The teaching of English as a foreign language in the context of Brazilian regular schools: a retrospective and prospective view of policies and practices

Abstract

This paper discusses government policies for the teaching of English as a foreign language in Brazilian regular schools, in relation to the practices and identities developed by the teachers working in this context. Starting with an historical analysis of the practices, propositions, and policies, since the second half of the last century, the article evaluates the impact of official documents upon the process of teaching English in Brazil. The tension between resistance and willingness to change, as well as between the identities of the teacher as either educator or instructor underlies the analysis, which also aims to point out possible paths for the future of our profession in regular schools.