The Berkeley Language Center
Cordially Invites You to the Upcoming Meeting of Its
Found in Translation (FIT) Working Group
English Language Teaching Through Symbolic Competence Development:
A Possible Response to Brazil’s Law of Quotas
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Sabrina Hax Duro Rosa
Visiting Scholar, Berkeley Language Center, UC Berkeley
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Wednesday, December 5, 2018
12:30 p.m.- 1:30 p.m., B-4 Dwinelle Hall
The Law of Quotas was instituted in Brazil in 2012 as an Affirmative Action policy, divided into Social and Racial Quotas. As an English as a Foreign Language (EFL)teacher, I ask: How could EFL classes raise Brazilian students’ awareness of racial issues and about racial quotas in particular? Relying on the teaching of English toward the goal of symbolic competence (Kramsch, 2009), I will present my research developed at the Federal Institute of Education, Science, Rio Grande Campus, which aims to describe the sociocultural impact of the Law inside this institution–among directors, staff, teachers, and students–that make the school environment somewhat hostile for black quota students. My research also shows how resilient the quota students are and describes how some pedagogical practices based on the development of symbolic competence have influenced the black students’ self-esteem.
About FIT: We are a growing group of U.C. Berkeley community members interested in language, culture and cross-cultural communication. We invite you to join us! Refreshments and discussion to follow.
Questions? Elyse Ritchey elyseanneritchey@berkeley.edu and Vesna Rodic, vrodic@berkeley.edu