Problematizing language conceptions in a decolonial perspective: an experience with student teachers in an english teacher education course at a brazilian university
Nenhuma Miniatura disponível
Data
2019-08-30
Autores
Título da Revista
ISSN da Revista
Título de Volume
Editor
Universidade Federal de Goiás
Resumo
Drawing on a critical language teacher education experience that aimed to problematize
conceptions of language grounded on a decolonial perspective with university student teachers, this
study aims: a) to investigate the language ideologies produced by student teachers throughout a
critical language teacher education experience; b) to investigate the pedagogical reflections that
emerged from this experience. This experience was held in a Brazilian university course that
prepares students to become English language teachers. Empirical material generation happened in
a language discipline of the last term of this course in fifteen classes of 100 minutes each. Besides
me, twelve female student teachers, three male student teachers and the professor responsible for
the group participated in the study. The classes followed premises of critical language teaching and
critical language teacher education. In the first ten classes, the student-teachers and I problematized
language through a diverse set of authentic materials that focused on: language ideologies;
language hierarchization and invention; linguistic repertoires; language as power; globalization;
coloniality. In the four following classes, student teachers prepared and taught a microlesson of 25
minutes based on the themes studied. In the last class, we reflected upon the experience. The
empirical material sources were an initial questionnaire, first and final narratives, classroom
activities produced by student teachers, a field diary, classroom interactions, reflective sessions
with the professor, a final reflective session, and a final interview, being the last four audiorecorded. Concerning the language ideologies produced throughout the study, I demonstrate
chronologically how student teachers’ standpoints towards language are multiple, complex,
unstable. They align with or resist to traditional/modern and critical/decolonial language ideologies
at different times. This was due to different factors, such as: the way they looked at language use
(if only linguistic aspects are taken into consideration and contextual ones being left out); the type
of activity developed (if it was a classroom interaction or an assessment activity) and the
vocabulary used to problematize modern Linguistics (if it is still the same one we fight against).
As for the pedagogical reflections that emerged during this language teacher education experience,
four issues are raised by the participants: the detachment between school language and real
language; the power of structure on teacher agency; the complexity of dealing with students’
expectations of nativized English; the coloniality of assessment. First, we discuss how normative
grammar is still present in our classes and how the language present in textbooks is different from
the language used in real contexts, having implications on the concept of authenticity. Second, we
debate on how English language teaching is ruled by center-based methodologies and language
ideologies, making it harder for teachers to implement more a more decolonial approach. Third,
we present how students’ expectations towards nativized English is a strong barrier for a more
decolonial practice. Such expectations may have its origins from parental beliefs about language
and the societal pressure to learn the Standard language. Lastly, we discuss about assessment and
I present how I tried to have a balance between an idealist and a pragmatist position to deal with
the praxiologies I work with and the demands that traditional language teaching practice require.
In the conclusion, I answer the research questions, discuss the implications of this master’s thesis
and present the traces of (de)coloniality present in this study.
Descrição
Citação
BASTOS, Pedro Augusto de Lima. Problematizing language conceptions in a decolonial perspective: an experience with student teachers in an english teacher education course at a Brazilian university. 2019. 179 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Letras e Linguística) - Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, 2019.