A autoimagem do aluno de português à luz da semântica de frames

Abstract

This research aims to study the image Portuguese students have of themselves based on the positive and negative experiences they have had in the classroom. It is a hybrid case study – both linguistic and educational – developed by the analysis of the discourse (written reports) of 188 students on the ninth grade of Elementary School and on the second year of High School from seven schools of the state education network in the city of Juiz de Fora. The theory used in this work is derived from Cognitive Linguistics (LAKOFF, 1987, 1989, 1980, 1999; LAKOFF and JOHNSON, 1999, 2002; FILLMORE, 1987 1982), and, especially, from Frame Semantics (FILLMORE, 1982) and from the lexicographical project FrameNet (www.framenet.icsi.berkeley.edu). From the main analytical category, the frame, the semantic analysis of the students’ self-image is performed. Such image is, after that, analyzed by the light of a multidisciplinary theoretical framework (BAUMAN, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011; FAUCONNIER and TURNER, 2002; TOMASELLO, 2003; GNERRE, 1985, 1991; BOURDIEU, 1983; OLIVEIRA, 2000 and MIRANDA, 2005, 2012, among others). The methodological procedures used in this case study are defined by their both qualitative and quantitative character (TASHAKKORI and TEDDLIE (1998) and by the use of personal experience narratives as a way to build a data base (THORNBORROW and COATES (2005), REGO (2003) and FABRÍCIO E BASTOS (2009)). The analytical results come from the description of a net of four super frames evoked by the students’ discourse: Experiencer_Foccus, Self-Evaluation_School Performance, Self-Evaluation_School Behavior and School_Experience. The interpretation of the Self-Evaluation frames allows us to perceive a very negative school identity, characterized by feelings of difficulty, incapacity, failure and success, and of a subsequent withdrawal and even rejection (60,5% - I don’t like, I hate, I’m not into) regarding the subject Portuguese Language. Myths and prejudices about the language use support such scenario. On the other hand, the prominence given to positive experiences (86,5% of the scenes on School_Experience) shed light on the desired path for the practices of Portuguese Language teaching, and marks a great rejection of the role of mere spectators usually played by the students on the teaching-learning process. In this analytical framework, this study is a part of the macro project “Portuguese Language Teaching – from Teacher Education to the Classroom” (“Ensino de Língua Portuguesa – da Formação Docente à Sala de Aula”, in Portuguese) (FAPEMIG - CHE-APQ-01864-12), registered in the research line Linguistics and Language Teaching of the Linguistics Graduation School program (PPG Linguistica) at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF).