Objectives (5 minutes)
-
Understanding Language and Linguistic Variation: Students should be able to understand the difference between language and linguistic variation, recognizing language as a set of signs specific to a community of speakers and linguistic variation as a communication system.
-
Recognizing Linguistic Varieties: Students should be able to identify and understand the existence of different linguistic varieties and their importance for the diversity and richness of human communication.
-
Promoting Empathy and Respect: Through knowledge of linguistic varieties, students should develop an attitude of respect and appreciation for different forms of linguistic expression, avoiding prejudice or discrimination.
Secondary Objectives
-
Developing Research Skills: During the proposed activities, students will have the opportunity to improve their research skills by seeking information and examples that complement the classroom discussion.
-
Stimulating Critical Thinking: By analyzing the different linguistic varieties and their social implications, students will be able to develop critical thinking about language and its use.
Introduction (10 - 15 minutes)
-
Review of Previous Content: The teacher should begin the class by briefly reviewing the concepts of language and linguistic variation, which were previously studied. This review can be done through questions directed to the students or a quick summary of the key points. The review will serve to prepare students for the new content that will be covered and to verify if they remember and understand the necessary concepts. (5 minutes)
-
Problem Situations: To arouse students' interest and show the relevance of the topic, the teacher should present two problem situations:
-
Situation 1: Ask students to imagine a foreigner who has just arrived in Brazil and is trying to communicate with people, but is encountering difficulties because of linguistic differences. How could they help this person understand our language and communicate effectively?
-
Situation 2: Ask students to imagine that they are on a trip to a region of Brazil where a different dialect is spoken than they are used to. How could they adapt to this new situation and communicate with the local people? (5 minutes)
-
-
Importance of the Subject: The teacher should emphasize the importance of studying linguistic varieties, highlighting how knowledge about linguistic differences can help promote communication, understand cultural diversity, and combat prejudice. In addition, the teacher should explain that knowledge about linguistic varieties is essential for the training of teachers, translators, interpreters, and other professionals who work with language. (3 minutes)
-
Curiosities: To arouse students' curiosity, the teacher can share some curiosities about linguistic varieties:
-
Curiosity 1: There are more than 170 languages spoken in Brazil, including indigenous languages, immigration languages, and sign languages.
-
Curiosity 2: The Portuguese spoken in Brazil has many differences in relation to the Portuguese spoken in Portugal, both in pronunciation and in vocabulary and grammar. These differences are examples of linguistic varieties. (2 minutes)
-
Development (20 - 25 minutes)
-
Activity 1 - Linguistic Scavenger Hunt (10 minutes): Students should be divided into groups of 4 to 5 people. They will receive a list with different expressions, slang, words, and grammatical forms that are characteristic of different regions of Brazil (Ex: "Oxente", "Uai", "Cê", "Vixe", "Bagual", "Tri", etc.). The goal is for the groups to research the origin and meaning of each item, identifying the region where it is most commonly used. Students can use their smartphones or computers to conduct the research. The teacher should guide students to respect the time and divide the tasks among group members so that everyone participates. At the end, each group should present their findings to the class, explaining the meaning of each item and the region where it is most used.
-
Activity 2 - Debate on Linguistic Prejudice (10 minutes): After activity 1, the teacher should lead a debate on linguistic prejudice. They can start the debate by presenting some examples of situations where people were discriminated against or disregarded because of their language or dialect. Then, students should be invited to share their opinions and experiences, discussing ways to combat linguistic prejudice and promote the appreciation of linguistic diversity. The teacher should moderate the debate, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to speak and that the discussions are respectful and constructive.
-
Activity 3 - Creation of a Linguistic Varieties Guide (5 minutes): To consolidate learning, students should create a guide to linguistic varieties. Each group should choose a region of Brazil and research the linguistic characteristics of that region, including vocabulary, pronunciation, typical expressions, slang, and grammatical forms. Students should write down their findings on a poster, which will be presented to the class in the next lesson. The teacher should guide students to do careful research, verify the information, and present the linguistic characteristics respectfully and valuing diversity.
These playful and contextualized activities will allow students to understand the diversity and richness of linguistic varieties, develop research and critical thinking skills, and promote empathy and respect for linguistic diversity.
Feedback (10 minutes)
-
Group Discussion (3 minutes): The teacher should gather all students for a group discussion. Each group should share the main conclusions or solutions found during the research activity. Students should be encouraged to interact, asking questions or commenting on the presentations of other groups. This discussion will allow students to learn from each other and realize the diversity of interpretations and solutions that can arise from the same problem.
-
Connection to Theory (3 minutes): The teacher should take advantage of the discussion to reinforce the theoretical concepts that were covered during the class. They should explain how the practical activities connect to the theory, showing, for example, how research on linguistic varieties illustrates the concepts of language, linguistic variation, and linguistic varieties. They should also highlight the importance of empathy and respect for linguistic diversity, which were promoted during the debate activity.
-
Individual Reflection (4 minutes): The teacher should propose that students do an individual reflection on what they learned during the class. They should ask some guiding questions, such as:
- What was the most important concept you learned today?
- What questions have not yet been answered?
- How can you apply what you have learned in your daily life?
Students should have one minute to think about each question. The teacher should emphasize that reflection is an important part of the learning process, as it helps to consolidate knowledge and make learning more meaningful.
-
Teacher Feedback (2 minutes): To end the class, the teacher should give brief feedback, highlighting the positive points of the students' participation and suggesting aspects that can be improved. They should also reinforce what was learned during the class and the importance of the topic for the students' education as conscientious and respectful citizens of linguistic diversity. In addition, the teacher should remind students about the activity of creating the Linguistic Varieties Guide, which will be presented in the next class.
Conclusion (5 minutes)
-
Summarize and Recapitulate (1 minute): The teacher should recall the main points covered during the class, emphasizing the distinction between language and linguistic variation, the importance of respecting and valuing linguistic varieties, and the need to combat linguistic prejudice. Reinforce that language is a system of linguistic signs specific to a community of speakers while linguistic variation is a communication system.
-
Theory and Practice Connection (1 minute): The teacher should explain how the class connected theory and practice. The research and debate activities allowed students to apply theoretical concepts in real situations, while the creation of the Linguistic Varieties Guide provided an opportunity to explore the diversity of forms of linguistic expression in different regions of Brazil.
-
Suggestion of Extra Materials (1 minute): To complement the students' understanding, the teacher can suggest some extra materials, such as books, documentaries, websites, and applications that present more information and examples on linguistic varieties. One suggestion is the book "Linguistic Prejudice: What It Is, How It Is Done" by Marcos Bagno, which discusses the issue of linguistic prejudice in Brazil.
-
Importance of the Subject for Daily Life (2 minutes): To conclude, the teacher should emphasize the importance of knowledge about linguistic varieties for the students' daily lives. This knowledge can help students to communicate effectively in different contexts, to understand and respect cultural diversity, and to combat linguistic prejudice. In addition, the teacher can mention that the ability to recognize and value linguistic varieties is an important skill for various careers, including education, translation, interpretation, journalism, advertising, and many others.