A construção de identidades no livro didático de língua estrangeira : uma perspectiva crítica

Abstract

Esta pesquisa objetiva averiguar as identidades sociais dos falantes de inglês construídas no livro didático de língua estrangeira (LE), com o propósito inicial de revelar a concepção que se tem nele de identidade. O foco dessa investigação é os diálogos e as ilustrações que os acompanham, buscando perceber quais são as identidades construídas aí em torno de questões relacionadas a gênero/sexualidade, raça/etnia e classe. Busca-se, ainda, a compreensão do processo de construção dessas identidades e, não menos que isso, apontar os efeitos dessa construção identitária dos falantes de inglês nos diálogos sobre as identidades sociais dos/as aprendizes de língua estrangeira. Estudos anteriores já realizados com enfoque em livros didáticos de inglês reportam que a concepção que se tem de identidade é fixa, homogênea e estereotipada (TÍLIO, 2006, 2012; GRIGOLETTO, 2003; SOUZA, 2002a, 2002b, CORACINI, 2011a, 2011e). Partindo de uma perspectiva pós-estruturalista no que tange às identidades sociais (BLOCK, 2007), estas são concebidas, neste estudo, como construções sócio-históricas e, também, discursivas, e que, por isso, têm conexão com relações de poder (SILVA, 2012). Portanto, identidades são, em sua natureza, inacabadas, fragmentadas e contraditórias (MOITA LOPES, 2002; NORTON, 2011). Para a realização da pesquisa, adotou-se o paradigma qualitativo (CHIZOTTI, 2006) com instrumentos metodológicos advindos do arcabouço da Análise Crítica do Discurso (RAMALHO e RESENDE, 2011; DIAS, 2011) o que permitiu o pesquisador expor sua visão interpretativista face ao objeto de análise. Como resultado, concluiu-se que o livro didático analisado reflete uma concepção essencialista de identidade social. As várias identidades dos/as falantes foram construídas de modo a legitimar identidades hegemônicas por meio de operações estratégicas de caráter ideológico-hegemônico, sustentando relações de dominação. Efeitos disso sobre as identidades dos/as aprendizes de inglês são uma possível desidentificação para com as identidades representadas no livro didático e, por seu turno, o adiamento de se construir projetos identitários (CASTELLS, 2010) de emancipação. Diante disso, esta pesquisa é favorável à conscientização crítica do discurso (FAIRCLOUGH, 1992, 1999) como ferramenta pedagógica para minimizar as desigualdades sociais e trazer um vislumbre de mudança social para os/as sujeitos-aprendizes. _______________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT

This research aims at examining the construction of social identities of English speakers at the foreign language (FL) coursebook and it has, initially, the intention of revealing the conception the coursebook holds towards identity. The investigation focus on dialogs and illustrations by seeking to perceive which identities are built around issues of gender/sexuality, race/ethnicity and class. It is also envisioned the comprehension of how the identity construction process works, and, not least, to show the effects of the construction of the speakers’ identities over the foreign language learners’ ones. Former studies on English coursebooks reported that the conception of identity they bring is fixed, homogeneous and stereotyped (TÍLIO, 2006, 2012; GRIGOLETTO, 2003; SOUZA, 2002a, 2002b, CORACINI, 2011a, 2011e). Drawing on a post-structuralist view regarding social identities (BLOCK, 2007), in this study, they are conceived as social-historical constructions, and also discursive ones, which, due to that, are connected with power relations (SILVA, 2012). Thus, identities are, in nature, undone, fragmented and contradictory (MOITA LOPES, 2002; NORTON, 2011). In order to conduct this research, it was adopted the qualitative paradigm (CHIZOTTI, 2006) with methodological instruments from the Critical Discourse Analysis framework (RAMALHO e RESENDE, 2011; DIAS, 2011) what has allowed the researcher to print his interpretative view on the object analyzed. As a result, it was concluded that the coursebook analyzed reflects an essentialist conception concerning social identity. The various speakers’ identities were built so as to legitimize hegemonic identities by means of ideological-hegemonic operations, serving the purpose of sustaining relations of domination. The effects resulting from that over the English language learners’ identities are seen as few possibilities are given to learners for them to identity with subject positions on the coursebook and, in turn, defer the construction of identity projects (CASTELLS, 2010) that leads to emancipation. Faced with that, this research favors the critical discourse awareness (FAIRCLOUGH, 1192, 1999) as a pedagogical tool to minimize social inequalities as well as offer a glimpse of social change to the leaner-subjects. Key-words: Identity. FL coursebook. Critical discourse awareness. This research aims at examining the construction of social identities of English speakers at the foreign language (FL) coursebook and it has, initially, the intention of revealing the conception the coursebook holds towards identity. The investigation focus on dialogs and illustrations by seeking to perceive which identities are built around issues of gender/sexuality, race/ethnicity and class. It is also envisioned the comprehension of how the identity construction process works, and, not least, to show the effects of the construction of the speakers’ identities over the foreign language learners’ ones. Former studies on English coursebooks reported that the conception of identity they bring is fixed, homogeneous and stereotyped (TÍLIO, 2006, 2012; GRIGOLETTO, 2003; SOUZA, 2002a, 2002b, CORACINI, 2011a, 2011e). Drawing on a post-structuralist view regarding social identities (BLOCK, 2007), in this study, they are conceived as social-historical constructions, and also discursive ones, which, due to that, are connected with power relations (SILVA, 2012). Thus, identities are, in nature, undone, fragmented and contradictory (MOITA LOPES, 2002; NORTON, 2011). In order to conduct this research, it was adopted the qualitative paradigm (CHIZOTTI, 2006) with methodological instruments from the Critical Discourse Analysis framework (RAMALHO e RESENDE, 2011; DIAS, 2011) what has allowed the researcher to print his interpretative view on the object analyzed. As a result, it was concluded that the coursebook analyzed reflects an essentialist conception concerning social identity. The various speakers’ identities were built so as to legitimize hegemonic identities by means of ideological-hegemonic operations, serving the purpose of sustaining relations of domination. The effects resulting from that over the English language learners’ identities are seen as few possibilities are given to learners for them to identity with subject positions on the coursebook and, in turn, defer the construction of identity projects (CASTELLS, 2010) that leads to emancipation. Faced with that, this research favors the critical discourse awareness (FAIRCLOUGH, 1192, 1999) as a pedagogical tool to minimize social inequalities as well as offer a glimpse of social change to the leaner-subjects.