ITP - 81: My First Language Isn't English Either!

Greg: Welcome to the International Teacher Podcast with your host Matt the Family Guy, Kent the Cat Guy, Jacqueline from JP Mint, and Greg the single guy bringing you episodes from around the world about the best kept secret in education. You got it—international teaching. Welcome to the show. This is Greg, the single guy coming in with the International Teacher Podcast today, and I do have JP Mint with me. Hello, JP.

JP: Hello. Good morning from Mexico.

Greg: Excellent. And today, JP, I'm excited because we have Marcos Teixeira, and he's coming to us from The Hague, which is one of those top-tier schools that I hear about all the time. I've never talked to anybody that's actually taught there or admin there or even set foot in the school. So I'm excited. How you doing, Marcos? Welcome to the show.

Marcos: I'm fine. Thank you very much for receiving me over here.

Greg: Great. It's good to hear you. Where are you originally from, Marcos?

Marcos: I'm originally from Brazil, so I was born in Brazil and I hold Brazilian and Portuguese citizenship.

Greg: So how does that happen? Because you're not the first Brazilian I know who has Portuguese. Is it something like an understanding between governments?

Marcos: Well, there are several rules in Portugal to get citizenship, but I got it over 20 years ago through my grandfather, who was Portuguese. My grandfather came to Brazil, married a Brazilian—actually my grandmother's parents were also Portuguese—and then lived his whole life in Brazil. Then Portugal started this whole process of granting European citizenship, and it became very popular. I started thinking maybe I should look into that because I already had intentions to leave the country and work overseas. I thought a European passport would make my life much easier. So I started the process. The main reason I could begin was because my grandfather never became Brazilian, so all his papers were at the Portuguese consulate in my hometown. We had to fix a lot of paperwork—my dad's documents had errors, and there were issues with recognizing marriages and other records. It took a long time and cost a lot of money, but I eventually got my citizenship in my last year at Coach.

JP: Greg, Marcos and I know each other from Coach School in Istanbul. We met probably in 2002, my first year. I think you were already there.

Marcos: Yes, 2000.

JP: So we worked together at that famous school. Ever since I joined as a co-host, we’ve discovered I seem to know everyone because so many people have worked at Coach.

Greg: And somehow JP became our boss. I want a raise. Hey Marcos, I have a question for you. Since you’re from Brazil and you have Portuguese citizenship, I’m going to guess you speak five languages. I’m guessing English, Spanish, Portuguese, maybe German or French, maybe even Dutch.

Marcos: Well, definitely Portuguese and English for sure. Portuguese is my mother tongue, but I consider myself fluent in English. Spanish—I understand it very well, but speaking is harder. In Brazil, we joke that we speak “Portuñol,” a mix of Portuguese and Spanish, because we’re surrounded by Spanish-speaking countries. French and Italian are easier for us because they’re all Romance languages. I studied French for a couple of years when I was younger, but I don’t really use it now. I also learned some Turkish while I was in Istanbul. Funny enough, whenever I go back, it comes back to me a bit. Dutch, on the other hand, I tried to learn when I moved to The Hague, but I don’t find it a very attractive language. And you really need to embrace a language to learn it. Plus, everyone speaks English there, so every time you try Dutch, they switch to English.

Greg: I think we’re going to have to write some apology letters. Let’s step back for a second. Give us the elevator version of how you got into international teaching and how you got to where you are now.

Marcos: I’ll try to keep it short. Back in Brazil in 1989, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. I was working as a systems analyst for an Argentinian multinational company. Then Brazil went through a major economic crisis where the government froze people’s bank accounts. It was a horrible time. My dad even had a heart attack because of the stress. The company started letting people go. I stayed a bit longer but eventually left. Finding a job was very difficult. There were many experienced professionals willing to work for much lower salaries, so it was hard for a recent graduate like me. One day, I saw a job posting in the newspaper—this was before the internet—for an IT teacher at the American School of São Paulo. I thought, why not try?

Greg: At that point, were you already fluent in English?

Marcos: Yes. I had been studying English since I was about nine or ten years old. My father believed it was very important. It also helped during my university studies because everything in technology is in English. I went for the interview, got the job, and that’s how I started in education. I loved it. I was 22 years old teaching 17- and 18-year-olds, which was interesting. I stayed there for 10 years and eventually became Director of Technology. During that time, I saw many international teachers coming and going, and I thought, what a life. You teach, travel, and live abroad. I wanted that. But I only had a Brazilian passport, and many people said it would be difficult. A Canadian colleague encouraged me to attend an ISS job fair. I spent a lot of money getting my documents translated and certified. Eventually, I got accepted to a job fair and received multiple offers, including Coach School in Turkey. That’s how my international career started.

Greg: So you went to that job fair and got the position at Coach. That’s a pretty big shift, going from Brazil to Turkey. What was that like for you at the beginning?

Marcos: It was a huge change. Different culture, different system, everything. But I was very excited. It was my first international experience, and I learned a lot very quickly. At Coach, I was exposed to international curricula, international colleagues, and a completely different way of thinking about education. I stayed there for four years, and during that time, I also worked on getting my master’s degree. That was something I negotiated when I accepted the job, and it helped me a lot in my career afterward.

Greg: And after those four years, you went back to the job fair circuit again, right?

Marcos: Yes. After four years, I started looking for new opportunities. I signed up with Search Associates, started sending out my CV, and initially I didn’t hear much back. It was a bit stressful because you think, maybe nothing is going to happen. Then I went to the London job fair, and everything changed. When I arrived, I had about 12 interview invitations waiting for me.

JP: That’s exactly how it happens sometimes. You think nothing is working, and then suddenly everything happens at once.

Marcos: Exactly. It was overwhelming but exciting. I had interviews with schools from all over the world—China, Kenya, Vietnam, Europe. My goal, though, was to move to Europe.

Greg: Why Europe specifically?

Marcos: Because of my Portuguese citizenship. I wanted to eventually live and retire in Portugal. So getting into Europe was an important step. I went through multiple interviews, some schools even offered me jobs on the spot. One school in Ukraine offered me the position immediately after the first interview, which surprised me. But I didn’t want to rush the decision. I wanted to evaluate all my options carefully.

JP: That’s smart, especially when you have multiple offers.

Marcos: Yes. I had offers from several places, including schools in Beijing, Hanoi, Kenya, Amsterdam, and The Hague. I started eliminating options based on location first. I knew I wanted Europe, so that narrowed things down. Then I looked at the roles themselves—what I would be teaching, the curriculum, and the opportunities for growth. That’s how I eventually chose The Hague.

Greg: What specifically made The Hague stand out?

Marcos: They wanted to start the IB Computer Science program, and that was exactly my area of expertise. It was the perfect fit for me. The leadership also impressed me. The director told me to take my time, go back to my room, evaluate everything, and then come back with a decision. That gave me confidence in the school. So I accepted the offer, signed the contract, and that’s how I ended up at the American School of The Hague.

Greg: So now you're at The Hague. How long have you been there?

Marcos: I've been here for quite a long time now. I joined in 2008, so it's been over a decade. Time really flies when you're in a place that you enjoy.

Greg: That says a lot. People don’t usually stay that long unless it’s a good fit.

Marcos: Yes, it’s been a very positive experience. The school has strong leadership, a clear vision, and a supportive community. Those things make a big difference.

JP: And professionally, you’ve grown there as well.

Marcos: Definitely. I started focusing more on curriculum development, especially with IB Computer Science. Over time, I also took on more leadership responsibilities within the department. The school encourages professional development, and that has helped me continue learning and improving.

Greg: Let’s talk a little bit about The Hague itself. What’s it like living there?

Marcos: It’s a very nice city. It’s not as big as Amsterdam, but it has everything you need. It’s close to the beach, which is great, and it’s very well connected to other cities in Europe. The quality of life is high. It’s safe, organized, and efficient. Public transportation works very well, and you can easily travel by train to other countries.

JP: That’s one of the big advantages of being in Europe.

Marcos: Yes, absolutely. You can visit different countries on weekends or holidays without too much effort.

Greg: Let’s switch gears a bit. Do you have any advice for teachers who are thinking about going international?

Marcos: Yes. First, be prepared. Make sure your documents are in order—certifications, transcripts, references. That’s very important. Second, be open-minded. You’re going to experience different cultures, different systems, and different ways of doing things. Third, be patient. The process can take time. You might not get your first choice, but opportunities will come.

JP: That’s really solid advice.

Greg: And of course, we have to ask—do you have a police or immigration story?

Marcos: Not a dramatic one, but I did have a situation at the airport once. Because I have both Brazilian and Portuguese passports, I accidentally presented the wrong one when entering a country. It created some confusion because my entry stamp didn’t match my exit stamp from the previous country. I had to explain the situation and show both passports. In the end, everything was fine, but it was a bit stressful at the time.

JP: That’s enough to get your heart rate up.

Greg: That’s why we always say—know which passport you’re using. Marcos, as we wrap up, what’s one final thought you’d like to leave with our listeners?

Marcos: International teaching is a great opportunity. It allows you to grow professionally and personally. You meet people from all over the world, experience different cultures, and gain new perspectives. It’s not always easy, but it’s definitely worth it.

Greg: Marcos, thank you so much for joining us today.

Marcos: Thank you. It was a pleasure.

Greg: And we’ll see everyone next time.