English Academic Mentorship, at Wise Language School
Years of research. Thirty minutes to defend it.
One-to-one supervising for scientific communication, thesis writing and oral defence.
A single session is €36. Packages start at €140.
One to one, with a mentor. In Benfica, online or hybrid.
You know the answer. Saying it in that room, in English, is another thing.
What exactly is your contribution here?
The simplest question in the room, and the one that unravels a thesis when the answer comes out hesitant. We rehearse it until it is yours, not memorised.
Why this method and not the obvious alternative?
Defending a methodological choice in English without sounding defensive and without apologising for it.
Could you summarise your work in two minutes?
Five years of work, in a lift, on a panel, or across a table at a conference.
I'm not sure I agree with your reading of the data.
Disagreeing with an examiner without conceding the point and without losing the room.
Not an English course. One-to-one supervising.
What it is
A specialised mentoring framework for international postgraduate students and researchers navigating high-stakes academic evaluations in English.
Who it is for
For academics seeking excellence and precision in international higher education environments, where the work is already done and the room is the hard part.
Who with
With Eduardo Prado Cardoso, researcher and academic mentor. Every session is with him.
In person, in BenficaOnlineHybrid
The packages
Three of them, and you choose by the moment you are in rather than by size. If you are not sure which is yours, that is exactly what a first session is for.
Package 1
Defence Readiness
The room, the slides and the questions
Oral defence delivery, slide presentation structure, and mastering challenging Q&A sessions.
- Oral defence delivery and pacing
- Slide presentation structure
- Handling challenging Q&A sessions
4 live 1:1 sessions of 60 minutes
€140€35/hour
€36 for a single session.
Package 2
Speaking & Writing Sprint
Live coaching plus text editing
Live spoken coaching combined with asynchronous editing of your papers, dissertation chapters or proposals.
- Asynchronous text review, up to 3,000 words
- Spoken academic register and advisor email etiquette
- Line-by-line grammar and structural proofreading
- Live oral presentation dry-runs
4 sessions of 60 minutes, plus text review
€180€45/hour
Proofreading included.
Package 3
Monthly Conversation
Keeping your academic English in shape
Ongoing maintenance of professional English, for continuous integration into international research hubs.
- In-depth analysis of key research papers in your field
- Elevator pitch development and technical jargon refinement
- Confidence building for international networking and seminars
Weekly sessions of 60 minutes
€140/month€35/hour
Rolling monthly programme.
Free
Before you decide: Presenting Your Research in English, on 12 November 2026
Ninety minutes online with Eduardo Prado Cardoso, at no cost. It is the cheapest way to find out whether working with him suits you. See the webinar →
€36
A single session
One session on its own, with no package attached. Bring what you have written and the date you are working towards, and leave with a read on what is missing.
The mentor
Eduardo Prado Cardoso
Researcher and academic mentor
Universities
London · Tallinn · Edinburgh · Madrid · São Paulo
Presentations
London · Milan · Locarno · Cork
Postdoctoral research experience in Integral Human Development at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, with academic stays at universities in London, Tallinn, Edinburgh, Madrid and São Paulo. Trained in Project Management, with extensive practice in scientific publishing and in national and international presentations.
He supports students and researchers in project development, writing and high-impact oral communication.
Is this for you?
Yes, if you are
- an international Master's or PhD student preparing a thesis proposal, a progress review or a final viva
- a postdoctoral researcher preparing a conference talk or responding to journal peer review
- an academic facing lab meetings, panel Q&A sessions or academic job interviews in English
What this is not
- an English course from scratch. If the language itself is what you need, that is Wise Adults, A1 to B2
- a translation service. We work on your English, not instead of it
- ghostwriting. The text stays yours, and the work is done with you
If it is the language itself you need, the route is different: Wise Adults, in 16-week cycles, classes of up to 8, from A1 to B2.
A sua tese é em português?
Se o trabalho que tem pela frente é numa universidade de língua portuguesa, existe uma mentoria dedicada a isso, com acompanhamento em português.
Mentoria Académica→Why here
One mentor, not a teacher pool
Sessions are with Eduardo Prado Cardoso, who has been on both sides of the room: he has written, published, presented and been examined.
A certified training body
Wise Academy is a training body certified by DGERT, and foreign languages sit inside that certification (area 222).
One to one, not a class
The school's courses run in groups of up to 8. A mentorship is about your work, your date and your room, so it is not a class.
In person, online or hybrid
In Benfica if you are in Lisbon, online if you are not, and alternating between the two when your calendar demands it.
How it works
First
Tell us what you are facing
The date, where the work stands and what worries you about that room. That is enough for us to say honestly whether we can help.
Then
We agree on times and format
Sessions are scheduled with you, in person in Benfica, online, or alternating. If text review is part of your package, we also agree when you send it.
In session
We work on your own material
There is no syllabus and no coursebook. What is on the table is your chapter, your slides, or the questions your panel is going to ask.
Questions
How much does it cost?
A single session is €36. There are three packages: €140 for Defence Readiness (4 sessions), €180 for the Speaking & Writing Sprint (4 sessions plus text review up to 3,000 words) and €140 per month for the Monthly Conversation (weekly sessions). That works out between €35 and €45 an hour.
Who runs the sessions?
Eduardo Prado Cardoso, a researcher and academic mentor with postdoctoral research experience in Integral Human Development at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, and academic stays at universities in London, Tallinn, Edinburgh, Madrid and São Paulo.
Do you correct my writing?
The Speaking & Writing Sprint does: line-by-line grammar and structural proofreading, up to 3,000 words, read before the session. The other two packages are live work, without text review.
My English is good. Is this still for me?
It is written for exactly that. This is not language teaching from the ground up. It is what you already have, put under the pressure of a viva, a panel or a reviewer, before the day itself.
Do I need to be in Lisbon?
No. Sessions run in person in Benfica, online, or in a hybrid format.
Can I do this in Portuguese instead?
Yes. There is a separate mentorship for work at Portuguese-language universities, with support in Portuguese, covering thesis writing, scientific communication and oral defence.
The school opens on 30 October. Can I book now?
Leave your contact and the date you are working towards, and the team will get back to you to arrange it. The school opens on 30 October 2026, on Estrada de Benfica, 688 A.
Tell us the date. We will tell you if we can help.
Start with a single session at €36 and decide afterwards, or go straight to the package that matches your moment. If it is not for us, we will say so.
- Single session, €36
- Packages from €140
- In Benfica, online or hybrid
Would you rather talk to someone now?
Leave your contact
Four answers and the team gets back to you. It takes under a minute.
Book a first sessionThere is nothing to pay and nothing to sign on this page.
Start with one session.
Bring what you have written and the date you are working towards. You leave that session with a read on what is missing and how to get there.
Wise Language School opens on 30 October 2026 at Estrada de Benfica, 688 A, in Benfica, Lisbon. It is a school of Wise Academy: the body behind it has been training people since 1998 and is a training body certified by DGERT, with foreign languages inside that certification.