As práticas do professor de línguas de escola pública e o processo de (res)significação do aluno na aprendizagem de língua estrangeira

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the relation between foreign language (FL) teachers’ practices and the students’ processes of signification. Located within the post-structuralism, the theoretical framework is based on four perceptions. The first one follows the language theory that sees language as a space for creating meaning (signification) through discourse. The second one is the notion of identification as a form of signifying. The third one is the conception of FL learning as an access to other signification procedures, which makes the process of resignifying possible. The fourth one agrees with the discourse perspective of language teaching as the development of students’ citizenship. In order to reach the proposed objective, this research seeks to analyze what practices of (re)signification public school FL teachers understand to adopt in their classroom and in what manner their practices work with the concept of signification through discourse in a FL. The methodology featured a questionnaire of FL teaching practices with 31 multiple choice questions and nine semi-open questions. The questionnaire had the participation of 50 FL teachers from different Brazilian states. The results point to a strong awareness from the teachers about the importance of social interaction in the classroom, which is needed for the processes of (re)signifying. The collected data also indicate that the teachers provide the contact with different signification and identification procedures to their students, and have a clear concern with students’ social participation and well-rounded education as well, as demonstrated by theory. In conclusion, the dialogue with the teachers shows parallels with the teaching and learning theories that work the discourse in the class and enables a better reflection from teachers about their concepts of education and their teaching practices.