“Ways: english for life” : uma análise do livro didático de língua inglesa a partir da perspectiva da educação linguística

Abstract

Teaching foreign languages, especially English, occupies a prominent position in the contemporary educational landscape due to its role as a global lingua franca and an instrument for academic, cultural, and professional integration. In Brazil, however, English teaching in public schools still faces structural, pedagogical, and social limitations that compromise effective learning, such as a lack of resources, insufficient teacher training, and the persistence of traditional methods which are inadequately responsive with students' needs. This work aims to critically analyze English teaching in public basic education, focusing on the final years of elementary school, from the perspective of critical language education. It investigates how the concepts of language and teaching presented in a textbook interact with the real needs of students and the guidelines of Brazilian educational policies. The specific objectives were: (a) to identify the concepts of language, teaching, and learning underlying the analyzed English textbook; (b) to understand how the teaching material interacts with educational policy guidelines, especially the National Curricular Parameters (PCN) and the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC); (c) to examine the limits and potential of the textbook for promoting meaningful, critical, and inclusive learning; (d) tolerate the theoretical contributions of Critical Language Education to pedagogical practices in English teaching in public schools; (e) to propose reflections and suggestions that can inform teaching practice and contribute to strengthening English teaching in the public school system. The research is based on theoretical frameworks such as those of Paulo Freire, Pennycook, Rajagopalan, Leffa, and Rojo, who conceive of language as a social, political, and ideological practice, advocating for a language teaching committed to the emancipation of individuals and the appreciation of cultural diversity. The aim is to understand how the methodologies proposed in the teaching materials engage (or not) with students' real needs and to identify ways to strengthen more inclusive, critical, and meaningful pedagogical practices in English teaching. The study seeks to contribute to the field of Language Education and teacher training by connecting theory and practice in the context of Brazilian public schools.