Sônia Maria de Oliveira Pimenta

Technologies, literacies in English oral communication and teacher education: an empirical study at the university level

The main purpose of this article is to report data findings and results obtained in a 60-hour course designed for 20 pre-service English teachers in the first semester of 2014. The course integrated technologies and pedagogical practices to improve advanced oral communication skills. The theoretical framework comprised Kalantzis and Cope (2012, 2013) and their work on literacy, the use of technology by Prensky (2010) and Warschauer (2011), blended learning (THORNE, 2003) and genre (KRESS, 2003). The methodology involved critical reflection of teaching practices, blended-learning classes using Moodle forums and class discussions as well as recording of personal introductions, interviews and documentaries. The results showed that our student teachers improved their oral communication skills by means of critical reflection, use of web tools and recording, thus comprehending oral genres in a significant way. Based on our study, we can say that they will be able to implement these instructional strategies in their future teaching practices.

O RACISMO NOS ANÚNCIOS DE EMPREGO DO SÉCULO XX

Neste artigo, verifica-se como a publicacao de anuncios de emprego com exigencias fenotipicas e criterios comportamentais contribuiu para agravar a desigualdade social e economica entre brancos e nao brancos no Estado de Sao Paulo, inicio do seculo XX. O corpus e formado por 20 anuncios de oferta e procura de empregos dos jornais Correio Paulistano e O Estado de S.Paulo, ambos influentes na sociedade paulistana. Essa escolha se justifica devido ao carater documental inerente a esse genero discursivo. Para a analise, utiliza-se o arcabouco teorico da Analise Critica do Discurso (ACD) desenvolvida por Fairclough (2003; 2008), e os estudos de racismo por van Dijk (2010). Nessa perspectiva, o genero e tomado como modo de acao, uma das representacoes que Fairclough atribui ao discurso. Este foi entendido como elemento de praticas sociais, e analisado dentro de um contexto sociopolitico e ideologico da sociedade em que os textos foram produzidos.

Humano, demasiadamente humano: sobre emoções e masculinidade

This article analyzed four advertisements of Veja magazine 2005 (March edition), based on Social semiotics and multimodality, in which men of different ages and context appeared as represented participants. In a social semiotic perspective, the aim of the paper was to identify the meaning potentials expressed by different interpersonal semiotic modes, related to emotional contents. We have proposed a different analytical perspective of the emotion sign creating categories of multimodal analyses, which complemented those already, available in the literature (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006). The results revealed the advertisements as a product of the engagement at hegemonic masculinity based mainly on power and lack of emotions.

Recent trends in critical reading methodology

This paper makes a survey of recent approaches in critical reading methodology. I start with the discussion of the role of the language teacher and his responsibility as an educator; he must lead students to a critical evaluation of texts, that is, to acquire a critical sense. The present situation of Brazilian schools does not encourage students to read critically. However, important contributions have tried to deal with the problem. Consequently, in this article I review part of the current literature which deals with the teaching of critical reading. The survey contains theoretical issues as well as pedagogical suggestions which give evidence to the need for critical education and thus critical reading. O presente trabalho faz uma resenha dos enfoques recentes em metodologia do ensino de leitura critica. Comeco com a discussao sobre o papel do professor de lingua e sua responsabilidade como educador; ele deve levar os alunos a uma avaliacao critica de textos, quer dizer, a adquirir um senso critico. A situacao atual das escolas brasileiras nao incentiva os alunos a lerem criticamente. Contudo, contribuicoes importantes tem aparecido para tentar sanar o problema. Consequentemente, neste artigo eu considero parte da literatura existente sobre o assunto, ensino de leitura critica. A resenha contem questoes teoricas assim como sugestoes pedagogicas que evidenciam a necessidade de uma educacao critica e por tanto de uma leitura critica.