teacher trainer on a volunteer programme in low-income communities, or favelas. “I realised how my impact scaled up. Instead of helping 30 to 40 students, I was helping 30 to 40 teachers, and reaching thousands of students. If I could improve the teaching, I could improve student access to quality education.”

He pursued a formal qualification in teaching education, which brought him to Leeds. “I worked three jobs to save money to come to Leeds. I was given an international student scholarship, and it was a dream come true – although it was raining when I got there, of course."

Cainã is now a leader in teacher education in Brazil. He designed mass online courses for the Khan Academy, which served over 3.7 million students. He joined the Skills for Prosperity programme, which aims to increase the quality of English language teaching in Brazil, and was responsible for creating free learning and education programmes for over 12,000 teachers. He was named a global finalist in the British Council Study UK Alumni Awards for his social impact.

“I look back at eight-year-old me and I realise how lucky I've been. But in reality, every single person should have access to quality education without needing a Teacher Claudia to open the door.”