In 5º§, what is the possessive adjective “their” referring to?
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Ano: 2024
Banca:
Instituto Consulplan
Órgão:
Prefeitura de São João Nepomuceno - MG
Prova:
Instituto Consulplan - 2024 - Prefeitura de São João Nepomuceno - MG - Professor Regente II - Língua Inglesa |
Q3069667
Inglês
Texto associado
Conclusions and Recommendations
Given the panorama of English instruction in Brazil, particularly in the states of Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso, and
considering the results of the surveys conducted with universities and teachers in both states, some conclusions and
recommendations could be drawn.
Nationally, English instruction has been gaining importance and visibility through curriculum reform and the new model
of upper secondary school. It is an enormously significant achievement that, for the first time, English has become mandatory
in all public and private schools from 6th grade onward. The BNCC offers clarity on the competencies and abilities that students
should develop at each education level. However, if, on the one hand, making English compulsory was an important step, on
the other hand, the implementation of this policy is still incomplete. The main issue is the limited amount of instructional time
in English in the national curriculum guidelines. As the cases of Mato Grosso and Minas Gerais illustrate, the result is that
students have insufficient exposure to the language, with only two classes per week in secondary schools and one class per
week in upper secondary. Under these conditions, it is unlikely that learners will develop full proficiency in the language, and
teachers will have the instructional time to focus on all the necessary competencies and abilities required by the BNCC.
Another important consideration is the link between initial training for English teachers and how it interacts with the
routines and challenges of the classroom. There is room for improvement when considering the mismatch between the
programs of study at universities and the pedagogical practice required of English teachers and strengthened ties and
communication between State Education Departments and the teacher training programs at universities.
Universities face additional challenges, such as the low English proficiency of students in the initial training courses. Initial
training institutions face difficulties in thoroughly preparing future teachers regarding language proficiency and the pedagogical
elements related to being an effective teacher. In this sense, the situation can create a vicious cycle; students leave schools
with a low proficiency level in English, and those who decide to take the initial training courses to become English teachers and
enter universities cannot fully develop proficiency as pedagogical competencies. Therefore, they enter schools not fully
prepared to be teachers and face all the challenges of a classroom.
Another critical challenge is class size and the heterogeneity of students’ ability levels, which could limit teachers’ ability
to implement some pedagogical practices, such as working with practicing speaking. This is not only a challenge faced by English
teachers, but all teachers and that policymakers need to keep in mind. In addition, teachers commonly work in more than one
school at a time and sometimes teach other subjects to meet the required hours of instructional time stipulated in their
contracts.
The surveys with teachers demonstrated that many have never participated in a professional development session
specifically designed for English teachers. For those who have, not all considered the helpful training to improve their knowledge
and practice. This points to the fact that more attention needs to be paid to the continuous training courses offered to English
teachers. These training courses should be frequent and address specific challenges, taking into account the pedagogical issues
and areas that English teachers identify as most critical.
Briefly, it is important to highlight the windows of opportunity that have been opened in Brazil with the BNCC and the
new upper secondary model. Through their education ministries, state governments have made significant efforts to adapt
their regional curricula to the competencies and abilities listed on the BNCC and implement the first pilots and designed
pathways for upper secondary schools. It remains a question of how the rest of those two processes will be implemented, but
there are positive signs that English may gain more importance at a national level. At least in Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso,
there is already a movement to increase the importance of the discipline.
While Minas Gerais has developed a few specific training courses for English teachers focused on improving their
pedagogical knowledge through the program “Pathways for Educators” and intends to create a training pathway for upper
secondary students focused in English, Mato Grosso has implemented English in all primary schools in the state and launched
the program “More English,” with resources to help teachers and students. Those efforts are aligned with the national reforms
and illustrate the political willingness of states to promote more actions to improve teachers’ and students’ proficiency in
English.
In these states and, to some extent, at the national level, the foundations have been set to put English instruction in the
spotlight as a crucial discipline to the integral development of students. However, much work and resources are still needed to
realize this goal. Therefore, the following recommendations are intended to advise decision-makers at universities and State
Education Departments.
(Source: https://www.thedialogue.org/wp-content/. Access: October 2024.)
In 5º§, what is the possessive adjective “their” referring to?