The Globo website just recently posted a study made by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and to nobody's great surprise difficulties arising from not speaking the Portuguese language fluently leads the list of complaints that foreign executives have. They also complain about public security and inefficient public transportation.
As a foreigner who has lived here for 12 years and as an English teacher for 25 I'd like to give my point of view about this issue:
The major complaint of these executives was not directed at their own inability to communicate in Portuguese, which is the real problem, but rather that Brazilians and Brazilian institutions don't speak English. Well excuse me guys, but where did you think you were transferring to - LONDON?????
I think that it is downright arrogant for anyone coming here for any period of time to expect that Brazilians should speak English for their convenience. Especially if we put the shoe on the other foot and see what is expected of immigrants arriving on their nations' shores. If a Brazilian were to arrive in the USA, Canada, UK or EU with the expectation that the locals were going to drop everything including their local language and speak Portuguese they'd probably get run out of the country.
Transfers within a company or hiring on with a multinational company operating in Brazil isn't a process that happens overnight, so why is it that these executives don't use that time to try and learn some Portuguese? Do they really think that they're going to be able to get by in day-to-day life (outside the workplace) without it? Let's be realistic here folks! Portuguese is absolutely essential.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that speaking English isn't important or that it doesn't have advantages. Quite to the contrary, it is important anywhere, but especially in business. As an English teacher I know that it is the second most widely spoken language on earth and considered to be the "universal language of commerce". That said, not everyone in the Brazilian workplace needs English language skills, most companies don't recognize those employees who do acquire them with extra pay either. Many Brazilians in management positions don't even speak English well enough to carry on a meeting or teleconference in English only. Guess what? Business here in Brazil seems to get along just fine anyway!
I was fifty-one years old when I decided I was going to come to Brazil. I immediately started learning the language and jumped in with both feet. I studied on my own using computer based learning programs, took formal classroom training, used music and videos to build my listening skills and also started making lots of contacts in the Brazilian and Portuguese community at home in order to practice. After about 7 months I arrived in Brazil speaking the language sufficiently to get by in any situation that presented itself. I did so because I wanted to, I knew that the language was important and that I wanted to adapt to Brazil not try and force Brazil to adapt to me! If I could do it at 51 without a big investment of cash so can these whiners, I'm sorry.
Portuguese is the operational language of this country, in fact it is the eighth most widely spoken language on earth. More people speak Portuguese than do French (No. 10) or German which didn't even make the list of top 10. If you want to come to Brazil in order to earn a living, that is something that's becoming increasingly difficult in other parts of the world, then stop the whining and do what it takes to achieve that goal. One of the things is ADAPTING to this country which includes at least trying to speak the langauge.
Bellyaching about Brazilians not speaking English isn't going to make your life here any easier, nor is it going to score you any points with Brazilians. What it does do is reinforces the opinion that we "gringos" come here to take the money and run and it's responsible for the ever growing dislike Brazilians are gaining for foreigners.
Regarding public security, you'll get no argument from me....... it's a shambles all over Brazil.
Public transportation, well I've yet to see an executive taking a bus or subway in Brazil. I've used public transportation in many cities here and while not the best I've never had major problems.
Original Globo article: http://g1.globo.com/sp/campinas-regiao/ … lista.html
