Catarina Pontes, Author at National Geographic Learning: In Focus

Author: Catarina Pontes

Catarina Pontes is an educational manager, speaker, and teacher educator with over 25 years of experience in language teaching. A trained translator-interpreter, she holds specializations in the field, as well as MBAs in Human Resources Management and School Management, and is the co-author of Getting into Teacher Education: a Handbook (by Cengage). She has worked in academic coordination, editorial production, and team management at renowned language institutes and with bilingual education programs. She is the founder of Serendipity Language Services, a tutor for Cambridge English Qualifications courses, and the current Vice-President of BRAZ-TESOL, the largest association of English teachers in Brazil.

The job market our students are preparing to enter looks very different from the one most of us entered ourselves. Artificial intelligence, global collaboration, digital transformation, and ever-changing career pathways are reshaping the skills people need to thrive. While subject knowledge remains important, employers increasingly value more than just technical expertise. During my talks at the National Geographic Learning Experience Brazil in May 2025, educators were