Uma revisão de literatura de aquisição da linguagem: modelo conexionista aplicado à aula de inglês no ensino fundamental II

Abstract

This present work emerged from the researcher's perception of the importance of understanding brain functioning in order to adapt the best method of teaching and learning English to diverse learners during the implementation of the Pedagogical Residency project. The objective of this work was to conduct a literature review on the main language acquisition theories from the perspectives of Paiva (2015) and Pereira (2012), as well as the neuroscience of Eric Kandel (2014) and the studies of memory by Ivan Izquierdo (2018). Additionally, a field research was realized with students from the final years of Elementary School II in a municipal school in Bagé-RS, in 8th and 9th grade classes. This research aimed to test the Conexionist Theory, specifically focusing on Associationism, in the classroom to verify the applicability of this theory using teaching materials developed by the author of this thesis. These teaching materials consisted of selecting two lesson plans, which were applied on May 22nd and 29th, 2023, within a didactic sequence comprising 14 lesson plans up to the present moment. Lessons 7 and 8 were chosen for the application of the materials. The classes took place on Monday mornings, with 14 students in the 8th grade and 12 students in the 9th grade, ranging in age from 15 to 16 years old. Three activities were created to verify the Conexionist Theory: flashcards (annex II and III), a printed activity where students had to match words at the top of the page with corresponding images (annex IV), and an oral activity in a theatrical format, where students were divided into groups playing the roles of Brazilian waiters and English-speaking customers in a restaurant. The "native" speaker would inquire about the composition of the dishes they would choose, and the waiters would explain the information in English with the assistance of the teacher. Considering that the students have A0 and A1 proficiency levels, the results were positive when applying this theory, as it not only created a more relaxed classroom environment but also provided space for students to utilize their creativity through associations in an attempt to retain language knowledge for use in situations where English is required inside and/or outside the classroom.