Letramento multimodal crítico no ensino de inglês na escola: o papel dos livros didáticos e dos professores

Abstract

Language has an important role in fighting prejudice, intolerance and social injustice. In order to contribute to an approach to English teaching which fosters possibilities of language use in an informed and conscious way, this study aims to investigate the way critical multimodal literacy (CML) is addressed in different spheres of the English teaching context. This concept involves a set of knowledge for a successful participation in a varied repertoire of discursive genres, considering the relationship between text and context, recognizing representations of inequalities, social injustice (aspects of ideology level), and triggering reasoning and practices of Identification and Reflection, with the purpose of promoting social transformation (Action). Thus, affiliated to the area of Applied Linguistics and Critical Genre Analysis (e.g. MOTTA-ROTH; HEBERLE, 2015), this analysis involved both textual and contextual phases, that comprehended the examination of linguistic elements (BARTON, 2004) related to the CML concept in each sphere. In the textual step, we analyzed English language textbook, one referring to elementary school (KILLNER; AMANCIO, 2012) and another to high school (AGA, 2010b). The contextual step involved: a) analysis of political and pedagogical documents: the National Curriculum Parameters (NCPs) (1998) and the Curriculum Guidelines for Secondary Education (CGSE) (2006); and the reviews of textbook collections published in the textbook Guides (BRAZIL, 2011b; 2013b); and b) interviews with English teachers from public schools. In general, knowledge of CML is mobilized in all investigated spheres, but in parts. The documents related to high school include more consistent proposals for CML development in comparison to the documents related to elementary school, including guidance related to Action. Besides that, the teaching proposals focused on CML development emphasize, reading activities, mainly, with few evidences of a multimodality focus. These results have repercussions on textbooks analysis. Compared to the elementary school textbook (EST), there is a greater percentage of activities in the high school textbook (HST) (46.5%, against 38.6% of the EST) that explore CML, especially at the level of ideology and for reasoning and conscious practices (Identification and Reflection), with more frequent possibilities of engagement (Action), as well as CML proposals which include knowledge about multimodality. In relation to teachers, the results suggest a critical approach in classes, in terms of knowledge related to the level of ideology in combination with reasoning and practices of Identification and Reflection, mainly regarding verbal text. Images seem to serve more as support for the text than as indispensable elements to the meaning or to the general purpose of a particular text. As the documents and textbooks, teachers also emphasize a greater focus on CML development in high school. These findings show that critical perspectives permeate the context of English teaching; however, more research is needed to contribute to the development of CML in different modalities, providing students with a conscious and critical use of language.