[pt] Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo investigar o assunto da avaliação educacional a partir da perspectiva de professores em atuação na educação básica do magistério público, buscando problematizar essa prática e elucidar formas mais críticas de compreendê-la. Para nortear o cumprimento desse objetivo, proponho as seguintes questões orientadoras: a) Como os participantes se posicionam discursivamente com relação à avaliação educacional? e b) Que Avaliações e posicionamentos acerca dos temas relativos à avaliação educacional podem ser identificados no discurso dos participantes?. O estudo está inserido no domínio da Linguística Aplicada (Moita Lopes, 2006), tendo por base sua concepção atual de investigar questões de uso da linguagem sob um viés interdisciplinar e co-participativo. Em interface com a Linguística Aplicada, a pesquisa se apoia na área de educação no que tange aos estudos em avaliação educacional, entendida como uma prática localizada sócio-historicamente que visa à observação do processo de ensino e aprendizagem e à implementação de condutas para sua melhoria (Luckesi, 2011). Como aporte teórico, as análises baseiam-se nos pressupostos da Linguística Sistêmico-Funcional (Halliday, 1994; Halliday e Matthiessen, 2004) que entende a linguagem como uma rede de possibilidades orientada para o uso, e no Sistema de Avaliatividade (Martin, 2001; Martin e White, 2005, Vian Jr, 2009), que estuda a atitude dos usuários da língua diante dos fenômenos do mundo bem como os recursos que utilizam para se posicionar ideologicamente em seu discurso. A pesquisa está inserida em um paradigma qualitativo (Denzin e Lincoln, 2006), que busca compreender questões a partir do significado que as pessoas atribuem a elas. Para tanto, foi realizado um grupo focal (Gatti, 2012) com três professores que atuam na educação básica em escolas públicas no estado do Rio de Janeiro e a interação ocorrida foi gravada em áudio e posteriormente transcrita. Por meio dos recursos da Transitividade, do Modo e do subsistema de Atitude, foram identificados, nos fragmentos selecionados para análise, posicionamentos e Avaliações dos participantes sobre a avaliação educacional e os temas a ela relacionados. A discussão possibilitada pelas análises sugere um entendimento da avaliação educacional como algo dinâmico e que deve ser considerado dentro do contexto mais amplo do sistema educacional brasileiro. Os participantes também julgam negativamente algumas práticas empreendidas no contexto da educação pública e se posicionam afetivamente em relação a sua profissão a despeito das dificuldades encontradas. / [en] The aim of this study is to investigate educational assessment from the perspective of teachers who work in public primary and secondary education, trying to problematize such practice and enlighten critical forms of understanding it. In order to accomplish such objective, the following research questions are proposed: a) How do participants adopt stances in relation to educational assessment? and b) What evaluations and positionings about issues related to educational assessment can be identified in their discourses? The study is embedded in the domain of Applied Linguistics (Moita Lopes, 2006), considering its current viewpoint of investigating language use themes taking into account an interdisciplinary and participatory frame of reference. Along with Applied Linguistics, the research stands in the field of Education, with regard to educational assessment, seen as a historically localized social practice which seeks to observe the teaching and learning process as well as implement actions to improve it (Luckesi, 2011). As a linguistic theoretical framework, the analyses are based on the principles of Systemic Functional Linguistics (Halliday, 1994; Halliday e Matthiessen, 2004), which conceives language as a set of choices oriented to use. Also, the investigation considers the Appraisal System (Martin, 2001; Martin e White, 2005, Vian Jr, 2009), which focus on speakers /writers Attitude in relation to world phenomena as well as the resources they use to adopt ideological stances in their discourses. The research is aligned with qualitative paradigm (Denzin e Lincoln, 2006), which searches to understand questions based on the meaning people attribute to them. Therefore, a focus group (Gatti, 2012) was conducted with three teachers who work in primary and secondary public schools in Rio de Janeiro. The interaction was recorded in audio and afterwards transcribed. In the extracts selected to be analyzed, the resources of Transitivity, Mood and Attitude were used so as to identify participants stances and evaluations regarding educational assessment. Discussion provided by the analyses indicates a comprehension of educational assessment as a dynamic concept which should be considered within the Brazilian educational system. Moreover, participants negatively judge some practices carried out in the public education scenario and take affective stance with respect to their profession, in spite of the difficulties they are confronted with.

[pt] Este estudo tem por objetivo investigar as (re) construções identitárias de uma licencianda no estágio na comunidade de prática de Inglês para Fins Específicos (IFE) a qual pertenço, como parte da busca de entendimentos sobre esse contexto. Para tanto, os dados foram gerados ao longo do semestre que a estagiária compartilhou conosco e eles englobam participações orais e escritas, nas quais foram analisadas suas identidades, que parecem emergir de suas escolhas na linguagem para interpretar o que ela estava vivenciando durante o estágio. Seguindo uma abordagem qualitativo-interpretativista (ERICKSON, 1986; DENZIN; LINCOLN, 2006) e desenvolvida dentro da Linguística Aplicada (MOITA LOPES, 2006, 2013), esta pesquisa se baseia em uma perspectiva socioconstrucionista de identidades (MOITA LOPES, 2003; BUCHOLTZ; HALL, 2005) e sua relação com crenças (BARCELOS, 2006) e emoções (BARCELOS, 2012; ZEMBYLAS, 2004), em conjunção com o prisma da Linguística Sistêmico-Funcional (THOMPSON, 2014a; HALLIDAY; MATTHIESSEN, 2014; EGGINS, 2004; GOUVEIA, 2009) e do Sistema de Avaliatividade (MARTIN; WHITE, 2005; VIAN JR, 2009). A partir desse arcabouço teórico, as análises e discussões sugerem que há novas construções e reformulações significativas nas identidades da estagiária, que emergem discursivamente, principalmente dentro do domínio do afeto. Além disso, é possível interpretar que o estágio supervisionado e as experiências e interações na comunidade de prática de IFE foram essenciais nessas (re) construções, especialmente como professora, com identidades, crenças e emoções interconectadas. O processo de questionamento, análise e reflexão dessas identidades e sua relação complexa com crenças e emoções contribuiu para o desenvolvimento de entendimentos para nossa comunidade de prática, como também promoveu oportunidades de aprendizagem mútua e a curiosidade por outras questões, que podem nos motivar a continuar na pesquisa constante sobre esse contexto de forma mais dinâmica e inclusiva. / [en] The aim of this study is to investigate the identity (re) constructions of a student-teacher in the practicum in the community of practice of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) that I belong to as part of the search for understandings about our context. In order to accomplish such objective, data generated throughout the semester the student-teacher shared with us encompass oral and written participations in which the identities were analysed and they seemed to emerge from the choices in language to interpret what she was living during the practicum. This interpretative-qualitative research (ERICKSON, 1986; DENZIN; LINCOLN, 2006) is in the area of Applied Linguistics (MOITA LOPES, 2006; 2013) and it is aligned with social constructionist theories of identity (MOITA LOPES, 2003; BUCHOLTZ; HALL, 2003, 2005), beliefs (BARCELOS, 2006) and emotions (BARCELOS, 2012; ZEMBYLAS, 2004). It is also in interface with the principles of Systemic Functional Linguistics (HALLIDAY, 1994; HALLIDAY; MATTHIESSEN, 2014) and the Appraisal System (MARTIN; WHITE, 2005; VIAN JR, 2009). Based on this theoretical framework, the analysis and discussions suggest that there are new constructions and significant reformulations in the student-teacher s identities, which emerge discursively, mainly within the domain of affect. In addition, it is possible to interpret that the practicum and the experiences and interactions in our community of practice of ESP were essential in her (re) constructions, especially as a teacher, and they include interconnected identities, beliefs and emotions. The process of questioning, analysing and reflecting on these identities and their complex relation to beliefs and emotions has contributed to the development of understandings for our community of practice. It also fostered opportunities for mutual learning and the curiosity for other inquiries that can motivate us to continue the constant research about this context in a more dynamic and inclusive way.

[pt] O presente trabalho tem como objetivo investigar a produção escrita de alunos de ensino médio de uma escola pública da rede estadual do Rio de Janeiro, buscando observar as dificuldades em lidar com a modalidade escrita da língua, considerando que, muitas vezes, isso pode trazer consequências para a vida do indivíduo, dentro e fora do ambiente escolar. Na escola, a dificuldade com a escrita pode acarretar falta de interesse ou motivação, ao passo que, uma vez fora da escola, o indivíduo que tenha dificuldades em se envolver em práticas sociais de leitura e escrita pode ter menos chances de mobilidade social, além de ficar à margem da sociedade de um modo geral (Rojo, 2010, Soares, 1998). Observando a funcionalidade da linguagem e questões sociais e contextuais relativas ao seu uso (Halliday, 1994; Martin, 2001), esta pesquisa propõe as seguintes questões: 1) Que avaliações os alunos concluintes do ensino médio fazem acerca da escola, incluindo os sujeitos que ali agem, reagem e interagem? 2) De que maneira essa escola desempenha o seu papel como agência de letramento escolar? 3) Que relações podem ser levantadas entre escola e inclusão e exclusão social? O conjunto de dados gerados para este estudo consiste em redações escritas em sala de aula (N=30) por alunos do terceiro ano do Ensino Médio, de uma escola na zona oeste do Rio de Janeiro e respostas a um questionário online (N=11), enviado aos alunos após sua saída da escola, via rede social. Dados estatísticos acerca do desempenho de alunos brasileiros em avaliações de percurso, tais como PISA, SAEB e, sobretudo, matrizes de avaliação do ENEM, foram utilizados para examinar e classificar os dados. O sistema da avaliatividade e pressupostos sistêmico-funcionais possibilitaram a análise das avaliações que os alunos fazem da escola como comunidade, incluindo eles mesmos, e a investigação do grau de letramento escolar que apresentam em sua produção escrita. As respostas ao questionário forneceram informações acerca das atividades educacionais e/ou profissionais dos alunos depois de concluído o ensino médio, possibilitando a discussão de eventuais relações entre letramento escolar e a inclusão social. Os resultados da análise indicam que os alunos fazem uma avaliação da escola que oscila, muitas vezes, entre o positivo e o negativo, sobretudo quando se trata de Afeto, e que a instituição é personificada e valorizada pelo seu papel social sobre o educacional. Os demais membros da comunidade escolar, como professores e colegas, também são avaliados afetivamente. Quando as marcas linguísticas nos mostram Julgamento ou Apreciação, no entanto, a avaliação aponta para um posicionamento mais negativo do aluno em relação à escola. Os textos escritos dos alunos mostram ainda que estes apresentam um grau bastante incipiente de letramento escolar, mesmo após onze anos, em média, dedicados à conclusão da educação básica. Esses resultados levam à discussão sobre as interferências que as deficiências de letramento podem ter na vida dos indivíduos, que, como os alunos observados, podem enfrentar dificuldades para ingressar em instituições públicas de ensino superior e para obter colocações mais satisfatórias no mercado de trabalho. / [en] The present study aims at investigating the written production of students at a public state school in Rio de Janeiro, in order to observe the difficulties in dealing with the written language modality, considering that these difficulties can frequently bring consequences to their lives, inside and outside the school context. At school, these difficulties can cause lack of interest or motivation, whereas out of school someone who has difficulty at engaging in social practices of reading and writing (Rojo, 2010; Soares, 1998) can have fewer chances of social mobility and be led into living on the edge of society. Considering the functionality of language as well as social and contextual issues related to its use (Halliday, 1994; Martin, 2001), this research proposes the following questions: 1) What evaluation do the graduating secondary school students make upon the school, including the individuals who act, react and interact there? 2) How does this school play its role as agency of school literacy? 3) What connections can be raised between school and social inclusion and exclusion? The set of data analyzed in this study consists of essays written by secondary students in their classroom (N = 30),and answers to an online questionnaire (N=11) sent to students after they have left school, via a social media. Statistical data about the performance of Brazilian students in national and international examinations, such as PISA, SAEB and especially ENEM, were used to examine and classify data. The Appraisal system and systemic-functional perspectives supported both the analysis of the evaluation that students make of the school as a community, including themselves, and the investigation of the degree of literacy that they present in their written production. Answers to the questionnaire provided information about the educational and/or professional activities of the students after their conclusion of secondary school, adding material for the discussion of possible relations between school literacy and social inclusion. Results of the analysis indicate that students make an evaluation of the school that often varies between positive and negative, especially when related to Affection, and that the institution is personalized and valued by its social role over the educational one. Other members of the school community, such as teachers and peers, are also affectively evaluated. However, when linguistic evidences show Judgement or Appreciation, the evaluation points to a more negative positioning of students in relation to school, especially as an agency of literacy. Students texts also show that they present a very incipient degree of literacy, even after having spent nearly eleven years at school. These results lead into a discussion about the interference that literacy deficiencies can have on people s lives, such as the students who participate in this research, who can face difficulties to enter public universities and to have better jobs or careers.

This study aims to describe the strategic political communication of the Identitarian Movement in Austria (in German known as Identitäre Bewegung Österreich) and concentrates on identifying means of persuasive language on the homepage of the movement, which is known to be nationalistic and critical towards migration. The study is based on a corpus containing a selection of blog entries, as well as a sample of images published on the homepage, and is carried out using a qualitative method combining discourse linguistics, systemic-functional linguistics and multimodal theory. The analysis sets off by describing the field component of systemic-functional theory and proceeds to examining tenor and mode. The focus will be specifically on firstly, investigating a) discourse participants and the processes they engage in and b) interaction between the implied sender and recipient in the verbal material; and secondly, describing how these meanings are reproduced visually in the image sample used. The findings suggest that the movement not only strives to portray itself as powerful and authoritative but also relies on means of solidarity in order to convince the recipient of its message. More specifically, it is shown that the migrant participants are discriminated and depersonalised whilst a close synthetic relationship is established with the implied reader, i.e. the homepage visitor. Furthermore, the movement makes an effort to picture itself as a representative of numerous groups and interests in society. By doing so it apparently attempts to simulate a representative discourse, in order to present the xenophobic stance it agitates for as a majority opinion. The analysis shows also that these practices can be seen throughout the corpus, that is, in the verbal texts as well as in the imagery.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T18:23:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ulisses Tadeu Vaz de Oliveira.pdf: 516269 bytes, checksum: 0844816fc09b2fcd6b0196adc281a80d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-02-19 / The galego-portuguese chants have been traditionally studying by brilliant philologists that been made huge advances in terms of understanding what was the galego-portuguese language and its production context. However, the galegoportuguese chants have a lot to offer to any researcher interested to investigate its particularities. In fact, the traditional methodologies and proceedings applied in the medieval texts analysis, specially in the galego-portuguese chants, could not examining appropriately the implications of the context in the text; as: ideology, courtesy, education, formation, ways of production, etc. Admitting this reflection and presenting a new purpose, this research develops a multifunctional critic analysis (Fairclough, 1992) of D.Dinis galego-portuguese chants (a great king and troubadour, c.f. Vasconcelos, 1943), trying to identify a collection of ideas arose from education, ethic, esthetic, courtesy and a knight ideal (Ceschin, 1998) inside these texts through the standings of: fegnedor (or aspirant), precador (or suppliant), entendedor (or suitor) and drut (or lover) (Spina, 1996:363). Since the analysis focus the lyrical chants, we re only going to talk about the standings of fegnedor, precador and entendedor; intending to understand: (a) how the linguistic analysis can contribute to reveal the ideological complexes that permeate the speech of fegnedor in love chants and precador in friend chants. (b) how fegnedor and precador can behave linguistically in this context? To achieve these objectives and make a multifunctional analysis (a method of textual linguistic analysis associate with a social theory of the language functioning in ideological processes), we mainly adopt the theoretical framework of Systemic-Functional Linguistics (Halliday, 1985, 1994) specially the ideational and interpersonal metafunctions, complemented by proposes of Critical Discourse Analysis, Register and Genre Theory (Eggins & Martin, 1997), Appraisal (Martin, 2000, 2003), and the concepts of Logogenesis (Halliday, 1994) and Resonance (Thompson, 1998). The Systemic-Functional Linguistics is distinguishable from other relate theories because it views language as a social semiotic, including the cultural and situational contexts implications. Therefore, by its perspective, we determine some obrigatory and optional stages in D.Dinis lyrical chants, as well examine the interface between social context and ideological issues on Middle Ages and the chants language (fegnedor and precador stances), we are able to map some social regulations and the ability of troubadours to compose these texts / As cantigas galego-portuguesas têm sido estudadas tradicionalmente por ilustres filólogos, e seus estudos avançaram muito na compreensão do que foi a língua galego-portuguesa e seu contexto de produção, porém as cantigas galegoportuguesas ainda têm muito a oferecer ao pesquisador que nelas se debruça, bem como aos estudantes que por elas se interessam. De fato, as ferramentas metodológicas e procedimentais utilizadas nas análises tradicionais dos textos medievais, em especial as cantigas galego-portuguesas, não conseguiram analisar satisfatoriamente as implicações do contexto no texto; a saber: ideologia, cortesia, educação, formação, meio de produção, etc. Partindo desta reflexão, de forma inédita até então, esta pesquisa realiza uma análise crítica multifuncional (Fairclough 1992) das cantigas líricas galego-portuguesas de D.Dinis (grande rei e trovador, c.f. Vasconcelos, 1943), buscando identificar um ideário inspirado na educação, ética, estética, cortesia e cavalaria (Ceschin, 1998) e presentes nas cantigas galego-portuguesas através dos posicionamentos de: fenhedor (ou suspirante), precador (ou suplicante), entendedor (ou namorado) e drudo (ou amante) (Spina; 1996: 363). Como a análise se restringe apenas aos cantares líricos, trataremos apenas dos posicionamentos de fenhedor, precador e entendedor, visando compreender: (a) como a análise lingüística pode contribuir para revelar os complexos ideológicos que permeiam a fala do fenhedor nas cantigas de amor e do precador nas cantigas de amigo?; (b) como podem se comportar lingüísticamente o fenhedor e o precador considerando esse contexto. Para atingir esses objetivos e realizar uma análise crítica multifuncional (um método de análise lingüística textual com uma teoria social do funcionamento da linguagem em processos ideológicos), adotamos prioritariamente os pressupostos teóricos da Lingüística Sistêmico-Funcional (Halliday, 1985, 1994) e as metafunções ideacional e interpessoal, complementada pelas propostas da Análise Crítica do Discurso, a Teoria de Gêneros e Registros (Eggins & Martin, 1997), as propostas de avaliatividade (Appraisal), de Martin (2000, 2003), e os conceitos da Logogênese (Halliday, 1994) e Ressonância (Thompson, 1998). O que distingue a Lingüística Sistêmico-Funcional é que ela estuda o caráter social da língua, relacionando-a ao contexto cultural e situacional. Portanto, através dela, conseguimos delinear alguns estágios obrigatórios e opcionais nas cantigas líricas de D.Dinis, bem como, mapear a cátedra e o engenho do trovador, examinando a interface entre o contexto social e implicações ideológicas da Idade Média com a linguagem das cantigas e o contraste entre os posicionamentos de fenhedor e precador

O ensino de Língua Estrangeira para Crianças (LEC) bem como sua pesquisa encontram-se em expansão no Brasil e no mundo (Cameron, 2003; Gimenez 2010). Entre os estudos na área de LEC faltam pesquisas que avaliem e analisem dados que provenham de intervenções do ensino de escrita em LEC para crianças alfabetizadas entre 8 e 10 anos (Figueira, 2010). Com o intuito de contribuir para o ensino da escrita em inglês para o nível fundamental, esta dissertação objetiva demonstrar como uma intervenção pedagógica, realizada com alunos do 5º ano em uma escola particular paulista, ensinou o texto persuasivo em inglês e quais foram as implicações desse ensino para os participantes. Nesta pesquisa de mestrado, a professora-pesquisadora objetivou intervir na compreensão de texto de opinião dos alunos de modo a propiciar a expansão do conhecimento (Daniels, 2011; Magalhães, 2009) e o aprimoramento da escrita deles. Conforme as ações de aprendizagem de Davydov (1988), os alunos responderam à pergunta-problema elaborada para o curso, formularam representações sobre as características da persuasão, analisaram textos biográficos e textos persuasivos e, ao final da intervenção, redigiram textos persuasivos sobre o real inventor do avião. A intervenção pedagógica teve suas bases na Teoria da Atividade Sócio Histórico e Cultural, conforme os teóricos Vygotsky (2007) e Davydov (1988). Para Vygotsky (2007), as funções intelectuais dos seres humanos não são tidas como meros resultados de maturação biológica, como algo natural e inato a todos os seres humanos, pois são construídas socialmente com o auxílio fundamental da linguagem. Isso revela que as funções mentais superiores advêm da interação social, das práticas sociais e da história. Desse modo, a cognição não surge apenas do funcionamento biológico, pois advém da integração do corpo biológico com as práticas sociais (Vygotsky, 2007). Outra base teórica para a intervenção foi a Escola Australiana de Gêneros Textuais. Nessa perspectiva, o gênero textual se materializa no uso da língua, que é um meio pelo qual o ser humano constrói significados em um dado contexto social (Eggins, 2004; Halliday & Matthiessen, 1994; Martin, 2008). Dessa forma, o gênero pode servir como uma ferramenta utilizada para criar Zona de Desenvolvimento Proximal e expandir o conhecimento dos alunos. As perspectivas teóricas adotadas, portanto, objetivaram agir no campo em que atuaram (Lantolf, 2000, 2007; Spinoza, 1998; Vygotsky, 2007). Os resultados obtidos após a realização da intervenção pedagógica apontam para a conscientização dos alunos em relação à função persuasiva dos textos de opinião. Além disso, a análise de dados demonstrou que os alunos melhoraram sua escrita de texto de opinião em relação ao pré-teste, realizado antes da intervenção pedagógica. A conclusão aponta que ainda há muito a ser feito na área do ensino da escrita em língua estrangeira, mas que a criança deve ser sensibilizada a produzir textos de opinião ainda na escola primária (Souza, 2003: 73), uma vez que a argumentação e a persuasão estão presentes nas situações cotidianas, escolares ou familiares, das crianças / The teaching of English as a Foreign Language to Children as well as its research are in expansion not only in Brazil but all over the world (Cameron, 2003; Gimenez 2010). Among the studies in the area of teaching English as a Foreign Language to children there is a lack of researches that evaluate and analyze data that come from interventions in the teaching of writing to literate children aged between 8 and 10 (Figueira, 2010). With the objective of contributing to the Teaching of Writing in English as a Foreign Language to Elementary School Children, this dissertation aims to demonstrate a) how a pedagogical intervention, that was held at a private school in São Paulo, taught the persuasive text and b) to discuss the implications of this teaching to the participants were. In this master research, the researcher and teacher aimed to intervene in the students comprehension of opinion writing in order to provoke the expansion of students comprehension (Daniels, 2011; Magalhães, 2009), as well as to promote their writing improvement. In conformity with Davydov´s learning actions (1988), students answered the problem-question elaborated for the course, formulated representations about the characteristics of persuasion, analyzed biographical and persuasive texts and, in the end of the intervention, wrote persuasive texts about the real inventor of the airplane. The pedagogical intervention had its basis on the Cultural Historical Activity Theory, in conformity with the theories of Vygotsky (2007) and Davydov (1988). For Vygotsky, the intellectual functions of human beings are not mere results of biological maturation, as if they were something natural and innate for all human beings. Instead, the intellectual functions are socially constructed with the fundamental assistance of language. This reveals that higher mental functions derive from social interaction, from social and historical practices. In this sense, cognition emerges not only from biological functioning, but also from the integration of biological and social practice (Vygotsky, 2007). Another theoretical basis used for the intervention was the Australian School of Genre. In this perspective, the textual genre is materialized through language, which is a means through which human beings make meanings in social contexts (Eggins, 2004; Halliday & Matthiessen, 1994; Martin, 2008). In this way, genre can be seen as a tool to build Zone of Proximal Development and expand students knowledge. These goals are connected with the theoretical perspectives adopted since their objective is to promote agency in the field they act upon (Lantolf, 2000, 2007; Spinoza, 1998; Vygotsky, 2007). Analysis of data revealed that the intervention promoted awareness of students in relation to the persuasive function of opinion texts. Moreover, the data analysis showed that students improved their opinion writing in relation to the pre-tests realized before the pedagogical intervention. The conclusion remarks that there is still much to do in the area of writing as a foreign language to children, but children must be sensitized to write opinion texts in primary school (Souza, 2003: 73), since argumentation and persuasion are present in everyday school or family children situations

This study examines discursive assessment practices in a special school for girls identified with a disability in an Arabian-Gulf country. The study is driven by a notable absence of research on girls with disability in the Arab world, and the need for analysing practices that shape their identities and future trajectories. To disclose the mechanisms, processes, and tools influencing the coconstruction of girls' identities by members of a multidisciplinary team, I developed an analytic framework that draws on three theories: systemic functional linguistics, critical genre analysis and sociocultural theory of discourse and identity production. The main data source is the audio-record of conversations that took place at case-conference meetings (CCMs). To describe the genre of a CCM and to disclose what went on, who was involved, and what outcomes were achieved, I constructed three narratives: 'The most relevant thing about us', 'Much ado about everything', and 'Not so great expectations'. These narratives revealed the object, goals, and the outcomes of talk. With respect to the object of talk, or the knowledge underpinning assessment practices, there was much focus on girls' diagnostic histories and scores in IQ tests; they were given a high priority and perceived as key to understanding the girls. Analysis also revealed a resistance to move beyond dichotomous thinking (i.e. girls are either trainable or educable). The goals of talk were to pass on information, to share assessment results, and to list objectives for intervention, each practitioner within her domain of expertise. This mode of passing on - rather than - discussing information and assessment results limited the prospect to benefit from the distributed knowledge of practitioners. The outcomes of talk were mediated by the two preceding discursive actions. A preoccupation with girls' medical diagnosis, and a focus on passing on rather than discussing assessment reinforced deficit thinking. Further, categories assigned to girls stood as self-fulfilling prophesies, and as predictors of girls' future performance. The space to create more positive identities was evident, however, where practitioners knew little about girls' genetic or developmental disabilities. The implications of these objectifying practices are serious with respect to Gulf-Arabian countries and to similar Muslim sociocultural contexts. Perceiving diagnosis as the absolute truth feeds fatalistic beliefs further and results in inactivity and invisibility. Implications are offered for policy and practice and for future research.

This classroom ethnography documents the developing critical literacy pedagogy of an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instructor over the course of several terms. My research, which involved extensive collaboration with the EAP instructor, explores how specific classroom practices and discourses are enacted and mediated through dialogic intertextualities, material objects, and social actions that frame representations about language, literacy, and what Lefebvre (1988) called “le quotidien” – the everyday, and how these affect the students’ meaning-making potential in specific ways. It also traces the contours (and detours) of the instructor’s classroom practices after the researcher’s mediation in the form of collaborative inquiries on functional grammar and critical literacy, and the effects of these classroom practices on making meaning in her EAP classes. I consider several issues from an integrated theory and practice perspective. Because of an urgent need to understand the students’ practices and epistemologies as they engage in ever newer forms of multimodal text productions, I contend that EAP classroom practices must be reshaped to facilitate more (inter)active engagements of the multimodal texts that saturate students’ lives, both inside the class and outside. Related to this, I highlight in my classroom data what actually counts as the ‘critical’ or the ‘uncritical’ in this EAP classroom and argue why these distinctions matter. Lastly, I suggest ways in which the role of a critical multiliteracies education in EAP can meet the pragmatic needs of both students and teachers. My research contributes to a much-needed dialogue between critically oriented researchers and practitioners in the field of TESOL/Applied Linguistics by bridging the gap between theory and practice. The lessons learned from this collaborative classroom praxis point to concrete ways to help EAP teachers and students utilize their meaning-making potential. This involves equipping them with an expanded social semiotic tool-kit that can enable them to not only meet their immediate academic needs, but also help create a more active and possibly transformative role in the social constructions of discourse, language, and society. This doctoral dissertation has implications for those who are involved in EAP teaching and research, curriculum planning, teacher training, and student needs assessment.

This classroom ethnography documents the developing critical literacy pedagogy of an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instructor over the course of several terms. My research, which involved extensive collaboration with the EAP instructor, explores how specific classroom practices and discourses are enacted and mediated through dialogic intertextualities, material objects, and social actions that frame representations about language, literacy, and what Lefebvre (1988) called “le quotidien” – the everyday, and how these affect the students’ meaning-making potential in specific ways. It also traces the contours (and detours) of the instructor’s classroom practices after the researcher’s mediation in the form of collaborative inquiries on functional grammar and critical literacy, and the effects of these classroom practices on making meaning in her EAP classes. I consider several issues from an integrated theory and practice perspective. Because of an urgent need to understand the students’ practices and epistemologies as they engage in ever newer forms of multimodal text productions, I contend that EAP classroom practices must be reshaped to facilitate more (inter)active engagements of the multimodal texts that saturate students’ lives, both inside the class and outside. Related to this, I highlight in my classroom data what actually counts as the ‘critical’ or the ‘uncritical’ in this EAP classroom and argue why these distinctions matter. Lastly, I suggest ways in which the role of a critical multiliteracies education in EAP can meet the pragmatic needs of both students and teachers. My research contributes to a much-needed dialogue between critically oriented researchers and practitioners in the field of TESOL/Applied Linguistics by bridging the gap between theory and practice. The lessons learned from this collaborative classroom praxis point to concrete ways to help EAP teachers and students utilize their meaning-making potential. This involves equipping them with an expanded social semiotic tool-kit that can enable them to not only meet their immediate academic needs, but also help create a more active and possibly transformative role in the social constructions of discourse, language, and society. This doctoral dissertation has implications for those who are involved in EAP teaching and research, curriculum planning, teacher training, and student needs assessment.

Η διδακτορική αυτή διατριβή πραγματεύεται έναν επικοινωνιακό-κειμενοκεντρικό τρόπο διδασκαλίας της γραμματικής στο Δημοτικό Σχολείο της Κύπρου και, κατ’ επέκταση, της Ελλάδας. Περιλαμβάνει λεπτομερή περιγραφή μίας πρότασης πειραματικής εφαρμογής της επικοινωνιακής-κειμενοκεντρικής προσέγγισης στην Γ΄ Δημοτικού, στην Κύπρο, βασισμένης στο παιδαγωγικό μοντέλο συστημικής-λειτουργικής γραμματικής της Αυστραλιανής Σχολής (του Halliday και των συνεργατών του), το οποίο εστιάζει στο κείμενο, ως προϊόν και κοινωνική διαδικασία, στο συγκείμενο, στη γραμματική των κειμενικών ειδών, στη γλωσσική επάρκεια και, ευρύτερα, στο γραμματισμό. Στο πλαίσιο της συγκεκριμένης πειραματικής εφαρμογής διεξήχθη ημιπειραματική έρευνα με προπειραματικό και μεταπειραματικό έλεγχο, με δύο φυσικώς ισοδύναμες ομάδες. Σκοπός της έρευνας ήταν να εξετάσει την αποτελεσματικότητα ερευνητικού προγράμματος επικοινωνιακής-κειμενοκεντρικής προσέγγισης της διδασκαλίας της γραμματικής ως προς τη γλωσσική επάρκεια (και τις δύο συνιστώσες της, τη γλωσσική ικανότητα και την επικοινωνιακή ικανότητα) των παιδιών που συμμετείχαν σε αυτή και ως προς το επίπεδο γραμματισμού τους, εν γένει. Η έρευνα ήταν ποσοτική. Μέσω ενός ειδικά καταρτισμένου δοκιμίου, που περιλάμβανε ποικιλία έργων και σχετικών ασκήσεων, μετρήθηκαν τόσο οι γλωσσικές όσο και οι επικοινωνιακές επιδόσεις των παιδιών των δύο ομάδων. Οι υποθέσεις της έρευνας εστίασαν σε ορισμένα γλωσσικής και επικοινωνιακής φύσεως εννοιακά υποεπίπεδα, συναρτήσει του ευρύτερου εννοιακού επιπέδου «γλωσσική επάρκεια», και σχετίζονται με τα ακόλουθα ερωτήματα: 1. Ποια είναι η επίδραση της επικοινωνιακής-κειμενοκεντρικής διδασκαλίας της γραμματικής στη γλωσσική ικανότητα που αντιστοιχεί στην ορθογραφική γνώση του διδασκομένου; 2. Ποια είναι η επίδραση της επικοινωνιακής-κειμενοκεντρικής διδασκαλίας της γραμματικής στη γλωσσική ικανότητα που αντιστοιχεί στην «αμιγώς γραμματική» (μορφοσυντακτική) γνώση (ή γνώση γραμματικών κανόνων παραδοσιακού τύπου) του διδασκομένου; 3. Ποια είναι η επίδραση της επικοινωνιακής-κειμενοκεντρικής διδασκαλίας της γραμματικής στη γλωσσική ικανότητα που αντιστοιχεί στη γνώση του διδασκομένου σε σχέση με τη μεταγλώσσα (βασική γραμματική ορολογία); 4. Ποια είναι η επίδραση της επικοινωνιακής-κειμενοκεντρικής διδασκαλίας της γραμματικής στο γενικό επίπεδο της γλωσσικής ικανότητας (γλωσσικές επιδόσεις) του διδασκομένου; 5. Ποια είναι η επίδραση της επικοινωνιακής-κειμενοκεντρικής διδασκαλίας της γραμματικής στην επικοινωνιακή ικανότητα του διδασκόμενου που αντιστοιχεί στη γνώση δόμησης γραπτού λόγου (άρα και παραγωγής γραπτών κειμένων) εντός επικοινωνιακού πλαισίου (και αναλύεται βάσει επιμέρους σχετικών δεικτών]; 6. Ποια είναι η επίδραση της επικοινωνιακής-κειμενοκεντρικής διδασκαλίας της γραμματικής στο γενικό επίπεδο της επικοινωνιακής ικανότητας (επικοινωνιακές επιδόσεις) του διδασκομένου; 7. Ποια είναι, εν τέλει, η επίδραση της επικοινωνιακής-κειμενοκεντρικής διδασκαλίας της γραμματικής στην καλλιέργεια της γλωσσικής επάρκειας του διδασκομένου; Τα ευρήματα της έρευνας, αναφορικά με τα παραπάνω ερωτήματα και στη βάση των υποθέσεών της, ειδικότερα, κατέδειξαν ότι υπήρξε στατιστικά σημαντική διαφορά ως προς: α. τις «γλωσσικές» και τις «επικοινωνιακές επιδόσεις» των παιδιών της Πειραματικής Ομάδας έναντι των αντίστοιχων επιδόσεων της Ομάδας Ελέγχου, κατά την τελική αξιολόγηση της γλωσσικής επάρκειάς τους (της γλωσσικής ικανότητας και της επικοινωνιακής ικανότητάς τους, αντίστοιχα) β. τις «γλωσσικές επιδόσεις» και τις «επικοινωνιακές» επιδόσεις των παιδιών της Πειραματικής Ομάδας, ανάμεσα στην αρχική και την τελική αξιολόγηση της γλωσσικής επάρκειάς τους (της γλωσσικής ικανότητας και της επικοινωνιακής ικανότητά τους, αντίστοιχα) γ. το τελικό γενικό επίπεδο γλωσσικής επάρκειας των παιδιών της Πειραματικής Ομάδας έναντι του αντίστοιχου επιπέδου της Ομάδας Ελέγχου δ. το αρχικό και το τελικό γενικό επίπεδο της γλωσσικής επάρκειας των παιδιών της Πειραματικής Ομάδας. Τα παραπάνω ευρήματα, όπως φαίνεται και από τη θεματική ανάλυση περιεχομένου των ποιοτικών δεδομένων που συλλέχθηκαν μέσω, κυρίως, της συμμετοχικής παρατήρησης και της συνέντευξης, η οποία ενισχύει σε μεγάλο βαθμό την εσωτερική εγκυρότητα της έρευνας, σχετίζονται, δυνητικά, με το όλο ερευνητικό πρόγραμμα και την πειραματική παρέμβαση καθαυτή. Γενικά, τα ποσοτικά και ποιοτικά ευρήματα της έρευνας επικυρώνουν την ανάγκη για στροφή από την επικοινωνιακή προσέγγιση στην κειμενοκεντρική προσέγγιση, με έμφαση στη ρητή διδασκαλία των κειμενικών ειδών και της γραμματικής τους, γεγονός το οποίο μπορεί να συμβάλει θετικά στην καλλιέργεια της γλωσσικής επάρκειας, και εν γένει του γραμματισμού. Μία τέτοια αλλαγή αναμένεται ότι θα επιτρέψει τον απεγκλωβισμό από το "πώς" της γραμματικής διδασκαλίας και θα δώσει απαντήσεις σε ερωτήματα όπως: "ποια είδη κειμένου πρέπει να διδάσκονται, σε ποια τάξη και με ποια σειρά". Η διατριβή εστιάζει συστηματικά στον προβληματισμό αυτό και καταθέτει τη δική της ολοκληρωμένη πρόταση για κειμενοκεντρική προσέγγιση της γραμματικής στην Γ΄ Δημοτικού, τάξη η οποία συνιστά ένα κομβικό σημείο στη γλωσσική αγωγή, αναγνωρίζοντας το ρόλο της γραμματικής διδασκαλίας στο γραμματισμό των παιδιών του δημοτικού σχολείου.Στην τελική αυτή πρόταση κυρίαρχη θέση έχει όχι απλώς η "παιδαγωγική του γραμματισμού" αλλά η "παιδαγωγική της γραμματικής του γραμματισμού", η οποία και θεμελιώνεται σε συγκεκριμένα κειμενολογικά κριτήρια. / This PhD thesis deals with a communicative-genre based way of grammar teaching in the Primary School of Cyprus and, additionally, of Greece. It describes in detail an experimental programme, which is based on the Hallidayian systemic-functional model of grammar and the relative Sydney School Theory, from a pedagogic perspective. For the application of the particular programme, which took place in Grade 3, a quasi experimental research was carried out. The design for this research was a pre test - post test, control group-experimental group design. The aim of the research was to examine the effectiveness of the particular experimental programme, regarding the student’s linguistic adequacy (and its two components, the linguistic competence and the communicative competence) and their literacy, in general. The research was quantitative. Via an appropriate test, that included various linguistic and communicative exercises, the linguistic competence and the communicative competence of all the students, who participated in the programme, were tested at the outset of the research. After the Experimental Group received an instruction which placed a strong emphasis on text, as a product and as a social process, context and grammar, for a three month period, both experimental and control group students were re-tested, in order to examine their literacy outcomes in various linguistic and communicative areas and subjects of linguistic adequacy, such as the orthographic knowledge, the grammatical knowledge, the metalinguistic knowledge and the knowledge for effective written text production. The main null hypothesis for the research stated that no change would take place, between the Experimental Group and the Control Group, in the competencies related to “knowledge about language” and “knowledge of the language use”, as a result of the Experimental Group's exposure to explicit grammar teaching and, specifically, to communicative and genre based strategies and activities. After the data were analysed, the main null hypothesis was rejected and the alternative hypothesis, positing that a significant positive change would take place in the Experimental Group’s literacy outcomes was affirmed. The results of the quantitative research were accompanied by the results of a parallel qualitative research. The thematic content analysis of the qualitative data, which were collected via a series of participative observations and interviews, increased the internal validity of the research and strengthened the possible relationship between the instruction, being described above, and the quantitative research results. Generally speaking, the quantitative and qualitative results of the research underline the possible effectiveness of the communicative and, especially, of the genre based grammar approach, regarding the linguistic adequacy of primary school students and their literacy. So, the most important conclusion of this PhD thesis is that, within the frame of a genre based grammar education, students can acquire the knowledge and skills to both write effectively and to deal knowingly with grammatical as well as textual forms. As genre based grammar education is related to a new way of grammar teaching, which aims to the social construction of language, it becomes equal to literacy based education. This new way allows the movement from the “how” of grammar teaching to the “how” of genres' teaching, during the primary years of schooling. The final proposal of the thesis refers to the “how” of genres' teaching in Grade 3, which is supposed to be a crucial point regarding language education and, obviously, regarding literacy itself.