O aprimoramento linguístico-fonológico do professor de inglês da escola pública a partir da conscientização e da autonomia

Abstract

Having the English state school teacher as the main target, this study attempts to prove the inefficient education of this professional, which is mostly related to their oral competence, and seeks to confirm the need for pronunciation improvement, so that they can live up to their students’ expectations about their language learning. This study is theoretically oriented by the following issues: a) the insufficient education of the English teacher, referring mainly to their pronunciation; b) the teacher´s awareness of the relevant role of pronunciation in their practice, and the need for improved linguistic competence; c) the role of autonomy in the teacher´s professional development; d) English as a Lingua Franca and the paradigm of the native teacher. The main objectives of this study are to enable the English teacher to reflect on their education and become aware of the necessity of improving their pronunciation and to motivate them to seek for ways of achieving their own improvement autonomously. The Case Study is the methodological approach that supports this research, because it deals with an investigation of a specific group: the public school English teachers. The choice of this approach is justified for being the most used to investigate a second language acquisition (LIER, 2005). So, as this paper focuses on speaking, generally viewed as the most important skill for language learning, the Case Study seems more appropriate. The results of data collected in this study, through the participants’ answers, prove inconsistency in teacher graduation related to pronunciation and the students’ needs and wants in learning how to speak English. Findings also confirm the importance of intelligible pronunciation for the teacher so that they can teach with greater self-confidence and assurance, and live up to their students’ expectations.