While there is a “T” in the acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ), the focus in both academia and the real world often shifts solely to sexuality. Even though the real world discussion of sexuality (and perhaps academia’s as well) is also much lacking in both attention to all sexualities (not simply heterosexual and homosexual), there is also a distinct lack of awareness about subtleties all along both the sexuality and gender spectrums. Although sexuality can depend on gender to some extent, particularly where limiting prefixes related to the preference for a specific binary gender (such as ‘hetero,’ ‘homo,’ or ‘bi’) occur, gender is separate from sexuality and the two cannot be simply conflated. Once gender is separated from sexuality, the issue of teaching LGBTQ topics in the English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom becomes even more complex. Previous research in the field has focused exclusively on sexuality while using the LGBTQ acronym, which serves as a subtle erasure of gender identities that are not explicitly bound within sexual identity. In the ESL classroom, gender should be problematized so that gender identity is moved from the passive acceptance of an assigned set of performative behaviors to a conscientious decision made by an empowered agent. This battles both cisnormativity (the functioning assumption and cultural framework that all people identify with their assigned sex at birth, which in turn leads to ostracism of those who do not operate in gender normative ways) but also allows all ESL students, regardless of gender identity, to look critically at what defines their gender and what factors go into the construction of any particular gender. Considering that many ESL students are coming from gender constructions present in their own cultures, even if those constructions resemble the Western binary, this is an incredibly feasible option given that scholars, such as Ged (2013), have found that gender identity, like all other aspects of identity, must be renegotiated in the language learning process, with results from the first cultural gender identity that are necessarily different by virtue of being constructed in an entirely difficult culture. This thesis examines the Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) corpus as it relates to non-binary gender identity and sexuality, as well as transgender and nonconforming topics in other disciplines, and suggests several means of opening up and reframing the conversation of gender in the ESL classroom. In addition, a modified replication of Dumas’s (2010) study tool towards measuring educator perceptions in the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) classroom was used to poll the opinions of four pre-service and thirteen in-service with regards to transgender and nonbinary topics in the American ESL classroom. This thesis concludes that there needs to be more research completed in the area, that teacher perceptions and their role in the classroom should be studied further to recognize what understandings or misunderstandings regarding gender in America are making their way into the ESL classroom.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 179-190). / xvi, 190 leaves, bound 29 cm

The objective of the thesis was twofold. Firstly, to map the situation in one-year post- secondary courses of English organised by private language schools in the Czech Republic and to recommend teaching methods and materials suitable for the given age group and the aims of the courses. Secondly, to outline the legislation regulating this form of study and in view of the recent legislative changes to compile a set of arguments for preserving the student status for the course participants. The first part of the thesis summarizes the lingvodidactic principles of teaching English as a foreign language with respect to the specific characteristics of learners between 19 and 22 years of age. It also presents a brief overview of the historical development of teaching methods as a background to the methodology applicable to post-secondary courses and provides a basis for textbook evaluation and selection. In the empirical part of the thesis the organization of post-secondary courses at three private language schools was contrasted and two sets of questionnaires completed by their students were analysed. Based on the conclusions drawn in the theoretical background as well as on the output of the questionnaires the contemporary approach of principled eclecticism was recommended as the most suitable...

O presente trabalho visa a contribuir com o avanço das pesquisas na área de multimodalidade, mais especificamente na área aplicada ao contexto de ensino de língua estrangeira. Analisa-se uma amostra de textos multimodais em um livro didático produzido e utilizado no Brasil como ferramenta para o ensino de inglês como língua estrangeira para alunos adultos iniciantes em um curso livre. Tendo em vista a preocupação, apontada no próprio material didático, em atender às necessidades e expectativas desses alunos, objetiva-se, através desta investigação: verificar como se dá a interação entre o verbal e o visual no livro didático selecionado; verificar como essa interação contribui para atingir os objetivos pedagógicos propostos pelo material; e, por fim, contribuir, de alguma maneira, para o letramento multimodal de alunos em língua estrangeira. Tais objetivos determinam a natureza híbrida desta pesquisa que, além da sua dimensão analítico-descritiva, apresenta também uma dimensão pedagógica, que visa a apresentar propostas de trabalho multimodal com algumas das atividades selecionadas para análise. A seleção dos textos multimodais para a composição do corpus desta pesquisa foi baseada na observação da recorrência de imagens com determinados personagens ao longo do livro. Tal recorrência provocou questionamentos que só poderiam ser respondidos a partir da análise desses personagens representados em situações de (inter)ação, o que deu lugar à seleção das representações narrativas que os incluíssem. Os personagens em questão são desenhos criados para os fins pedagógicos do material e são representados em situações sociais muito limitadas: a maior parte dessas representações parece formar uma sequência narrativa cuja interação acontece em uma festa; entre as outras representações, que não representam a referida festa como contexto, incluem-se interações no escritório, no restaurante, no parque e ao telefone. Uma análise da representação visual desses atores sociais revelou que, apesar da inclusão de uma negra entre os personagens, e a consequente suposta visão multicultural transmitida com essa inclusão, os participantes representam um grupo homogêneo, pertencentes ao mesmo segmento social, que só interagem entre eles mesmos em situações sociais limitadas, não sendo, portanto, representativos da diversidade étnica, social e cultural do Brasil, ou dos países em que o inglês é falado. Após a análise da representação dos atores sociais, analisam-se, com vistas a atingir os objetivos deste trabalho, os padrões de representação e de interação nos textos multimodais selecionados, segundo categorias do quadro da multimodalidade de van Leeuwen (1996). Verifica-se, a partir de tais análises, que o verbal e o visual nem sempre apresentam uma relação direta, e que, quando apresentam, tal relação não é explorada pelo material, tornando o visual um elemento meramente decorativo que, na maioria das vezes, em nada contribui para o desenvolvimento das unidades. Por essa razão, e por se tratar de uma pesquisa centrada no contexto pedagógico, propõem-se, ao final das análises, atividades de exploração de alguns dos textos multimodais analisados, visando à formação multimodal do aluno em língua estrangeira / This study aims at contributing to the advancement of research in the area of multimodality, within the context of foreign language teaching. A sample of multimodal texts in a coursebook produced and used in Brazil as a tool for teaching English as a foreign language to adult beginner students in a free language course is analyzed. Given the concerns pointed out in the teaching materials themselves, in meeting the needs and expectations of these students, the objectives of this research are: to investigate the interaction between the verbal and the visual semiotic modes in the corpus; to examine how this interaction contributes to achieving the educational objectives proposed by the material; and, finally, to contribute in some way to the multimodal literacy of foreign language students. Such objectives account for the hybrid nature of this research which, apart from its descriptive-analytic dimension, also features a pedagogical dimension, aimed at presenting proposals for multimodal work with some of the activities selected for analysis. The starting point for the selection of the multimodal texts for the corpus of this research was the observation that certain characters were consistently depicted throughout the coursebook. Such recurrence motivated questions that could only be answered through the analysis of the visual elements in the representation of these characters, particularly when depicted in situations of (inter)action, which led to the selection of narrative representations that included them. The characters concerned are drawings created for the educational purposes of the material and are depicted in very limited social situations: most of these representations seem to form a narrative sequence with interactions taking place at a party, in the office, at a restaurant, in a park, and on the phone. An analysis of the visual representation of these characters showed that, despite the inclusion of a black woman among the characters, which would supposedly convey a multicultural vision, the participants represent a homogeneous group pertaining to the same social segment, who only interact in limited social situations and are not therefore representative of the ethnic, social and cultural diversity of Brazil, or of countries where English is spoken. The analysis of the visual representation of the characters was followed by investigation of the patterns of representation and interaction in the multimodal texts selected, drawing on categories from the framework for the study of multimodality by van Leeuwen (1996). These analyses suggest that the verbal and the visual are not always in a direct relationship, and that, when they are, such relationship is not exploited by the material, making the visual element a purely decorative one, in most cases, contributing very little to the development of the pedagogical objectives of the units. For this reason, some exploration activities of the multimodal texts analyzed are suggested, aiming at the multimodal literacy of foreign language students

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Submitted by Valquíria Barbieri (kikibarbi@hotmail.com) on 2017-06-01T19:36:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2014_Isadora Maria Falbot dos Santos.pdf: 1001855 bytes, checksum: 9fc521d29db07a3a618b254fe77eefa5 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Jordan (jordanbiblio@gmail.com) on 2017-06-05T16:37:00Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2014_Isadora Maria Falbot dos Santos.pdf: 1001855 bytes, checksum: 9fc521d29db07a3a618b254fe77eefa5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-05T16:37:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2014_Isadora Maria Falbot dos Santos.pdf: 1001855 bytes, checksum: 9fc521d29db07a3a618b254fe77eefa5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-11-04 / Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo identificar as concepções de professores de língua inglesa a respeito da situação atual do ensino da disciplina em escolas públicas. A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de um questionário semi-aberto aplicado a quatro professoras de língua inglesa do Ensino Fundamental de duas escolas de Cuiabá. Ao analisar os dados, buscamos compreender o que é ensinar língua inglesa, quais metodologias utilizam, se conhecem os documentos oficiais sobre o ensino e se suas concepções são semelhantes a estas propostas. Os resultados nos revelam que a maior parte desses professores alicerça sua prática em uma perspectiva que ainda coloca os alunos como receptores dos conteúdos a serem ministrados pelo professor. Isso não estimula a autonomia dos alunos e também não prioriza a educação para a formação de cidadãos que possuam meios para progredir no trabalho e em seus estudos futuros. Essa concepção diverge do que recomendam os documentos curriculares nacionais e do estado de Mato Grosso, que se fundamentam na interação como base para o ensino-aprendizagem. Esperamos que as reflexões por nós levantadas possam colaborar para as discussões sobre o aprendizado de línguas estrangeiras no contexto das escolas públicas brasileiras. / This research aims to identify the conceptions of teachers of English about the current situation of teaching this subject in public schools. Data collection was performed through a questionnaire of subjective questions to four English language teachers of elementary school from two schools of Cuiabá. In analyzing the data, we look for understanding what teaching English language, what methodologies they use, if they know the official documents about education and the teachers’ views are similar to these proposals. The results reveal that most of these teachers founded their practice in a perspective that still puts students as receivers of content to be taught by the teacher. This does not encourage students’ autonomy and also does not prioritize education for the formation of citizens who have the means to progress at work and in their future studies. This conception differs from that is recommended by the national official documents and of Mato Grosso too, which are based on the interaction as a basis for teaching and learning. We hope that the reflections raised by us can contribute to discussions on the learning of foreign languages in the context of Brazilian public schools.

O presente trabalho visa a contribuir com o avanço das pesquisas na área de multimodalidade, mais especificamente na área aplicada ao contexto de ensino de língua estrangeira. Analisa-se uma amostra de textos multimodais em um livro didático produzido e utilizado no Brasil como ferramenta para o ensino de inglês como língua estrangeira para alunos adultos iniciantes em um curso livre. Tendo em vista a preocupação, apontada no próprio material didático, em atender às necessidades e expectativas desses alunos, objetiva-se, através desta investigação: verificar como se dá a interação entre o verbal e o visual no livro didático selecionado; verificar como essa interação contribui para atingir os objetivos pedagógicos propostos pelo material; e, por fim, contribuir, de alguma maneira, para o letramento multimodal de alunos em língua estrangeira. Tais objetivos determinam a natureza híbrida desta pesquisa que, além da sua dimensão analítico-descritiva, apresenta também uma dimensão pedagógica, que visa a apresentar propostas de trabalho multimodal com algumas das atividades selecionadas para análise. A seleção dos textos multimodais para a composição do corpus desta pesquisa foi baseada na observação da recorrência de imagens com determinados personagens ao longo do livro. Tal recorrência provocou questionamentos que só poderiam ser respondidos a partir da análise desses personagens representados em situações de (inter)ação, o que deu lugar à seleção das representações narrativas que os incluíssem. Os personagens em questão são desenhos criados para os fins pedagógicos do material e são representados em situações sociais muito limitadas: a maior parte dessas representações parece formar uma sequência narrativa cuja interação acontece em uma festa; entre as outras representações, que não representam a referida festa como contexto, incluem-se interações no escritório, no restaurante, no parque e ao telefone. Uma análise da representação visual desses atores sociais revelou que, apesar da inclusão de uma negra entre os personagens, e a consequente suposta visão multicultural transmitida com essa inclusão, os participantes representam um grupo homogêneo, pertencentes ao mesmo segmento social, que só interagem entre eles mesmos em situações sociais limitadas, não sendo, portanto, representativos da diversidade étnica, social e cultural do Brasil, ou dos países em que o inglês é falado. Após a análise da representação dos atores sociais, analisam-se, com vistas a atingir os objetivos deste trabalho, os padrões de representação e de interação nos textos multimodais selecionados, segundo categorias do quadro da multimodalidade de van Leeuwen (1996). Verifica-se, a partir de tais análises, que o verbal e o visual nem sempre apresentam uma relação direta, e que, quando apresentam, tal relação não é explorada pelo material, tornando o visual um elemento meramente decorativo que, na maioria das vezes, em nada contribui para o desenvolvimento das unidades. Por essa razão, e por se tratar de uma pesquisa centrada no contexto pedagógico, propõem-se, ao final das análises, atividades de exploração de alguns dos textos multimodais analisados, visando à formação multimodal do aluno em língua estrangeira / This study aims at contributing to the advancement of research in the area of multimodality, within the context of foreign language teaching. A sample of multimodal texts in a coursebook produced and used in Brazil as a tool for teaching English as a foreign language to adult beginner students in a free language course is analyzed. Given the concerns pointed out in the teaching materials themselves, in meeting the needs and expectations of these students, the objectives of this research are: to investigate the interaction between the verbal and the visual semiotic modes in the corpus; to examine how this interaction contributes to achieving the educational objectives proposed by the material; and, finally, to contribute in some way to the multimodal literacy of foreign language students. Such objectives account for the hybrid nature of this research which, apart from its descriptive-analytic dimension, also features a pedagogical dimension, aimed at presenting proposals for multimodal work with some of the activities selected for analysis. The starting point for the selection of the multimodal texts for the corpus of this research was the observation that certain characters were consistently depicted throughout the coursebook. Such recurrence motivated questions that could only be answered through the analysis of the visual elements in the representation of these characters, particularly when depicted in situations of (inter)action, which led to the selection of narrative representations that included them. The characters concerned are drawings created for the educational purposes of the material and are depicted in very limited social situations: most of these representations seem to form a narrative sequence with interactions taking place at a party, in the office, at a restaurant, in a park, and on the phone. An analysis of the visual representation of these characters showed that, despite the inclusion of a black woman among the characters, which would supposedly convey a multicultural vision, the participants represent a homogeneous group pertaining to the same social segment, who only interact in limited social situations and are not therefore representative of the ethnic, social and cultural diversity of Brazil, or of countries where English is spoken. The analysis of the visual representation of the characters was followed by investigation of the patterns of representation and interaction in the multimodal texts selected, drawing on categories from the framework for the study of multimodality by van Leeuwen (1996). These analyses suggest that the verbal and the visual are not always in a direct relationship, and that, when they are, such relationship is not exploited by the material, making the visual element a purely decorative one, in most cases, contributing very little to the development of the pedagogical objectives of the units. For this reason, some exploration activities of the multimodal texts analyzed are suggested, aiming at the multimodal literacy of foreign language students

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T16:19:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Tanitha G de Medeiros.pdf: 1074827 bytes, checksum: aed2987444e6ab0d093808ac5f81c580 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-05-13 / This study investigates the concepts of English teachers and interpreters regarding the laws and public policies of inclusion in relation to teaching and learning a foreign language - LE - (English) for deaf students in a mainstream education. Given this context we seek to understand the views of these professionals about: (i) the inclusion of deaf students in a mainstream education and the limitations and implications of public policy in this environment, (ii) the occurrence or not of the teaching of English to deaf students exposing the difficulties and suggestions of the teachers during the classes, (iii) how the interaction happens during an English class where we have the presence of English teacher, interpreter, deaf and hearing students. For such purposes, we used the exploratory qualitative method which can be construed as a case study due (two English teachers and two interpreters who work in public education in Goiânia). This research also has as a base the sociocultural theory of Vygotsky (1998), which invests in social interaction as a condition for the development of individuals. We gathered data through observations, interviews, questionnaires and document analysis. The data suggest that all participants are in favor of the inclusion of deaf students in regular classrooms, but showed dissatisfaction with how this inclusion occurs in practice. There is an interest for change and improvement. The data also show some difficulties and limitations in this context, such as the lack of preparation, lack of support from schools and governing bodies, lack of guidance in the PCN-LE, lack of teaching materials and poor conditions of the classroom. Another fact observed was the unanimity among the teachers about the importance of teaching a foreign language for deaf students, since they believe that deafness is not a negative factor in learning a foreign language, but it is a complement to the learning of Libras and Portuguese. We also observed that both teachers, interpreters and hearing students can also take on the role of the more competent peer to provide cues, demonstrations and instructions for deaf students who can thus benefit from the cognitive skills of other children or adults. / Este estudo investiga as concepções de professores de inglês e intérpretes diante das leis e políticas públicas de inclusão no que tange ao ensino e aprendizagem de uma língua estrangeira LE (inglês) para alunos surdos inseridos no ensino regular. Tendo em vista esse contexto buscamos compreender as concepções destes profissionais sobre: (i) a inclusão de alunos surdos no ensino regular e as limitações e implicações das políticas públicas neste ambiente; (ii) a ocorrência ou não do ensino de inglês para os alunos surdos e quais as dificuldades e sugestões apontadas pelos professores durante as aulas; (iii) como acontece a interação durante uma aula de inglês em que temos a presença do professor de inglês, intérprete e alunos surdos e ouvintes. Para tais objetivos, recorremos ao método qualitativo de cunho exploratório que se configura como um estudo de caso (dois professores de inglês e dois intérpretes que atuam no ensino público de Goiânia). Esta pesquisa também se respalda na teoria sociocultural de Vygotsky (1998), que aposta na interação social como condição para o desenvolvimento dos indivíduos. Realizamos a coleta dos dados por meio de observações, entrevistas semiestruturadas, questionário e análise de documentos. Os dados sugerem que todos os participantes são a favor da inclusão dos alunos surdos nas salas regulares, porém demonstram insatisfação com a forma como essa inclusão ocorre na prática e que há sede por mudanças e melhoria. Os dados também apontam algumas dificuldades e limitações neste contexto, como por exemplo, a falta de preparo, falta de apoio das escolas e órgãos gestores, carência de orientação nos PCN-LE, falta de material didático e precárias condições de sala de aula. Outro fato constatado foi a unanimidade, entre as professoras, sobre importância do ensino de uma LE para os alunos surdos, já que acreditam que a surdez não é um fator que impossibilita a aprendizagem dessa língua, mas sim que complementa a aprendizagem da Libras e da Língua Portuguesa. Observamos ainda que tanto os professores, quanto os intérpretes e também os alunos ouvintes podem assumir o papel de par mais competente ao fornecerem pistas, demonstração e instruções para os alunos surdos que podem se beneficiar das competências cognitivas de outras crianças ou adultos.

The reasons for incorporating literature in foreign language classrooms range from increased language proficiency and gaining cultural experience to increasing literary knowledge. In Swedish upper-secondary school, literature inclusion is advocated by the course curriculum, but with few specifics as to how teachers should approach it. This study investigates how teachers approach literature teaching, what their ideals for their teaching are, and what difficulties they experience when teaching. These questions were addressed in semi-structured interviews with seven upper-secondary school teachers. The data was analyzed using Content Analysis. The results show that the teachers viewed the role of literature as a way to enhance students’ social and cultural awareness, as well as their language proficiency. The teachers emphasized maintaining and cultivating students’ interests by choosing literature that contain themes relatable and interesting to students, as well as by enthusing students when introducing the texts. When working with the texts the most common assignments and exercises were based on literary analysis and subjective student reflection. The biggest constraint perceived by the teachers were unmotivated and uninterested students. A possible conclusion to be drawn from the research is that it is increasingly important for teachers to connect to students’ needs and interests when incorporating literature. A suggestion for further research is therefore to investigate students’ perceptions and experiences with literature in English class. In addition, the efficiency of literature teaching approaches needs to be researched, as this area is fairly unexplored.

My aim with this study is to investigate the teaching strategies applied in teaching English to students with another mother tongue than Swedish. According to Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theory, factors such as age, language competence and mother tongue influence can affect language acquisition. SLA theory also states that multilinguals tend to select one of their languages as their primary source of information and this language is the language that most resembles the target language; Swedish and English are both Germanic languages and therefore share language closeness. Results showed that regardless of age and mother tongue, equal numbers of students chose to source Swedish only or both Swedish and their mother tongue when translating texts from English; only 3 chose to source their mother tongue only. There is to date little research that directly connects teaching approaches with SLA, particularly when dealing with multilingualism. I believe a potential area for research could be to investigate the possibility of developing teaching strategies that can potentially harness prior language knowledge. My investigation also showed that English is taught to native and non-native Swedish speakers alike through the medium of the Swedish language; that is to say the course books consist of English text with vocabulary translations and grammatical exercises from Swedish to English. A suggestion would be to reduce the use of the English to Swedish translation methods, particularly for students with a limited knowledge of Swedish, and incorporate into lessons more communicative teaching methods using authentic materials and real situations.