Perspectives on language teaching from a democratic school in Brazil

Lloyd, Natalie

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/49485 Copy

Description

Title

Perspectives on language teaching from a democratic school in Brazil

Author(s)

Lloyd, Natalie

Issue Date

2014-05-30T16:46:33Z

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Davidson, Frederick G.

Department of Study

English as an Intl Language

Discipline

Teaching of English Sec Lang

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.A.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• critical pedagogy
• critical language pedagogy
• democratic education
• Brazil
• language ideologies
• English as a Foreign Language (EFL)
• teaching English as a Foreign language (TEFL)
• Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais (PCN)
• methodology
• pedagogia crítica
• Brasil
• ensino de língua estrangeira
• educação democrática
• ideologia e linguagem
• National Curricular Parameters (PCN)

Abstract

This study investigates the perspectives of language teachers on language and language teaching at a democratic school in São Paulo, Brazil. The commentary of the one former English teacher is central to the analysis, complemented by interviews with the Portuguese/Spanish teacher and four other teachers at the school. This study seeks to contribute to the field of critical language pedagogy and the language teaching ‘imaginary’ for progressive language teaching, especially of English. While critical language pedagogy scholars have encouraged the investigation or envisioning of schools outside of the traditional public school system, little work has been done in this area. Accordingly, the democratic school movement, which follows in the footsteps of earlier free school movements, has not been explored as a possible avenue of collaboration for critical language pedagogy. This study sought to discover the potential compatibility of critical language pedagogy and democratic education by interviewing teachers about their knowledge of critical pedagogy and their views on language and language teaching. The language teachers’ views were found to be compatible overall with critical language pedagogy, though neither of them was familiar with the term itself. Language ideologies, the national curricular parameters and the influence of commercial language schools were also explored.

Graduation Semester

2014-05

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/49485

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Copyright 2014 Natalie Lloyd

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