BU Alum Advances Accessible English Education in Brazil
Boston University alum Charlotte Greenhill recently completed a semester-long teaching appointment in Brazil, where she redesigned English curriculum at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais to better serve deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
The position allowed Charlotte to return to work that had shaped her earlier experience as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA). It also challenged her to think more intentionally about accessible learning across languages, cultures and classrooms.
After completing Boston University’s Master of Public Health program in 2024, Charlotte joined Fulbright’s new ETA program in Brazil. She was placed at a teacher’s college that prepares deaf educators and sign language teachers.
Working alongside a co-teacher and interpreter, Charlotte taught English to deaf and hearing students using Portuguese, English, Brazilian Sign Language and visual teaching strategies. The experience encouraged her to consider not only what students were learning but also how they were being invited into the learning process.
Charlotte also organized conversation clubs that gave students opportunities to practice English outside the classroom. In developing the activities, she drew on exercises she had experienced through Posse’s Pre-Collegiate Training.
Charlotte and her co-teacher made a strong impression on their host institution, which asked Fulbright to extend their appointments. Although the program could not accommodate the request, the institution later invited Charlotte to return as a visiting professor.
After a brief period in the Bay Area, where she worked as a substitute teacher at several schools, Charlotte secured the necessary paperwork and returned to Brazil in March 2026.
Her new role differed considerably from her experience as an ETA. Charlotte was tasked with updating required online modules focused on academic English speaking and writing. To make the material more accessible to deaf students, she redesigned the modules as an in-person course, effectively rebuilding the curriculum from the ground up.
Although the process was challenging, Charlotte valued the opportunity to create a more inclusive learning environment, participate in cross-cultural exchange and collaborate with other educators in a professional academic setting.
Her commitment to accessibility and public-serving work grew from a college experience defined by exploration. Charlotte arrived at BU interested in sports medicine, but coursework in Spanish, international relations, Latin American studies and public health showed her that her interests did not need to follow a single path.
She ultimately majored in Latin American studies, studied Portuguese and completed a master’s degree in public health through BU’s 4+1 program. Those opportunities connected Charlotte with Boston’s Brazilian community and later influenced her decision to apply for the Fulbright program. Her studies also sparked an interest in examining the impact of COVID-19 across Latin America—an area of research she hopes to continue pursuing.
Charlotte describes Posse as “a network of support” spanning many areas of her life. Through the alumni community, she has built friendships across the United States and gained encouragement as she has navigated opportunities abroad.
Although Charlotte has not yet determined her next professional step, she hopes to continue pursuing work that expands access, supports others and allows her to extend the same encouragement Posse offered her.
