Português como Língua de Acolhimento : um estudo com imigrantes e pessoas em situação de refúgio no Brasil

Abstract

Teaching Portuguese as Foreign Language (PFL) in Brazil has undergone significant changes, as the Brazilian society. On the one hand, there is a growing number of foreigners seeking for the dream of a better life in this country. On the other, the country is unprepared social and politically in welcoming them. Although Brazil has registered in its history a strong link with immigration from various sources, it does not have effective public policy on immigration. However, the country has opened its doors to Haitian and Syrian immigrants, for humanitarian issues, and it has also received immigrants from other countries in different regions of the world. This research presents data related to the growing number of immigrants and asylum seekers in Brazil, the profile of these individuals and, above all, the role of language learning in the process of hosting these people, given that the various skills to be developed by the people who arrive are not their responsibility only of, but it is also responsibility of those who receive them. In this sense, helping them to learn the language of the country that receives them is the first action of hosting these individuals. This study is an action research inserted in a course for immigrants and refugees at the University of Brasilia, whose teaching material was prepared by topics such as work, housing, health and social relations, considered of greater urgency for linguistic, cultural and labor integration of these people. This research presents a (re)construction of the concept of language, which we call hosting language. During the research, we monitored the course called Módulo Acolhimento, observing and recording some lessons in audio, applying questionnaires and conducting interviews with the participants.