Perceptions of english teaching in private and public schools in Brazil

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the perception middle and high school English teachers have about their own practice in regards of their capacity to apply what they have learned in their training programs into their classrooms. Previous linguistics studies done by theorists such as Swain (1980), Long (1983) and Krashen (1982) say that, in order to promote an effective learning environment in a classroom, teachers must be able to use the knowledge they acquired in their training, that is, the theory gathered throughout their undergraduate programs and certification, into their classrooms. The scenario of English teaching in schools in Brazil has carried increasing discredit and presented poor results in what students’ language acquisition is concerned by the end of their school life. According to a research conducted by EF education first, an international language training company, only 5% of brazilian adults declare to be proficient in a second language and out of those, only about 3% in English. This scenario is disappointing, given the importance English has reached in almost every aspect of culture and work life in the globalized world we live in. The research consisted of a 10-question questionnaire, that was sent to public and private school teachers, gathering responses from 22 participants. For the analysis, the 22 responses were coded to verify what they think about their own practice as well as whether or not they believe theory is sucessfully applied in English teaching in schools. At this stage it was found that teachers are well aware of their own practice and the techniques they apply to reach success in their teaching. The pedagogical implication suggests that teachers are not to blame for the unsuccessful scenario of English teaching in schools. Therefore, with the help of the data collected, it is necessary to search for answers inside the frame in which English is taught to start paving our way towards a betterment of English teaching in schools.