In Brazil, despite the big number of Indigenous languages in the country, Portuguese is its only first and official language. When it comes to foreign languages, in 2017, a new law passed and only English was chosen as the foreign language to be taught in basic education in the country. Taking this decision into account, this chapter aims to critically discuss diversity in English language teaching in Brazil, considering the role of neoliberalism in decisions involving language policy. The chapter focuses on a discussion related to who remains excluded from the diversity-focused discourse in Brazil, considering its language policy. Thus, we discuss the consequences, in terms of diversity, of the exclusion of other languages in basic education in the country, such as Indigenous languages and Spanish. In doing so, from an intersectional stance, we question which bodies are excluded, and which are included in this narrative. We present the results of a research study focused on analyzing digital materials implemented by a State Secretary of Education in Brazil, which shows how diversity is (or is not) part of the educational agenda in the country. We conclude by discussing how the neoliberal agenda works in a way that since basic education in Brazil, students are taken to believe that they need English (only) to survive in today’s competitive world, which leaves behind linguistic and body diversity.

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Diversity in English Language Teaching in Brazil: A Critical Glance into the Topic

  • Thiago de Melo Cardoso Santos,
  • Ana Karina de O. Nascimento,
  • Gildete Cecília Neri Santos Teles

摘要

In Brazil, despite the big number of Indigenous languages in the country, Portuguese is its only first and official language. When it comes to foreign languages, in 2017, a new law passed and only English was chosen as the foreign language to be taught in basic education in the country. Taking this decision into account, this chapter aims to critically discuss diversity in English language teaching in Brazil, considering the role of neoliberalism in decisions involving language policy. The chapter focuses on a discussion related to who remains excluded from the diversity-focused discourse in Brazil, considering its language policy. Thus, we discuss the consequences, in terms of diversity, of the exclusion of other languages in basic education in the country, such as Indigenous languages and Spanish. In doing so, from an intersectional stance, we question which bodies are excluded, and which are included in this narrative. We present the results of a research study focused on analyzing digital materials implemented by a State Secretary of Education in Brazil, which shows how diversity is (or is not) part of the educational agenda in the country. We conclude by discussing how the neoliberal agenda works in a way that since basic education in Brazil, students are taken to believe that they need English (only) to survive in today’s competitive world, which leaves behind linguistic and body diversity.