Your teacher
Marilisa Sato Mori is an accomplished Portuguese language specialist with over 18 years of proven expertise in preparing professionals for business success in Lusophone markets.
She's Triple-certified ACTFL OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) tester and rater, specializing in advanced business Portuguese instruction for presentations, negotiations, and cross-cultural communication.
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With nearly two decades of dedicated experience teaching at The World Bank Group, International Financial Corporation, MIGA , Global Environment Facility, Marilisa has successfully guided hundreds of Portuguese language students to achieve the proficiency levels required for conducting effective business operations across Lusophone countries including Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe and Cape Verde.
Our Services Offered
Executive Language Coaching
Intensive one-on-one sessions for senior executives preparing for high-stakes business presentations or negotiations
Assessment & Placement
Professional evaluation of current language skills with detailed recommendations for advancement
Cultural Intelligence Training
Comprehensive guidance on business customs, relationship-building strategies, and professional etiquette across different Lusophone regions
Student Testimonials
"I have been studying Portuguese with Marilisa over several years, moving from beginner to advanced level, and her teaching has been instrumental in allowing me to work confidently in Brazil and other Portuguese‑speaking markets. From the outset, she understood that I needed a rigorous command of grammar and structure, but always anchored in the real language I use in my job—meetings, negotiations, presentations, and day‑to‑day communication with colleagues and counterparts. Her integrated approach blends grammar, vocabulary, cultural insight, and sector‑specific language, so that each class strengthens both my technical accuracy and my ability to operate professionally in Portuguese.
What truly sets Marilisa apart is her warmth, flexibility, and genuine care for her students. She consistently adapted to my time constraints and learning pace, meeting me exactly at my level—whether I was struggling with “Portuñol” as a Spanish speaker or preparing for high‑stakes professional interactions. Classes with her are dynamic, engaging, and enriched with real‑life examples: from role‑playing workplace situations to discussing Brazilian culture, travel, and everyday life, even down to practical topics like supermarkets or navigating local driving rules. Learning with Marilisa has been a pleasure on a human level as much as an academic one, and I am deeply grateful for the confidence and fluency I have gained. I recommend her without reservation to anyone seeking not just to learn Portuguese, but to use it effectively and naturally in their career and daily life."
Omar Arias
Lead Economist
"Learning Portuguese with Marilisa has been such a wonderful experience. She brings a combination of flexibility and genuine care, always adapting each lesson to what I needed most. As a Spanish speaker, I especially appreciated how well she understands the subtle points of confusion between the two languages—her guidance made the learning process feel much more intuitive and effective. What I value most is how our conversations helped me move past the fear of speaking and gradually build real confidence, both in everyday situations and in more formal contexts. When I had to prepare a presentation in Portuguese, she went through it with me slide by slide, offering thoughtful suggestions that truly improved both the flow and my delivery. Beyond the language itself, she also shared cultural insights and practical advice that helped me feel more connected and comfortable interacting with locals. I’m very grateful for her support and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a personalized and encouraging learning experience."
Lead Economist
Rong Qian
"I started learning Portuguese with Marilisa in 2019 for a very practical reason: I lead work covering Brazil and needed to operate professionally in Portuguese. At the time, I spoke Spanish but not Portuguese, and like many Spanish speakers I struggled with “Portuñol.” Her approach is rigorous, structured, and highly effective. She combines solid grammar foundations with conversation, targeted exercises, written assignments, and carefully selected videos and readings—often tailored to topics relevant to our professional work. She regularly tested our progress, assigned short essays to strengthen writing skills, and encouraged us to read books and watch Portuguese films, which we would then discuss in class. She even organized informal gatherings at her home so students could practice with native speakers in a relaxed setting. The result was a learning experience that was both demanding and incredibly engaging.
One of Marilisa’s greatest strengths is her insistence on precision. For Spanish speakers in particular, she relentlessly corrects the subtle traps where words sound similar but are not real Portuguese, helping students move beyond Portuñol and develop genuine fluency. She is not the kind of teacher who limits lessons to basic travel phrases. Marilisa trains her students to use Portuguese confidently and accurately in professional environments.
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For anyone who needs Portuguese not just to travel, but to work, negotiate, present, and operate professionally, I cannot recommend Marilisa highly enough. She doesn’t simply teach Portuguese—she develops confident, capable speakers who can perform at the highest level in their careers."
Roberta Berzero
Senior Investigator INT
"Las clases con Marilisa son espectaculares! Son entretenidas y dinámicas. Tomo clases una vez por semana y siento q he aprendido un montón, ya logro comunicarme con otras personas en portugués y entiendo bastante bien cuando me hablan. Considera todos los aspectos de la lengua, no solo la gramática, q es muy importante, pero también el vocabulario. Estoy realmente muy contenta y siempre espero feliz mi siguiente clase."
Ursula Romero
Writer
"Marilisa is an incredible teacher. She helped me tremendously in reaching the level of Portuguese I needed to pursue my career with confidence. She truly cares about her students and their individual needs, and she always goes above and beyond to help them achieve their goals. Beyond being an excellent teacher, she is also a wonderful human being."
E T Consultant INT
Valentina Gonzalez Blanco
"The Portuguese classes delivered by Marilisa Mori have been highly valuable. Beyond supporting my language learning, she consistently tailors the content, themes, vocabulary, and context to my specific professional needs. As a result, I am developing strong Portuguese language skills while also gaining practical guidance on how to communicate effectively with business partners and colleagues in a professional setting."
Pablo Taborga
ESG Manager South America
"Marilisa is an exceptional Portuguese teacher. Her teaching approach is both highly effective and thoughtfully tailored to students’ needs and professional background. Marilisa combines strong technical knowledge with an engaging and practical methodology. She breaks down complex linguistic concepts into clear, manageable components, making the learning process both accessible and rewarding.
Overall, her dedication, expertise, and ability to foster tangible results make her an outstanding teacher. I am truly grateful for her support and highly recommend her to anyone seeking to achieve meaningful proficiency in Portuguese."
Carolina Botero
Senior Investigator
"Want to learn Portuguese? There is no one better than Marlllisa. I needed to learn efficiently yet also with a mixture of grammar and every-day language. I enjoyed our Conversation. My favorite was a story written as a poem. Another to learn all about supermarkets and the most essential rules of driving communications (the roads are challenging. Marilisa will teach you all you need to know and all you want to know!
Journalist
Donatella Lorch
"I have been studying Portuguese with Marilisa over several years, moving from beginner to advanced level. This has allowed me to move to a country position in Brazil in good conditions two years ago. Marilisa uses an integrated approach to teaching the language blending grammar, vocabulary, cultural aspects and language specific to my area of work. It has been a pleasure to learn Portuguese with her and I highly recommend her."
Jean Laprevotte
Chief Special Operations Officer
Key Differentiators
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Extensive experience with diverse professional backgrounds in public and private sector
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Proven methodology for rapid skill development in business-critical language areas
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Cultural expertise spanning multiple Lusophone countries and business environments
Through flexible scheduling and customized curriculum design, we offer 1:1 online classes tailored to meet the unique demands of each student.