Young language teachers in Portugal now have until 15 November to apply for a year teaching in the US
Fulbright Portugal's FLTA programme sends up to five early-career Portuguese teachers to American universities for nine months in 2027/2028. Host universities cover tuition, and there is a monthly stipend, $1,000 for flights and health cover. The deadline has been extended to 15 November.
Apply / Learn moreThe deadline was meant to be tomorrow. Instead, Fulbright Portugal has extended applications for its Foreign Language Teaching Assistant grants to 15 November, giving early-career teachers two more weeks to go for one of up to five places at American universities in 2027/2028.
The job is teaching Portuguese. In the US it counts as a “critical language”, one Washington considers relevant to national security and the economy, which is why campuses keep asking for native speakers.
What the year looks like
It lasts nine months, from August to May. Grantees teach Portuguese as lead or assistant instructors, run conversation groups, help in language labs and act as cultural ambassadors at talks and clubs. They also take classes at the host university on a non-degree programme.
Who can apply
The call is for teachers of English or of Portuguese as a foreign language with fewer than seven years in the classroom, or people finishing a degree or teacher training by June 2027. Graduates in nearby fields (English studies, translation, linguistics, journalism) are eligible but not prioritised.
Some conditions rule people out from the start. You need Portuguese nationality and must live in Portugal during the selection. You can’t have had a Fulbright grant before, hold a green card or have dual US citizenship. An average of 14 out of 20 is preferred, not required. Fluent English is a must, as is an interest in things like music, sport or the arts. And one that matters to many: no dependants can come along.
What it pays
The host university covers tuition. There’s a monthly stipend pegged to local living costs, a one-off $1,000 travel allowance, a TOEFL voucher, the J-1 visa paperwork with the fee waived, and accident and sickness cover.
How to apply
Everything is in English, through an online IIE form, by 11:59pm Lisbon time on 15 November. You’ll need three reference letters in English, your diplomas and transcripts translated (your own translation is accepted), a CV and the signed grant rules. Finalists hear by December, and university placements are matched in March and April 2027.
Not sure a classroom is the plan? Oeiras residents and students still have a few days for its gap-year grants, which close on 8 November.
Illustration: Tugadaily
