A teacher has decided to focus on improving his students’ speaking skills through group discussions. The teacher believes that language learning is best achieved when students actively use the language in meaningful contexts. Therefore, he organizes activities that encourage interaction and communication among students and provides them with real-life scenarios to discuss and work on together, promoting the use of authentic language.

Which theoretical approach to language learning underlies this teacher’s decisions?

October in Brazil. An English teacher and her students decide to celebrate Halloween at the end of the month. The kids were very excited because it was their first cultural experience at Middle School. They started talking frenetically, all at the same time. Despite being very pleased with that situation, the teacher decided to interrupt the discussion in order to organize the class celebration.

Considering this scenario and adopting a cultural approach, what would be the teacher’s first step?

TEXT 1
After the students have repeated the dialogue several times, the teacher gives them a chance to adopt the role of Bill while she says Sally’s lines. Before the class actually says each line, the teacher models it. In effect, the class is experiencing a repetition drill where the students have to listen carefully and attempt to mimic the teacher’s model as accurately as possible.
LARSEN-FREEMAN, D.; ANDERSON, M. Techniques & principles in language teaching. Oxford: OUP, 2011 (adapted).

TEXT 2
The teacher greets the class and distributes a handout. There is writing on both sides. On one side is a copy of a sports column from a recent newspaper. The reporter is discussing the last World Cup competition. The teacher asks the students to read it and then to underline the predictions the reporter makes about the next World Cup. He gives them these directions in the target language. Then, he and the students discuss which predictions the reporter feels more certain about and which predictions he feels less certain about.
LARSEN-FREEMAN, D.; ANDERSON, M. Techniques & principles in language teaching. Oxford: OUP, 2011 (adapted).

Considering the concept of language learning methods and their characteristics, we can state about text 1 and text 2, respectively, that

Available at: https://learningtogether2012.wordpress.com/. Accessed on: May 28, 2024.

Both Shakespeare and Jane Austen died centuries ago and their themes and characters are still contemporary. In order to find out how recurrent their themes are, select the alternative that presents the appropriate type of research.

TEXT 1
The new High School English teacher has heard her colleagues use the following adjectives to characterize her students: noisy, challenging and disinterested. However, she knows that adolescence is a developmental stage influenced by biological, cognitive and affective factors and that necessary pedagogical adjustments are needed to meet the unique demands of this time. In any case, this reality poses a challenge for her, as she has the task of developing reading and writing skills in English. To meet these requirements, the teacher wishes to seek alternative assessment methods that encourage students to read and produce collaborative, critically reflective texts from which they can construct ideas and develop their argumentative and creative skills. She recognizes that her role should be that of a facilitator in the writing process.

TEXT 2
Due to the qualitative leap in intelligence during the adolescent stage of development, a more mechanical and traditional approach to teaching, learning and assessment that focuses solely on performance by the teacher and learning by the student, without encouraging genuine interaction between them, is more likely to lead to fatigue, discouragement and lack of engagement with the new language being learned. It also becomes clear that teaching based on an exclusionary methodology, ignoring the feelings and needs of these students and increasing their distance from the teacher, does not reach the world of adolescents. However, if they are guided by a meaningful approach to learning, encouraged to actively participate in the classroom and in decision-making processes, and feel that their thoughts and opinions are valued, the process of language learning, teaching and assessment can take a different direction that makes sense to them.
ROCHA, C. H.; BASSO, E. A. Ensinar e aprender língua estrangeira nas diferentes idades – reflexões para professores e formadores. São Carlos: Editora Claraluz, 2008 (adapted).

Based on the information presented, an assessment strategy that is consistent with the teacher’s aims and the characteristics of the developmental stage in question involves

Considering the emerging need to reflect on how teenagers deal with their emotions, a 9th-grade English teacher played the preview of the animation InsideOut, showing how emotions interact in the human brain, and then, presented the following excerpt from the novel Things Fall Apart:
“Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, unless it be the emotion of anger. To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength”.
ACHEBE, C. Things fall apart. London: Penguin Classics, 2006.

After that, the teacher provided information about Nigeria during the period the novel was set, pointing out the consequences of colonialism on indigenous culture. The students had a moment to analyze the excerpt critically, consider the plot, and establish connections with the animation preview. At the end of the class, the teacher proposed a digital storytelling project, so students could use multimedia elements to quote the novel.
By incorporating the animation preview and the excerpt from Things Fall Apart to talk about emotions, the teacher

Any student, regardless of their varied skills, experiences, or identities, should have access to fair and equitable educational opportunities, according to the inclusive education movement (UNESCO, 2019). The ideas of inclusive education are expanded to the field of language acquisition within the context of English Language Teaching (ELT). It places a focus on creating a welcoming environment for language instruction where all students may actively participate and realize their full potential.
ANIS, M., KHAN, R. Integrating Multimodal Approaches in English Language Teaching for Inclusive Education: A Pedagogical Exploration. Universal Journal of Educational Research. (online), v.2, n.3, p. 2.960-3.722, jun./sept. 2023 (adapted).

Taking into consideration what UNESCO suggests about inclusive ELT, choose the alternative that brings an adequate source of intrinsic motivation to be observed by teachers when planning a lesson that is based on students’ learning styles, aiming at promoting students’ inclusion.

Lesson plan
Objectives: To help students understand and apply pragmatic aspects of the English language in various contexts by using role-play and real-life scenarios.
Duration: 90 minutes.
Materials: Whiteboard and markers; printed role-play scenario cards; audio recordings of dialogues (optional); handouts with discussion prompts and reflection questions.
Assessment: Participation in role-play activities and class discussion.
Introduction (10 minutes): Explain that pragmatics involves understanding the context in which language is used and how meaning is constructed in different situations.
Warm-up activity (10 minutes):
Role-play activity (40 minutes):
Class discussion (15 minutes):
Audio analysis (optional) (10 minutes):
Reflection and homework (5 minutes):

The teacher has started planning the lesson. Taking into consideration this teacher’s lesson plan for a High School context, choose the alternative that fits the warm-up activity.

Discussions around teaching in a culturally sustaining manner in the English language arts classroom, specifically when teaching literary analysis, often address the need to incorporate multicultural literature so that students are exposed to stories told from diverse perspectives. However, the reality in many schools is that teachers do not have ownership over their curriculum in a way that allows them to choose which texts they should read and study with students. In this context, culturally sustaining teaching presents a difficult challenge. In this literature review, the author presents classroom strategies that apply a critical literacy lens to analysis of canonical literature as a way to create a place for culturally sustaining teaching within a prescribed curriculum.
ERVIN, J. Critically reading the canon: culturally sustaining approaches to a prescribed literary curriculum. Journal of adolescent & adult literacy, v. 65, n. 4, 2022 (adapted).

The abstract excerpt above points to a challenge faced by literature teachers in finding classroom procedures that ensure more culturally sustaining teaching considering limitations imposed by a prescribed curriculum.
In this context, which of the following examples of classes conducted in the scope of literary analysis would align with the approach advocated in the abstract?

In a High School class, a group of students from different cultural backgrounds is learning English as an additional language. Among these students are Black English speakers, a dialect with its own grammar and vocabulary. The teacher recognizes the importance of working with linguistic diversity to promote inclusive language learning. As part of a collaborative interdisciplinary project, students were asked to work in pairs to do research about African Literature and texts with Black English expressions and idioms. After this, they would present their findings and discuss their impressions.
GARCÍA, O., FLORES, N., E WOODLEY, H. Transgressing monolingualism and bilingual dualities: education. Bern: Peter Lang, 2012 (adapted).

Based on the approach presented in the case study, we can state that

[Dialogue between students]
Paulo: Fernanda, look how I can speak in English: We are Carnaval / We are, we are folia / We are, we are the world of Carnaval / We are Bahia.
Fernanda: That’s not English, it does not make sense. Nobody would say: We are Carnival. An American would say: I like Carnival or I don’t like Carnival.
Paulo: Well, I am Brazilian and my English is Brazilian. I speak Brazilian English, my friend!
Considering this scenario, the English teacher decided to widen the debate and involve the rest of the class. She said that language is more than just a means of verbal communication: it is a social construct shaped by cultural, historical and social context. She emphasized that language reflects the norms, values and identities of a language community, which is constituted through the interactions between its members. In addition to grammatical skills, language also involves the interpretation and production of meaning in different social and cultural contexts and is subject to change both during its use and in its influence on us. Finally, echoing Leffa (2002), the teacher also said that, when learning a new language, we negotiate the code without denying who we are, because a Brazilian who speaks English is not an American, a British or an Australian who speaks English: s/he is a Brazilian who speaks English. She concluded by saying that the language you learn is not foreign; it is not from others — it can also belong to you and be part of your identity.
That situation shows that the teacher recognized the relationship between language and identity as

Imagine a situation in which an English teacher has to deal with students’ diverse linguistic background knowledge and make them recognize and value the different English dialects and varieties, promoting a pluralistic view of English.

Considering this scenario, to foster an inclusive learning environment, the teacher should address the linguistic diversity and geopolitical aspects of English by

In the post-colonial era, economic and political forces underlie discourse. [...] Individuals who spoke or thought outside the dominant discourse were ignored. [...] On the other hand, the so-called ethnic and cultural “minorities” exercise another type of power, discursive resistance, by taking over the language of the dominant to question and talk about their problems.
PAULA, M. A. R. de; FERREIRA, G. D.; FELDMAN, A. K. T. Diversity and multiculturalism through English-language literature. In: PARANÁ, The challenges of public schools in Paraná from the perspective of the PDE teacher. Articles. v. 1, 2016.

Aligning with the ideas presented in the text, using non-canonical texts in English classes in Basic Education

Assessment is not only central to the teaching and learning processes; it is, above all, the integrating element between the two processes and, as such, should support them from the beginning and, therefore, should not be treated as an independent final stage. Thinking about assessment from the start is fundamental to define not only the end point or the aims to be achieved, but, above all, the starting point.
SCARAMUCCI, M. V. R. Avaliação: mecanismo propulsor de mudanças no ensino/aprendizagem de língua estrangeira. Revista Contexturas. São Paulo, APLIESP, p. 75- 81, 1999 (adapted).

What type of assessment aligns with the text?

A portfolio in the foreign language classroom is a collection of a learner’s work that displays the progress that learner is making in connection with classroom goals. This assessment method is very learner-centered. A portfolio can contain student work samples, optimally chosen by both the teacher and the learner, that are based on the learning goals. Apart from being learner-centered and allowing ownership of learning, portfolios offer opportunities for self-assessment and therefore critical thinking processes (Which work is my best and why?) and for collaboration processes with peers, for example, when learners work together on one task for the portfolio.
TSAGARI, D., et al. Handbook of Assessment for Language Teachers. 2018 (adapted).

According to the excerpt, reflective assessment tools such as portfolios

Bennett (2009) endorses the idea that it is unhelpful, and simplistic, to equate assessment for learning with formative assessment and assessment of learning with summative assessment. From a “more nuanced” view, he suggests that assessments designed primarily to serve a summative function may also function formatively, while those designed primarily to serve a formative function may also function summatively.
WILIAM, D. What is assessment for learning? Studies in Education Evaluation, v. 37, n. 1, 2011. p. 3-14 (adapted).

In a given school, each year, students of the third year of High School take a reading test which includes items taken from past Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM) tests. These scores are not considered to their academic records. A group of English teachers meet together to review students’ performance on the test, and in particular, look at the facility (proportion correct) for different kinds of English reading items on the test. Where item facilities are lower than expected, they look at how the instruction on those which required reading skills was planned and delivered and they look at ways in which the instruction can be strengthened in the following year.
Considering the above scenario, the teacher’s decision is correctly described as assessment for learning, since

West Side Story is a contemporary film inspired in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The central theme of forbidden love between young lovers from opposing groups portrays the destructive nature of prejudice and hatred, leading to tragic outcomes. The lovers, Romeo and Juliet, and Tony and Maria, face immense societal pressures and personal sacrifices. Ultimately, both narratives highlight the senselessness of violence and the enduring power of love amidst conflict.
A teacher presents to her High School students the film West Side Story, and then associates it with the play Romeo and Juliet to conduct a thematic comparative analysis; by doing this, she

The distinction between meaning-focused and form-focused is also intended to capture another key difference between an exercise and a task relating to the role of the participants. Thus, a ‘task’ requires the participants to function primarily as ‘language users’ in the sense that they must employ the same kinds of communicative processes as those involved in real-world activities. Thus, any learning that takes place is incidental. In contrast, an ‘exercise’ requires the participants to function primarily as ‘learners’; here learning is intentional.”
ELLIS, R. Task-based Language Learning and Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003 (adapted).

According to the distinction between ‘activity’ and ‘task’, discussed in the text by Ellis, which of the following could be considered an exercise?

An Elementary School English teacher wants to create a didactic sequence based on the theme “social media”. The teacher decided to explore the following texts with her students, considering the principles of a critical approach and the principles proposed in the Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC).

TEXT 1
News is irrelevant. Out of the approximately 10,000 news stories you have read in the last 12 months, name one that – because you consumed it – allowed you to make a better decision about a serious matter affecting your life, your career or your business. The point is: the consumption of news is irrelevant to you. But people find it very difficult to recognise what’s relevant. It’s much easier to recognise what’s new. The relevant versus the new is the fundamental battle of the current age. In reality, news consumption is a competitive disadvantage. The less news you consume, the bigger the advantage you have.

Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/. Accessed on: June 06, 2024 (adapted).

TEXT 2
What students are saying about how social media affects their body image?
By The Learning Network – March 31, 2022
As we regularly do when The Times writes about an issue that touches the lives of young people, we used our daily Student Opinion forum to ask teenagers to share their perspectives on social media and body image. Let’s see what students from Hanover Horton High School think about it:
Student: LB, Hoggard High School, Wilmington NC
“When I was in fifth grade, I got Instagram and, at first, I was obsessed… It was all so new, but eventually I realized there was “no harm”. I regret thinking that. I would follow all the celebrities my friends did [...]. I started to feel inadequate about the way I dressed and looked… Eventually, I couldn’t stand the unhappiness of it all and I deleted the app. At first it felt weird. I would turn my phone to check it and nothing was there, in the end I forgot about it and I am better because of it. Social media makes you feel like you are less than you are.”
Student: Alexis, Hanover Horton High School “I find that I encounter more body positive content than negative. The reason for this though depends who you follow and surround yourself with, and I make sure to surround myself and follow those who encourage me instead of putting me down. When I see body positive content on social media I find that it just makes me feel normal for the body I have. Positive content can show people that your body doesn’t define you.”
Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/. Accessed on: August 9, 2024 (adapted). *R1001202422* LETRAS - INGLÊS 23

TEXT 3

Available at: https://inglesnoteclado.com.br/. Accessed on: August 9, 2024.

The Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC) objective that could be covered in such a teaching proposal is

Em visita realizada por estudantes do 9º ano do Ensino Fundamental a um museu de Ciências, voltado para o público juvenil, um dos experimentos realizados por eles, acompanhados pelo monitor do museu, foi estimar, sensorialmente, com as mãos, a temperatura corporal de duas bonecas e, em seguida, verificar, por meio das medidas realizadas com diferentes termômetros, qual das bonecas estava febril. O experimento utilizou quatro tipos diferentes de termômetros: termômetro de mercúrio analógico clínico (34 a 42°C); termômetro de mercúrio analógico de laboratório (-10 a 110°C); termômetro digital de contato e termômetro digital infravermelho.
O monitor discutiu com os estudantes sobre: (i) a importância e as limitações da avaliação sensorial da febre; (ii) as formas de uso, as potencialidades e as limitações de cada termômetro; e (iii) fake news sobre o uso do termômetro digital infravermelho. Para avaliar a turma, a professora de Ciências solicitou que os estudantes relatassem o que aprenderam sobre esse experimento e registrou no quadro as seguintes explicações:
Estudante 1: o termômetro de mercúrio de laboratório é o menos eficaz para medir a febre, pois a medida da temperatura varia rapidamente quando fora de contato com o corpo analisado.
Estudante 2: a avaliação sensorial da temperatura corporal de uma criança é eficaz para uma mãe ou um médico avaliar se há febre ou não, pois há precisão na medida da temperatura.
Estudante 3: os termômetros de mercúrio, tanto o clínico como o de laboratório, podem medir a febre e precisam ser “sacodidos” após o uso, pois o mercúrio só retorna ao bulbo de forma mecânica.
Estudante 4: o termômetro digital infravermelho é indicado para ser usado em espaços públicos, porém, pelo fato de emitir radiação infravermelha, seu uso excessivo pode ser prejudicial.
Nesse caso, a explicação correta a respeito dos experimentos realizados no museu foi a apresentada pelo estudante