Um olhar sociocultural sobre o feedback corretivo oral na sala de aula de língua estrangeira

Abstract

This dissertation aims at discussing the foreign language (FL) learning process in a pre-service teacher education, through the interaction around the corrective feedback and the sociocultural theory concepts. The theoretical basis for this research included the sociocultural theory concepts (mediation, zone of proximal development and dynamic assessment), together with other perspectives, such as the corrective feedback and the emotions in the FL learning. The oral corrective feedback which is provided to learners in the classroom and their potential development were examined. Thus, learners’ perceptions and feelings regarding this phenomenon were observed. Grounded on studies by Aljaafreh and Lantolf (1994) and Nassaji and Swain (2000) about the corrective feedback, sociocultural theory and negotiated meditation with learners, this dissertation analyzes how the sociocultural theory can enhance the interaction around the corrective feedback. The study was conducted with pre-intermediate and intermediate level students at a private institution in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, over the course of the first semester of 2013. Besides the learners - pre-service teachers - the classroom teacher also participated in this study. The research was guided by qualitative principles, from an interpretativist view in the choice of principles and criteria for the preparation and procedures for collecting and analyzing data. Some features of quantitative research were included in the qualitative research in order to help with the exposure and data analysis. The learners and the teacher participated in four research stages: audio and video recording of classroom interaction; written narratives; oral semistructured interviews and viewing sessions. Data analysis focused on the interaction around the corrective feedback, the emic perspective and the data triangulation. During the analysis and the discussion of the results, it was possible to realize that the mistakes and the feedback are part of any learning situation, in the sense of promoting learning and also learners’ development through dialogic interaction. Besides, the results show that feedback is important in promoting FL learning, taking into account learners’ linguistic, cognitive and affective factors. Thus, the main contribution of this dissertation was to shed light on the reflection about the oral corrective feedback by the research participants, corroborating that it can be benefited for the mediation around the zone of proximal development and the dynamic assessment, in the light of sociocultural principles.