O principal objetivo deste estudo foi verificar as contribuições que o audiolivro pode oferecer no âmbito do ensino da língua italiana para alunos de nível elementar (A2,conforme o Quadro Comum Europeu de Referências para Línguas) de um Centro de Estudo de Línguas. Procurou-se investigar se a audição desse material foi relevante no processo de compreensão do texto narrativo e se a leitura em língua estrangeira realizada por meio da audição teve boa receptividade pelos alunos. Optou-se pelo audiolivro, por ser um instrumento que apresenta grande potencial didático às aulas de línguas, mas, pouco estudado nesse contexto. Para realizar este trabalho, fundamentou-se nos conceitos teóricos referentes à compreensão oral, na Teoria de Aquisição de Segunda Língua de Stephen Krashen (particularmente, na hipótese do insumo compreensível)e ainda nos conceitos e características do audiolivro, escritos por Maurizio Falghera, pesquisador italiano que se dedica ao estudo desta ferramenta. Com base nos audiolivros La Favola di Natale de Giovannino Guareschi e Le Avventure di Pinocchiode Carlo Collodi, várias atividades didáticas foram elaboradas e aplicadas aos discentes que, após executá-las, deveriam opinar, por intermédio de um questionário sobre as impressões que tiveram do audiolivro na aprendizagem da nova língua. Concluiu-se que o audiolivro foi uma importante ferramenta no ensino do italiano, porque além de dinamizar a percepção das múltiplas nuanças sonoras também viabilizou a realização de leituras na língua-alvo em um espaço de tempo menor, o que permitiu melhor aproveitamento das aulas, na realização de outras atividades do curso / The main goal of this study was to verify contributions that audiobook can offer in Italian language teaching area for elementary level students (A2 according to Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) from a Study Language Center. It was sought to investigate if their hearing was relevant in the comprehension process of the narrative text and if their reading in foreign language performed by hearing had good receptivity by students. It was chosen audiobook because it is a tool that presents great didactic potential for language classes but it is seldom studied in this context. In order to accomplish this task, it was based in theoretical concepts related to oral comprehension, in Second Language Acquisition Theory by Stephen Krashen, particularly in the hypothesis of comprehensible input and also in audiobook characteristics and concepts written by Maurizio Falghera, an Italian researcher who devotes himself to the study of that tool. Based on audiobooks La Favola di Nataleby Giovannino Guareschi and Le Aventure di Pinocchioby Carlo Collodi, many didactic activities were elaborated and applied to students who should describe in a questionnaire the impressions they had on the new language learning by audiobook right after performing it. It was found that such audio tool was an important one in Italian language learning because it boosted the multiple sonic nuances perception and it also made possible the reading performance in the target language in shorter time which allowed a better improvement of the classes

O principal objetivo deste estudo foi verificar as contribuições que o audiolivro pode oferecer no âmbito do ensino da língua italiana para alunos de nível elementar (A2,conforme o Quadro Comum Europeu de Referências para Línguas) de um Centro de Estudo de Línguas. Procurou-se investigar se a audição desse material foi relevante no processo de compreensão do texto narrativo e se a leitura em língua estrangeira realizada por meio da audição teve boa receptividade pelos alunos. Optou-se pelo audiolivro, por ser um instrumento que apresenta grande potencial didático às aulas de línguas, mas, pouco estudado nesse contexto. Para realizar este trabalho, fundamentou-se nos conceitos teóricos referentes à compreensão oral, na Teoria de Aquisição de Segunda Língua de Stephen Krashen (particularmente, na hipótese do insumo compreensível)e ainda nos conceitos e características do audiolivro, escritos por Maurizio Falghera, pesquisador italiano que se dedica ao estudo desta ferramenta. Com base nos audiolivros La Favola di Natale de Giovannino Guareschi e Le Avventure di Pinocchiode Carlo Collodi, várias atividades didáticas foram elaboradas e aplicadas aos discentes que, após executá-las, deveriam opinar, por intermédio de um questionário sobre as impressões que tiveram do audiolivro na aprendizagem da nova língua. Concluiu-se que o audiolivro foi uma importante ferramenta no ensino do italiano, porque além de dinamizar a percepção das múltiplas nuanças sonoras também viabilizou a realização de leituras na língua-alvo em um espaço de tempo menor, o que permitiu melhor aproveitamento das aulas, na realização de outras atividades do curso / The main goal of this study was to verify contributions that audiobook can offer in Italian language teaching area for elementary level students (A2 according to Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) from a Study Language Center. It was sought to investigate if their hearing was relevant in the comprehension process of the narrative text and if their reading in foreign language performed by hearing had good receptivity by students. It was chosen audiobook because it is a tool that presents great didactic potential for language classes but it is seldom studied in this context. In order to accomplish this task, it was based in theoretical concepts related to oral comprehension, in Second Language Acquisition Theory by Stephen Krashen, particularly in the hypothesis of comprehensible input and also in audiobook characteristics and concepts written by Maurizio Falghera, an Italian researcher who devotes himself to the study of that tool. Based on audiobooks La Favola di Nataleby Giovannino Guareschi and Le Aventure di Pinocchioby Carlo Collodi, many didactic activities were elaborated and applied to students who should describe in a questionnaire the impressions they had on the new language learning by audiobook right after performing it. It was found that such audio tool was an important one in Italian language learning because it boosted the multiple sonic nuances perception and it also made possible the reading performance in the target language in shorter time which allowed a better improvement of the classes

Video modelling has been shown to be an effective intervention with autistic individuals as it takes into account autistic characteristics of those individuals. Research on video self modelling and video peer modelling with this population has shown both are effective. The purpose of this study was to replicate past findings that video modelling is an effective strategy for autistic individuals, and to compare video self modelling with video peer modelling, to determine which is more effective. The studies here used multiple baselines with alternating treatments designs with 6 participants across two target behaviours; emotional recognition and oral comprehension. The first compared the video modelling methods and found neither method increased the target behaviours to criterion, for 5 out of the 6 participants. For 1 participant the criterion was only reached for the video self modelling condition for the target behaviour 'oral comprehension'. The second study first examined the effectiveness of video self modelling and video peer modelling with supplementary assistance for 4 participants. Second, it examined a new peer video for a 5th participant, and third, it compared the two video modelling methods (with supplementary assistance). Results indicated 1 participant reached the criterion in both video modelling conditions, 1 participant showed improvements and 2 participants never increased responding. This study indicated that clarity of speech produced by the peer participant in the peer video, may have contributed to a participant's level of correct responding. This is because a new peer video used during the second study dramatically increased this participants responding. Intervention fidelity, generalisation and follow-up data were examined. Measures of intervention fidelity indicated procedural reliability. Generalisation was unsuccessful across three measures and follow-up data indicated similar trends to intervention. Only video self modelling effects remained at criterion during follow-up. Results are discussed with reference to limitations, future research and implications for practice.

Esta investigação teve como objetivos: (a) verificar o grau de êxito da compreensão do discurso oral docente de aprendizes de língua inglesa de nível de proficiência B2, conforme classificação sugerida pelo Quadro Comum Europeu; e (b) identificar as percepções de professores e alunos de cursos desse mesmo nível a respeito de como deve ser a enunciação oral docente, com vistas à promoção efetiva do desenvolvimento da habilidade de compreensão oral dos aprendizes. A finalidade deste estudo foi a de comparar a percepção dos dois grupos, bem como contrastar essas opiniões com a finalidade didática da enunciação. Tomamos por base a hipótese geral de que a maioria dos professores e alunos de nível B2 de proficiência acredita que a enunciação oral docente deva ser apresentada de forma a facilitar a compreensão do aprendiz e que isso promove o desenvolvimento da habilidade de compreensão oral por parte deste último. Os dados foram coletados por meio de: (1) um questionário de verificação da compreensão oral, aplicado aos alunos logo após a audição da gravação do discurso de um professor; (2) questionários aplicados a professores e alunos sobre suas percepções quanto a diferentes aspectos da enunciação oral docente, tais como velocidade de fala, frequência de uso de léxico e estruturas sintáticas não familiares ao aluno, uso da língua materna e entonação. A análise e discussão dos dados foram realizadas à luz da teoria sociointeracionista, de Vygotsky, do conceito de aprendizagem significativa, de Ausubel, e das teorias enunciativas de Benveniste e Bakhtin. Os dados apontam para o fato de, tanto alunos quanto professores, acreditarem que o discurso docente deva ser apresentado de forma a facilitar a compreensão oral discente e que essa crença reflita-se na prática do professor; também indicam que a maioria dos professores não parece relacionar a forma como o discurso oral docente é proferido à possibilidade de isso auxiliar no desenvolvimento da habilidade de compreensão discente. / Submitted by Marcelo Teixeira (mvteixeira@ucs.br) on 2014-06-06T16:11:48Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Lisiane Ott Schulz.pdf: 2671427 bytes, checksum: dc667f01070365826f0b130398763df7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-06T16:11:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Lisiane Ott Schulz.pdf: 2671427 bytes, checksum: dc667f01070365826f0b130398763df7 (MD5) / The purposes of this investigation were: (a) to verify how effective was students’ understanding of a teacher’s speech considering the B2 English proficiency level (according to the classification suggested in the Common European Framework document) and (b) to identify teachers’ and students’ perceptions on how a teacher’s classroom speech should be delivered so as to help B2 students improve their listening comprehension skills in an effective way. Based on these data, teachers’ and students’ perceptions were compared. Furthermore, a contrastive analysis between their beliefs and the didactics purpose of the teacher’s speech was also carried out. The general hypothesis that drove this study is that most teachers and most B2 proficiency level students believe that a teacher’s speech should be delivered so as to facilitate students’ understanding and that this helps students improve their listening comprehension skills. The data were collected through (1) a listening comprehension questionnaire given to students right after they listened to the recording of a teacher’s speech and (2) survey questionnaires that investigated the subjects’ perceptions regarding different features of teachers’ speech such as speech rate, use of unfamiliar words, expressions and syntactic structures, use of mother tongue and intonation. The data was analyzed from a Vygotskian perspective, from Ausubel’s meaningful learning concept and from Benveniste’s and Bakhtin’s views of language. As the data analysis showed, most students and teachers believe that the teacher’s speech should be delivered in such a way as to facilitate students’ understanding. It also revealed that these beliefs were reflected in the teacher’s classroom practice. Moreover, the results suggested that most teachers do not seem to correlate the way a teacher’s speech is delivered to the possibility of this helping improve students’ listening comprehension skill.

Esta investigação teve como objetivos: (a) verificar o grau de êxito da compreensão do discurso oral docente de aprendizes de língua inglesa de nível de proficiência B2, conforme classificação sugerida pelo Quadro Comum Europeu; e (b) identificar as percepções de professores e alunos de cursos desse mesmo nível a respeito de como deve ser a enunciação oral docente, com vistas à promoção efetiva do desenvolvimento da habilidade de compreensão oral dos aprendizes. A finalidade deste estudo foi a de comparar a percepção dos dois grupos, bem como contrastar essas opiniões com a finalidade didática da enunciação. Tomamos por base a hipótese geral de que a maioria dos professores e alunos de nível B2 de proficiência acredita que a enunciação oral docente deva ser apresentada de forma a facilitar a compreensão do aprendiz e que isso promove o desenvolvimento da habilidade de compreensão oral por parte deste último. Os dados foram coletados por meio de: (1) um questionário de verificação da compreensão oral, aplicado aos alunos logo após a audição da gravação do discurso de um professor; (2) questionários aplicados a professores e alunos sobre suas percepções quanto a diferentes aspectos da enunciação oral docente, tais como velocidade de fala, frequência de uso de léxico e estruturas sintáticas não familiares ao aluno, uso da língua materna e entonação. A análise e discussão dos dados foram realizadas à luz da teoria sociointeracionista, de Vygotsky, do conceito de aprendizagem significativa, de Ausubel, e das teorias enunciativas de Benveniste e Bakhtin. Os dados apontam para o fato de, tanto alunos quanto professores, acreditarem que o discurso docente deva ser apresentado de forma a facilitar a compreensão oral discente e que essa crença reflita-se na prática do professor; também indicam que a maioria dos professores não parece relacionar a forma como o discurso oral docente é proferido à possibilidade de isso auxiliar no desenvolvimento da habilidade de compreensão discente. / The purposes of this investigation were: (a) to verify how effective was students’ understanding of a teacher’s speech considering the B2 English proficiency level (according to the classification suggested in the Common European Framework document) and (b) to identify teachers’ and students’ perceptions on how a teacher’s classroom speech should be delivered so as to help B2 students improve their listening comprehension skills in an effective way. Based on these data, teachers’ and students’ perceptions were compared. Furthermore, a contrastive analysis between their beliefs and the didactics purpose of the teacher’s speech was also carried out. The general hypothesis that drove this study is that most teachers and most B2 proficiency level students believe that a teacher’s speech should be delivered so as to facilitate students’ understanding and that this helps students improve their listening comprehension skills. The data were collected through (1) a listening comprehension questionnaire given to students right after they listened to the recording of a teacher’s speech and (2) survey questionnaires that investigated the subjects’ perceptions regarding different features of teachers’ speech such as speech rate, use of unfamiliar words, expressions and syntactic structures, use of mother tongue and intonation. The data was analyzed from a Vygotskian perspective, from Ausubel’s meaningful learning concept and from Benveniste’s and Bakhtin’s views of language. As the data analysis showed, most students and teachers believe that the teacher’s speech should be delivered in such a way as to facilitate students’ understanding. It also revealed that these beliefs were reflected in the teacher’s classroom practice. Moreover, the results suggested that most teachers do not seem to correlate the way a teacher’s speech is delivered to the possibility of this helping improve students’ listening comprehension skill.

La compréhension orale est une compétence primordiale dans l’apprentissage des langues étrangères. En classe, elle est généralement abordée à l’aide de supports audio, présentant souvent des dialogues qui rendent compte de la vie quotidienne des natifs de la langue cible. Ces supports peuvent présenter de la parole seule ou accompagnée de sons environnementaux contextuels. Toutefois, peu d’études proposent une formalisation de ces supports de cours complexes, tant au niveau de leur construction que de leur exploitation en classe. Notre étude repose donc sur les questions fondatrices suivantes : Quels mécanismes sont mis en œuvre dans une tâche de compréhension orale ? Comment construire des scènes sonores ad hoc, susceptibles d’aider les apprenants ? Quelles fonctions peuvent assumer ces sons environnementaux ? Comment évaluer leur impact sur la compréhension d’énoncés linguistiques ? Dans nos travaux nous évaluons la présence d’un contexte sonore complémentaire avec le message verbal : est-ce qu’il joue un rôle important dans sa compréhension en multipliant les indices porteurs de sens et en offrant un cadre à la construction d’une signification comme l’indiquent les travaux antérieurs dans ce domaine ? Dans cette optique nous avons mis en œuvre un plan d’expérimentation comportementale. Cette démarche repose sur l’élaboration de l’ensemble des supports de tests, ainsi que sur un protocole ad hoc, développé pour évaluer la compréhension des dialogues avec ou sans contexte sonore environnemental, par des locuteurs francophones et apprenants de FLE, (de niveau A). Nos résultats font apparaître une aide à la compréhension assurée par le contexte sonore environnemental pour des locuteurs non natifs, ce qui correspond aux résultats dans les études sur la charge cognitive. Enfin, ces travaux nous permettent de discuter diverses pistes didactiques qui vont dans le sens d’un enseignement stratégique de la compréhension orale. / Oral comprehension is a primary skill when learning foreign languages. In the classroom, it is generally ad-dressed by using dialogues usually depicting daily life situations of native speakers. These materials may include speech only or speech along with contextual environmental sounds. However few studies offer formalisation of these complex course materials, both in terms of their production and their educational use. Our study is based on the following questions: What mechanisms are at stake in a listening task? How ad hoc soundscapes, that may help learners, can be created? Which functions can these soundscapes stand for? How can their impact on understanding linguistic statements be assessed? In our work, we assess the role of a soundscape along with the verbal message: does it play an important part in the understanding of the message, multiplying meaningful cues and providing a frame for the construction of the meaning as previous studies in this field indicate? In this context, we implemented a behavioral experimental design. We elaborated all the test materials, as well as an ad hoc protocol developed in order to assess the understanding of the dialogues, with or without contextual soundscape, by native French speakers and learners of French as a foreign language (A level). Our results reveal that the contextual soundscape helps the comprehension for non-native speakers, which matches the results of the studies about cognitive load. Finally, this study allows us to discuss various didactic perspectives that are in line with a strategic teaching of oral comprehension.

La recherche porte sur des analyses de pratiques de classe mises en place dans le cadre d’une expérience contrôlée, au sein de l'Université Normale de Chine du Sud (Canton, Guangdong, Chine). Est mise en évidence la manière dont les enseignants de français langue étrangère (FLE) guident leurs apprenants lors de séances de cours d’oral et la nature de leur étayage. En situation d'enseignement/apprentissage, l'étayage recouvre toutes les manières dont l'enseignant accorde ses interventions aux capacités des apprenants ainsi que tous ses processus d'ajustement lors de la séquence didactique. L’objectif de l'étude est de mettre en valeur les diverses stratégies d’étayage utilisées par les enseignants et voir en quoi elles favorisent les productions verbales des apprenants, en activité de compréhension et de production orales.D'un point de vue méthodologique, la recherche s'appuie sur différentes données: des questionnaires complétés par les apprenants, des entretiens avec les enseignants et des observations de classes. Les observations de classe sont filmées, retranscrites (Norme ICOR) et analysées dans une perspective interactionniste. Sont observés deux fois quatre cours (mêmes supports, même nombre d’apprenants, même niveau linguistique) dispensés par deux enseignantes (de culture, nationalité et formation différentes : chinoise et québécoise). La méthodologie d'observation se déroule en trois temps et permet de considérer la classe dans son intégralité et dans toute sa complexité, en partant de la planification du cours par l'enseignant (entretien pré-cours et document de planification enseignante), en passant par son déroulement (l'action enseignante) pour en définitive effectuer un retour, une réflexion métacognitive quant au contenu de celui-ci (entretien post-cours). Grâce à la retranscription des cours filmés, un corpus est analysé à l’aide d’une grille d’observation et d'analyse de l'étayage, conçue à partir de diverses disciplines contributoires, pour les besoins de la recherche. Un des aspects novateur du présent travail réside dans cette grille de structuration de données existantes, qui prend en compte tant le caractère verbal, para-verbal que non-verbal du discours (notamment les gestes co-verbaux). L'étude s'inscrit dans une recherche praxéologique dont les visées sont d’apporter des pistes pédagogiques, de faire des propositions didactiques sur le rôle crucial de l'étayage dans les pratiques enseignantes, mais aussi sur la didactique de l’oral en FLE, dans un contexte particulier : le milieu universitaire chinois. / This study deals with the analyses of teaching practices during a controlled experiment in a Chinese university (South China Normal University, Canton, Guangdong, China). We focus on the way French as a Foreign Language (FFL) teachers guide their students during oral sessions and as well on their scaffolding. In a teaching/learning situation, the scaffolding stands for all the ways the teacher adapts his interventions to his students’ abilities as well as his processes of adjustment in a classroom setting. Our aim is to observe and evaluate the strategies used by teachers to improve oral comprehension and oral production. From a methodological point of view, the research relies on various sources of data: the analysis of questionnaires filled in by Chinese students, conversations with the teachers, and observations of classes. Our filmed observations are transcribed (ICOR convention) and analyzed from an interactionist perspective. We focused on two groups of students with a different teacher for each group (one conducted by a Chinese teacher and the other conducted by a French Canadian teacher). We observed two classes for two groups (same teaching materials, equal number of students, same level). The methodology of observation was carried out in three phases: class preparation by the teacher (interview before class and teaching preparation), class progress (teacher’s action) and metacognitive feedback after the class (interview after class). This allowed us to consider the class as a whole but also as a complex series of parts. The analysis grid, which takes into account the verbal, the para-verbal and non-verbal character of speech, is one of the pioneering aspects of this study. With the aid of this analysis grid, we assess the nature of the FFL teachers’ scaffolding and, thus, the way FFL teachers guide their students during oral sessions in the context of a Chinese university.This study is part of a praxeological research aimed at defining pedagogical and didactical guidelines, on one hand about the crucial role of scaffolding in teaching practices and, on the other hand, about FFL oral didactic in a particular setting: Chinese universities.

O ensino de língua inglesa conta com manuais que prescrevem metodologias para abordar as atividades de compreensão oral. No entanto, no contato com alunos durante a prática docente, percebemos que apesar das prescrições metodológicas muitos aprendizes permanecem com dificuldades na realização seja dos exercícios de compreensão oral do livro didático, seja das provas de proficiência. Assim, o objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar o funcionamento das atividade de compreensão auditiva a partir de uma perspectiva semântico-discursiva (ORLANDI, 1983; CORACINI, 1999; PÊCHEUX, 1990), dos estudos culturais (WOODWARD, 2000) e dos estudos pós-coloniais (ANCHIMBE; ANCHIMBE, 2005) e com apoio de conceitos da psicanálise tais como o Outro/outro, o estranho (unheimlich) e o enigma, que empregamos como metáfora das noções de inconsciente e recalque (FREUD, 1996; LACAN, 1998; KOLTAI, 1998). Desse modo, refletimos acerca do livro didático, do papel do professor de inglês e das representações de compreensão auditiva nos dizeres dos alunos e professores entrevistados. / There is a variety of manuals for the teaching of the English language which prescribe Several methodologies in order to address listening comprehension activities. However, by the contact with students during the teaching practice, we realized that despite the strategies many learners still have difficulties in performing either the listening comprehension exercises from textbooks, or the proficiency tests. Thus, the purpose of this research is to analyze the functioning of listening comprehension activities from a semantic-discursive perspective (ORLANDI, 1983; CORACINI, 1999; PÊCHEUX, 1990), cultural studies (WOODWARD, 2000), postcolonial studies (ANCHIMBE, ANCHIMBE, 2005) and based on psychoanalytical concepts such as other/Other, uncanny (unheimlich) and enigma which we use as a metaphor for the notions of unconscious and repression (FREUD, 1996; LACAN, 1998; KOLTAI, 1998). Therefore, we discuss the textbook, the role of the English teacher and the representations of listening comprehension in the speech of the students and teachers interviewed.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T18:24:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Eloiza Ceresso de Andrade.pdf: 2652218 bytes, checksum: 293504ea7946c7cb73ff0be0631fa9f9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-04-30 / This study, developed under a qualitative approach, is grounded in theoretical aspects of the teaching/learning of English as L2. It aims at investigating the implementation of a teaching proposal which uses the four abilities (reading, writing, speaking and listening) integratively. In order to meet this goal, students needs analysis concerning the use of English in the social context was conducted , followed by the identification of the mechanisms used during the application of the units which proved to foster the development of L2 teaching and learning. The research was done in a state school, and the subjects were middle-school 6-graders in the twelve to thirteen age bracket. The data under analysis originated from 10 sessions as far as the theoretical background is concerned, needs analysis, reflection on action, the variables introduced by Krashen (1985) and the research on the teaching of speech production and perception in L2 were taken into account. The interviews in the community, the needs analysis questionnaire and the teaching units were important tools used in data collection. The teaching units were divided into 3 stages: 1) reading comprehension and vocabulary; 2) recognition; 3) listening comprehension and oral production. In the first stage, it was analyzed the ability of the student to interpret the text, considering his/her knowledge of the world and the mother tongue. In the second stage, recognition/perception, qualitative listening was developed, in order for the students to perceive the phonetically relevant detail in the acquisition of segmental distinctions in English. In the third stage, comprehension and oral production, oral comprehension was dealt so as to promote students involvement in social interaction. Krashen s Theory of Second Language Acquisition was also very important in data analysis once, while discussing the acquisition-learning process in L2, this author emphasizes the importance of affective variables in this process. Research results demonstrated that this study helped to promote a reflection about the learning and teaching of oral skills in English in an L2 context. It also raised awareness to the fact that the use of students needs analysis, coupled with reflexive practice on the part of both student and teacher, can provide valuable input, as they facilitate the learning process in English / Esta dissertação de mestrado, inserida em uma abordagem qualitativa, fundamenta-se em aspectos teóricos sobre ensino/ aprendizagem de inglês como L2, tem como objetivo investigar a implementação de uma proposta de ensino que embora trabalhe todas as habilidades (ler, escrever, falar e ouvir) integradamente, confere ênfase às habilidades orais. Para atender a esse objetivo, iniciou-se com a investigação das necessidades dos alunos acerca do uso da língua inglesa no contexto social, e prosseguiu-se com a identificação dos mecanismos que beneficiassem o desenvolvimento do ensino/aprendizagem de L2. O cenário da pesquisa foi uma Escola Estadual. Os sujeitos de pesquisa eram alunos entre doze e treze anos que cursavam a 6ª série do Ensino Fundamental II. Os dados foram analisados a partir de registros de 10 sessões. Como subsídio teórico recorreu-se à análise das necessidades, à reflexão na ação, às variáveis introduzidas por Krashen (1985) e à pesquisa sobre o ensino da produção e percepção de fala em L2. Foram importantes instrumentos de coletas de dados as entrevistas à comunidade escolar e a aplicação de questionários para o levantamento das necessidades dos alunos. A análise foi efetuada em três etapas: 1) compreensão leitora e vocabulário; 2) percepção e 3) compreensão e produção oral. Na primeira etapa, compreensão leitora e vocabulário, analisou-se a habilidade do aluno para a compreensão geral do texto, levando em consideração seu conhecimento de mundo e da língua materna. Na segunda etapa, percepção, desenvolveu-se a escuta qualificada, para que os alunos percebessem os detalhes fonéticos relevantes para a aquisição das distinções da língua inglesa. Na terceira etapa, compreensão e produção oral, foram trabalhadas a compreensão oral para tornar possível o envolvimento dos alunos no contexto de interação social. Os resultados da pesquisa mostraram que este estudo serviu para desencadear uma reflexão acerca do ensino/aprendizagem da habilidade oral em inglês como L2, e para perceber que o recurso à análise de necessidades dos alunos e a prática reflexiva das ações foram insumos importantes, pois facilitaram o processo de aprendizagem de língua inglesa

The current study aimed to develop a model of reading comprehension for children in middle primary school. As part of this overall aim there was a particular focus on the contribution of different types of memory to reading comprehension. The variables selected for consideration were identified from the child and adult literature and were of three types: word reading, language, and memory. The sample comprised 180 primary school children in grades 3-5 recruited from two primary schools. Their ages ranged from 8 years 7 months to 11 years 11 months. The reading comprehension measure was in a multiple-choice format with the text available when answering the questions. The five word reading measures were phonological recoding, orthographic processing, text reading accuracy, text reading speed, and a measure of exposure to print and reading experience. It is recognised that, although exposure to print is closely associated with word reading skills, it is not a direct measure of word reading. The language measures were oral comprehension, receptive vocabulary and receptive grammatical skills. The memory measures included measures of verbal and visuospatial short-term memory, measures of verbal and visuospatial working memory, a measure of the ability to inhibit irrelevant information from working memory and a measure of longer term verbal learning and retrieval. Correlational and hierachical multiple regression analyses were used to extrapolate the relationships between and among these variables. The results revealed that, after controlling for age and general intellectual ability, the word reading and the language variables had a much stronger relationship with reading comprehension than the memory variables. The strongest independent predictors of reading comprehension were orthographic processing and oral comprehension. An additive combination of these two variables provided a more parsimonious model of reading comprehension than other models under consideration. It was concluded that for the age range in this study, language and word reading skills are the main predictors of reading comprehension and that the different types of memory do not make major contributions to reading comprehension.