Letramentos acadêmicos de alunos de letras de uma universidade do sul do Brasil

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the discourse of students from an undergraduate Letters course at a university in southern Brazil and at an Applied Linguistics Laboratory the LLAp from the same department, based in the triad of teaching, research and extension, who were asked to speak about their academic discursive practices, in order to identify the characteristics of academic literacy processes, using the frameworks of ACD (FAIRCLOUGH, 1992; 2003), academic literacies (LEA; STREET, 1998; STREET, 2010) and the notion of legitimate peripheral participation (LAVE; WENGER, 1991). We developed and applied written semi-structured questionnaires and oral interviews dealing with three characteristics of academic literacy processes: genre systems, the roles played in academic literacy and the processes of authoring and co-authoring. In 58 written questionnaires answered by students of Letters and of the LLAp, we identified 47 genres mentioned by students. Among the most cited genres were those, which are most routine and formulaic in academic communities, such as reviews, abstracts and articles. On the other hand, genres less cited were those, which are more diffused and imprecise, such as conversation and defining the meaning of 'text'. Besides genre diversity, the diversity of roles mentioned by students indicates the plurality of possibilities made available by the projects developed at this university, especially at the LLAp. In the four interviews with LLAp students, we sought to focus on issues that were not explored thoroughly in the written questionnaire. In terms of genre system, students stressed different aspects. Two students emphasized bureaucratic genres, one student pointed out genres produced within the research project, co-authored with other group members and, finally, one student emphasized genres produced in the classroom and for the classroom, in relation to her role as a teacher in training and as a teacher in action. Regarding the authoring and co-authoring process, as well as the roles played, we identified different degrees of engagement and participation of students in the community. In theory, the longer a student participates and the greater the degree of engagement in the social practices of academic literacies in the community, the greater, proportionately, will be the legitimate peripheral participation process and, consequently, the greater the learning.