Brazilian Actress Decides to Boost Her Career with Kaplan

Kaplan is a home for students the world over to learn English in a friendly, welcoming environment. You’re never sure who will wind up sitting next to you in class, what country they’ll be from—or whether they’re famous in their home country.

Isis Valverde has recently graduated from our New York SoHo school. When she first started class, some students were surprised to hear that she is in fact an award-winning Brazilian actress.

Although not yet a household name far outside of Brazil, Isis had her first lead role in the soap opera Ti Ti Ti in 2010, and since has had many important roles in Brazilian soap operas and miniseries. Among these was the role of Suellen in Avenida Brazil, which was enormously popular and for which she won several prizes and awards.

Despite her fame – and many requests for photos with fellow Brazilian students, which she has patiently humored – Isis was a student just like any other. She participated often in class, made an effort to speak English as much as possible, and wanted no special treatment. Her peers were excited to be in class with a star, but observing a class you wouldn’t have noticed anything especially different about her, other than her eagerness to learn.

English is an important skill for careers all over the world, and the entertainment industry is no different: English dominates much of the international arts scene, and a grasp of English opens countless new opportunities to actors and artists. Considering she turned down a screen test for the James Bond film Casino Royale because she was not fluent in English, who knows where Isis will find herself now that she’s fluent in English!

Isis first studied an Intensive English course with Kaplan, but ultimately switched to Vacation English as a result of getting called back to Brazil often for filming. Vacation English offers a more flexible schedule, and is ideal for students who want to combine learning English with traveling the world or sightseeing. Indeed, Kaplan’s numerous course options allow students to found the schedule and program perfect for them even as their needs and language levels might change throughout their stay.

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To commemorate her graduation from Kaplan, Isis posted a picture to her Instagram account with a caption in Portuguese summing up her journey in English with Kaplan, from nervous beginnings before the moment of departure to the ultimate moment of achievement.

 “It was worth it; I became stronger and more confident. Today I grew up a little bit more and I am proud of it. I found out that my persistence is bigger than my FEAR.”