Desafio 1º de April

Morro do Moreno

Vila Velha, Espírito Santo, Brazil

Teacher Ceni conducted a unique conversation training session with a group of 15 students, including three participants joining online via Skype: Bia from Minas Gerais, Verônica from Singapore, and Rogério from Rio Grande do Sul. The remaining eleven students attended the session in person.

As part of a planned April Fools’ Day activity, one participant, Vinny (Vinícius), played a central role in a carefully designed scenario. Arriving last at the meeting point, he approached the group speaking only in English, presenting himself as a European visitor who had become lost in Praia da Costa.

He explained that he had heard the group speaking English and asked for assistance in finding his way back to his hotel. The students promptly offered help, inviting him to walk along with them, as their route would pass by the location he mentioned.

Throughout the four-mile walk, each student had the opportunity to engage in conversation with Vinny, maintaining communication exclusively in English. The situation created a realistic and spontaneous environment, encouraging active participation and natural interaction.

At the end of the session, the group stopped to enjoy coconut water. Forming a circle, Vinny stepped forward and revealed that the entire situation had been part of an April Fools’ prank, and that he was, in fact, Brazilian.

During this session, we covered a total distance of:

Experiences like this demonstrate that language learning becomes most effective when it is lived, not just studied.