Abstract
Although educators are aware that the use of pre-reading activities can prompt schemata and therefore enhance the reading process in a foreign language (e.g., Aebersold; Field, 2007; Johnson, 1982; Langer, 1981), planning an effective pre-reading activity may pose a challenge. In this article, we discuss how students’ schemata on proverbs can be activated through pre-reading activities by promoting text structure awareness (e.g., Grabe; Stoller, 2011) and exploring cultural aspects embedded in proverbs in their first(s) language(s). This study proposes a pre-reading activity for the teaching of proverbs in a Portuguese as a foreign language class in a multilingual context, in which minimal interference from the teacher is required and dialogical interaction among students is promoted. The activity was applied in an intermediate class of Portuguese learners in an American university. The pre-reading activity was designed in order to help students establish a well-grounded basis before they encounter proverbs in Portuguese, from both formal and content perspectives. This study also analyzes the students’ feedback, collected in an online survey. The analysis shows an overwhelmingly positive response to the pre-reading activity.
Highlights
Learning proverbs can pose challenges for second language (L2) learners, since proverbs involve a specific linguistic style and are heavily culturally contextualized
As stated by Funk (2016), the teaching of proverbs in a Portuguese as a foreign language (PFL) class has the potential to create an environment for free speech and to answer the students’ desire to know more about the people who speak Portuguese as a first language and their way of thinking
We argue that the activation of schemata through pre-reading activities can be a dynamic process, which has the potential to develop, change, and enrich students’ schemata, as they interact, negotiate, and construct knowledge together in the classroom
Summary
Learning proverbs can pose challenges for second language (L2) learners, since proverbs involve a specific linguistic style and are heavily culturally contextualized. Teaching proverbs in a L2 classroom, on the other hand, can be beneficial; for instance, it promotes insights and understanding of the foreign culture, and it gives learners a more holistic perspective of the target culture (Brosh, 2013). As stated by Funk (2016), the teaching of proverbs in a Portuguese as a foreign language (PFL) class has the potential to create an environment for free speech and to answer the students’ desire to know more about the people who speak Portuguese as a first language and their way of thinking. The reader’s background knowledge, for instance, can promote or restrain the understanding of a text (e.g., Dalby, 2010). What learners bring to class is an important aspect to be considered in second language teaching
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