O ensino de línguas próximas (português e espanhol) em diferentes contextos (sala de aula e teletandem): contribuições para a formação inicial do professor de línguas

Neste artigo, temos por objetivo apresentar resultados parciais de um projeto de pesquisa institucional em Linguística Aplicada, no qual se busca compreender como ocorre a prática inicial docente em contextos diversamente configurados de ensino/aprendizagem de língua estrangeira (presencial e virtual), bem como de que maneira esses contextos podem se favorecer mutuamente e favorecer a formação reflexiva e crítica do professor de línguas, em/para um mundo contemporâneo. É possível perceber a atitude reflexiva de uma professora de língua estrangeira em formação inicial, especialmente quanto a ensinar e aprender línguas tipologicamente próximas como o português e o espanhol. Os resultados indicam que a experiência de vivenciar a dinâmica de um contexto didático convencional de ensino de línguas (sala de aula), ao lado da experiência de ensinar sua língua materna em um contexto de configurações didáticas inovadoras (teletandem), foi especialmente importante para a formação crítica da futura professora de línguas e para a conscientização sobre a prática de ensinar línguas irmãs em tempos de inovação tecnológica.

Reflexõs sobre a linguagem do ambiente chat no Teletandem sob a perspectiva da natureza heterogênea da escrita

This paper aims at discussing the characteristics of computer mediated language within a foreign language teaching and learning environment enabled by the use of synchronic writing resources – chat. The present research is based on (i) theoretical principles about the use of technologies and the teaching-learning of foreign languages in the scope of the Teletandem Brazil Project: Foreign languages for all – Projeto Teletandem Brasil: línguas estrangeiras para todos (TELLES, 2005); (ii) studies on the characteristics of the language within chat interactions; (iii) different theoretical perspectives on the relationship between spoken and written language, emphasizing the constitutive heterogeneity of writing perspective (CORRÊA, 1997, 1998, 2001); and (iv) some relevant concepts related to Prosodic Phonology field (NESPOR; VOGEL, 1986). Is being taken as research data, the written production of a Brazilian student (finishing a Licentiate in Literature) interacting with an American student (in Religious Studies) through Windows Live Messenger. The data were collected during a five-month period, during which the participants interacted through chat, totalizing 12 interactions in English and in Portuguese. During the analysis, a particular attention was given to the messages’ fragmentation, the use (or not) of punctuation signs and abbreviations within the Brazilian participant’s production, in order to discuss the representations she built of her writing, her interlocutor, herself and on the teaching-learning process of a foreign language.

A formação pré-serviço do professor de língua estrangeira em curso de licenciatura: crenças e reflexões em experiências de estágio supervisionado em diferentes contextos (sala de aula e teletandem)

This article aims to show the results of an institutional research in Applied Linguistics, which tries to comprehend how the initial teaching practice occurs in diversely figured contexts of foreign language teaching-learning (on-site and virtual), as well as how such contexts may mutually favor and encourage reflective and critical training of the language teacher in/for a contemporary world. It´s possible to notice a reflective attitude of four Brazilian foreign language (Spanish, English and Italian) teachers in initial training, especially regarding some aspects related to the teaching-learning languages process, such as roles of the participants; relevance of meaningful interaction; engaged cultures; teaching of a foreign language and mother tongue teaching as foreign one; teaching and learning typologically similar languages; constitution of the place to learn-teachIt´s possible to notice a reflective attitude of four Brazilian foreign language (English, Italian and Spanish) teachers in pre-service education, especially about some aspects of language teaching and learning process, such as the role of the participants; the relevance of significant interactions; the involved cultures; the teaching of a foreign language and the teaching of the mother tongue as a foreign language; the teaching of similar languages as Portuguese and Spanish; and the constitution of the place of teaching and learning languages. The results indicate that the experience of experiencing the dynamics of a conventional didactic context of language teaching (classroom), alongside to the experience of teaching and learning in a context of virtual educational settings (teletandem), it was especially important for the critical training of the future language teachers and to the awareness about the practice of teaching languages in times of technological innovation.

A educação de professores de línguas em CALL: histórico e perspectivas

Over the last years, the new technologies have changed the way we relate to information and communicate with other people, which has brought on impact to foreign language teaching and learning, and, consequently, to the area of foreign language teacher education. The abbreviation CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) has been used to designate the processes of language teaching and learning with the use of computers, and language teacher education in CALL to name teacher education for and with the use of new technologies, since a number of authors point to the interdependence of both processes. We intend in this article to present an overview of the literature of the area of language teacher education in CALL nowadays and discuss issues related to the use of new technologies concerning its integration to teacher education and the functional and institutional roles to be taken. We also present two proposals of teacher education with the use of new technologies which are being implemented and at the same time studied in Brazil, which we believe have essential elements for the development of language teachers for and with the use of new technologies currently.

Contradições no uso de tecnologias em contexto de estágio de um curso de Letras: o professor de inglês em formação inicial no ensino superior

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A newly recognized syndrome of marfanoid habitus; Long face; Hypotelorism; Long, thin nose; Long, thin hands and feet; and a specific pattern of language and learning disabilities

Here, we report on a newly recognized syndrome in a Brazilian family with three affected women, who had a Marfanoid habitus; long face; hypotelorism; long, thin nose; long, thin hands and feet; and language and learning disabilities. The disorder is compatible with autosomal dominant inheritance. (C) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Media Education and Brazilian Educational Policies for the Enhancement of Learning

As media education concepts and practices have been disseminated and strengthened in European countries and Americas, the policies responsible for that expansion remain little known, particularly in countries where the achievements have been recently noted. That is the case for Brazil, where there have been new opportunities for media education, considered as a valuable resource to help accomplish goals of the educational system. This paper looks into the contribution of media education to the enhancement of teaching and learning in the context of innovations brought by recent policies of the Brazilian Ministry of Education. After educational reform programmes which brought the opportunity for emerging fields such as media education, we produced teaching material and conducted a series of workshops with students and teachers from state secondary schools. By reading and producing multimedia information about local public services available to young people, pupils learned about democracy, citizenship, civic engagement, media language, and identity. Lessons from our experiment are discussed against the backdrop of education policies being implemented to ameliorate harsh conditions resulting from the recent economic crisis. We suggest that media education can help by creating a learning environment in which the students become aware of the value of educational attainments.

Teaching in the community: Changing and implementing a new curriculum

The Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu is changing to, and implementing a new curriculum aimed at integrating teaching and learning in the community. Emphasis is on preparing the community settings for teaching, learning and providing health care. A particular task is staff development with emphasis on problem-based learning (PBL) and training medical and nursing students in the leadership to participate in this process. The new curriculum includes the gradual introduction of clinical practice during First Year, integration of the basic sciences with clinical sciences, through integrated modules studied in small groups, and maintenance of the two year clerkship. The undergraduates are introduced gradually to the community: 8% of the total curriculum during First Year, 10% during Second Year, 10% during Third Year, 20% during Fourth Year, 30% during Fifth and Sixth Years. The basic health units at primary care level, and the regional specialty outpatients and hospitals at the second level, are the main teaching sites. An Education Development Committee was established to discuss the strategies for supporting the changes and to structure the planning for promoting the gradual transformation of staff development. After 18 months of implementation of the curriculum, there followed discussions and monitoring of the objectives of changes in medical education at our school. Successful implementation of the new curriculum would fail, if the objectives were not absorbed by every member of the implementation Committee.

Subtitling as a pedagogical tool for language teaching in journalism

This study was designed to present and discuss some results produced by a research involving the use of English subtitles of some news videos from the webiste Reuters.com (http://www.reuters.com) with pedagogical reasons in a Brazilian context (Academic English for Journalism). We have developed the research during two semesters at UNESP (Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho). The professor in charge of the study has chosen the students of Journalism as the audience to whom the videos were presented. The assumptions of many theorists and experts in Audiovisual Translation were adopted as our Theoretical Sources. The first step of the study was the assessment of the syllabus of each course. This was very helpful as a guidance in order to choose the most relevant and interesting videos for students. After the evaluation of academic and professional interests, we chose some videos to insert appropriate subtitles, according to some strategies suggested by Panayota Georgakopoulou and Henrik Gottlieb. Finally we presented the videos during the English classes. At the first time, they were presented without subtitles just to notice the comprehension level of the students. After that, the videos were presented with English subtitles. As we first assumed, the students haven’t had the whole comprehension of specific details during the first presentation, they have just used their previous knowledge and the visual aids to help them in a superficial understanding of the news. As the subtitles appear, the process of communication was finally accomplished.