A formação inicial de professores de língua inglesa com ênfase no ensino temático baseado em tarefas: a abordagem comunicativa reflexiva revelada do planejamento ao fato

Abstract

The objective of this qualitative research, with an ethnographic and interpretative basis, was to analyze teaching units developed and, later, taught by pre-service teachers, from the last year of a Bachelor's Degree in Letters, in a private college, aiming at recognizing in these teaching units the extent to which the theory on language teaching based on thematic units and tasks, previously exposed to pre-service teachers in English Language Teaching Practice classes, may or may not have been materialized in the activities they have elaborated then administered to their peers. The theoretical framework is in line with authors whose ideas converge to communicative language teaching and teacher training, especially with regard to language teaching based on thematic units and tasks. Among them, we highlight: Almeida Filho (1992,1993, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2012, 2016); Barbirato (1999, 2005, 2008, 2016a, 2016b); Brown (2007); Bygate (2015); Ellis (2003); Long (2015); Nunan, (2000, 2004); Prahbu (1987); Skehan (2001); Van den Braden (2007); Vieira-Abrahão (1999, 2000, 2001, 2009, 2010); Xavier (1999, 2000, 2007a, 2010, 2011, 2016); Willis & Willis (2007). The instruments for the generation and gathering of data were the following: an initial diagnostic questionnaire; four open questionnaires, one of which was applied before the English Language Teaching Practice classes started; the second, after the end of the Teaching Practice classes; the third, after the preparation of the teaching units by the pre-service teachers and the fourth, after what we call “Fato”(Fact) when the teaching was put into practice by using the previously planned teaching units. In addition to the questionnaires, recordings and transcriptions of the conducted classes have also been made. The analysis of the data of this research has revealed that a significant part of the pre-service teachers managed to carry out tasks in the instructed lessons, some in greater quantity and others in lesser, showing that the process experienced in the teaching practices has been of satisfactory quality. Nevertheless, it is considered that the time available to accomplish the development of the teaching units and their presentation to students by pre-service teachers may have been insufficient for some who had difficulties in the process experienced, for others who have not been able to elaborate tasks and a few who have not felt secure to administer the classes. It is hoped that the results of this research will help teacher trainers to provide opportunities and encourage pre-service teachers to prepare and administer classes by using thematic teaching material based on tasks on the English Language Teaching Practice classes at undergraduate programs as well as being extended to continuing education courses in order to promote moments of reflection in the teaching practice with the pre-service teachers and in-service teachers really getting “hands on”.