The colonialities of language in teacher education: experiences of Letras – Inglês undergraduate students

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the colonialities of language lived by undergraduate students of Letras: Inglês throughout their lives and during their course. We part from the decolonial thought and the idea that languages are inventions with real effects to promote this discussion considering two categories: the Portuguese language and the Letras course. The empirical material was generated in a critical language teacher education experience, and we use classroom interactions and answers from a written test with a focus on the students’ own lived experiences. In relation to the Portuguese language, the student’s excerpts reflect a hierarchization process of speakers that do not dominate prestigious forms of language, even in informal settings that challenge graphocentrism, such as the digital and family environments. As for the Letras course, we problematize the contradictions in relation to divergent perspectives of what is defended by professors (perspectives that value linguistic plurality) and how students are assessed (within the monolingual paradigm). At the end, we reflect upon the language hierarchies and the contradictories experienced by the students.