A critical, decolonial glance at language teacher education in Brazil: on being prepared to teach

Mariana R Mastrella-De-Andrade,Rosane Rocha Pessoa

doi:10.1590/1678-460x2019350306

Abstract

ABSTRACT The decolonial accounts made by a student teacher motivated us to problematize discourses about the “unpreparedness to teach languages at schools”, recurrent in the area of language teacher education in Brazil, and confront them with accounts of other student teachers and of applied linguistics, poststructuralist and decolonial scholars. In this interpretive study, discussions on the themes language, the subject and teaching, coming from the empirical material, led us to a perspective of teacher education as an “impossible but necessary project” (LOPES; BORGES, 2015) and to the need to educate language teachers “to talk” (SKLIAR, 2006), in view of the great complexity of teaching contexts.

Highlights

In our inquiry we have found it intriguing that Luciano Ricardo presented such different views of his education and professors, the school, students, language, and of himself as a teacher
It was the last class of the academic term and the student teachers were evaluating the English Practicum Course after fulfilling their 60hour mandatory teaching practice in public schools around Brasília, capital city of Brazil
Two questions were on the board: how would you evaluate your teaching experience this semester? And how do you feel as you are about to graduate as an English teacher? As the discussions proceeded, heated and stormy at times, one word resounded in our minds: “unpreparedness”

Summary

Introduction

In our inquiry we have found it intriguing that Luciano Ricardo presented such different views of his education and professors, the school, students, language, and of himself as a teacher. Interesting to notice is that he uses words in the plural when referring to his teacher education course: “opportunities, methodologies, and possibilities.” Instead of referring to “a method,” as J did, he mentions that he was shown “methodologies.” This strikes us that teaching is not one set of fixed pre-given procedures to be followed so that knowledge can be transmitted and learning can take place.

Results

Conclusion