About Maria Dantas
I was born in the southern part of the State of Bahia in Brazil. I studied at the Federal University of Bahia, in Salvador, and graduated with a degree in law. I never practiced law but I found my passion in the Portuguese language. Over time I have been a translator, a simultaneous interpreter and a teacher of the language. Now, living here in Oakland, I concentrate on the teaching of Portuguese in its various forms and registers, to beginner, intermediate and advance students. Over the years I have worked for many of the big language schools as well as providing instruction to companies and organizations with business or projects in Brazil or other Portuguese speaking places.
I am interested in how Portuguese varies around the world. I have traveled to Portugal and Mozambique with a particular interest in how the varieties of Portuguese differ but also in how some of these differences are exaggerated. I have also become interested in the relationship between Portuguese and Spanish, which are very different languages but also have much in common. I have developed an approach to learning Portuguese from a background in Spanish that accelerates the learning of Portuguese.