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The Literary Text and the Search for Meaning: an Interface Between Language Learning and Literary Awareness

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The Literary Text and the Search for Meaning: an Interface Between Language Learning and Literary Awareness Universidade Federal de Alagoas Faculdade de Letras Programa de Pós-graduação em Letras e Linguística Área de concentração : Lingüística JOSIMEIRE XAVIER FORSTER THE LITERARY TEXT AND THE SEARCH FOR MEANING: AN INTERFACE BETWEEN LANGUAGE LEARNING AND LITERARY AWARENESS Maceió 2009 2 JOSIMEIRE XAVIER FORSTER THE LITERARY TEXT AND THE SEARCH FOR MEANING: AN INTERFACE BETWEEN LANGUAGE LEARNING AND LITERARY AWARENESS Dissertação apresentada ao Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras e Linguística, da Faculdade Letras (PPGLL), da Universidade Federal de Alagoas (UFAL), como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Linguística. Orientadora: Profª Drª Izabel F. O. Brandão. Maceió 2009 3 4 5 To Zelma Xavier, Crystal Forster and Egon Lichtsteiner for giving me all I need. 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Izabel Brandão, adviser and friend, for sharing her knowledge and making me fall in love with literature; The students involved in the pedagogical experience, for the dedication and trust; Professors Ildney Cavalcanti and Inêz Matoso for the invaluable contributions in the qualification exam; My students and friends who were always by my side and trusted me, especially Claudia Alves and Marcelo Tenório; Paulo Sergio Lima, for all the support when I needed it most; Patricia Diniz, Virginia Santos and Vitória Costa, friends who always encouraged me; My family, for the love, support and trust; Egon Lichtsteiner, for all the love and support at different levels. 7 Chega mais perto e contempla as palavras. Cada uma tem mil faces secretas sob a face neutra e te pergunta, sem interesse pela resposta, pobre ou terrível que lhe deres: Trouxeste a chave? Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1964) 8 ABSTRAKT Diese Studie zeigt das Ergebnis einer Forschungsarbeit für einen Master-Kurs im Rahmen des Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras e Linguística an der Universidade Federal de Alagoas, die sich der Herausforderung annahm, im Lehr- und Lernumfeld einer Fremdsprache ein authentisches literarisches Werk, anstelle dessen vereinfachter Form zu benutzen. Dies mit dem Ziel, ein kreatives und aktives Lernverhalten zu erzeugen. Durch die Herstellung eines Dialoges zwischen Literatur und Angewandter Sprachwissenschaft, basierend auf den hauptsächlichen theoretischen Grundlagen und Prinzipien derselben, zeigt die Untersuchung, dass in einem interaktiven und engagierten Umfeld sowohl literarische und linguistische, als auch kulturelle Ziele erreicht werden können. Die theoretischen Grundlagen dieser Forschungsarbeit basieren auf den Werken von Brumfit (1991), Carter & Long (1991), Bakhtin (1992), Lazar (1993), Kramsch (1993), Lajolo (1993), Certeau (1996), Freire (1996), Brandão (1999), und Zozzoli (2006). Die Feldforschung wurde an einer privaten Sprachschule in Maceió, AL, mit zwei Gruppen von Englischschülern mit unterschiedlicher sprachlicher Kompetenz durchgeführt. Das Forschungsobjekt war die Novelle Dear Nobody (1991) des modernen Britischen Romanciers Berlie Doherty. Die Daten wurden mit Hilfe von VHS- und MP3-Aufnahmen, Tagebücher und Aufzeichnungen der Studenten und dem Tagebuch der Forscherin erhoben. Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass die Lernenden positiv auf ein literarisches Werk reagieren, und dass bei dessen Vermittlung die Lehrperson eine wichtige Rolle spielt. SCHLÜSSELWÖRTER: Literatur; Lernen; Lesen; Fremdsprache; Bewusstsein. 9 ABSTRACT The study aims at reflecting upon the outcome of a Master’s course research at the Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras e Linguística , at Universidade Federal de Alagoas, when an authentic literary work was used in the foreign language teaching/learning setting instead of simplified graded Readers aiming at fostering a creative response and an active responsive attitude. By establishing a dialogue between Literature and Applied Linguistics, and having as its main theoretical grounds the principles and methods of the latter, the study shows that literary, linguistic as well as cultural aims can be reached in an interactive and engaging environment. The theoretical grounds are based on the works by Brumfit (1991), Carter & Long (1991), Bakhtin (1992), Lazar (1993), Kramsch (1993), Lajolo (1993), Certeau (1996), Freire (1996), Brandão (1999), and Zozzoli (2006) amongst others. The field research consisted of using an authentic literary work in a private language institution, in Maceió-AL, with two groups of English learners who had different linguistic level competence. The research object was the novel Dear Nobody (1991) by contemporary British novelist Berlie Doherty. Data was obtained by means of VHS and MP3 recording, diaries, compositions as well as the researcher’s diary. The results suggest that learners react positively to a literary work and that teachers have a major role in the whole reading. KEY WORDS: Literature; Learning; Reading; Foreign Language; Awareness. 10 RESUMO O presente estudo objetiva refletir sobre os resultados de uma pesquisa de mestrado do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras e Linguística, da Universidade Federal de Alagoas, ao utilizar uma obra literária autêntica ao invés de versões simplificadas no ambiente de ensino/aprendizagem de língua estrangeira objetivando estimular uma atitude responsiva ativa e uma resposta criativa. Através do diálogo estabelecido entre a Literatura e a Linguística Aplicada e tendo como base os princípios e métodos da última, o estudo mostra que objetivos literários, linguísticos e culturais podem ser alcançados em um ambiente interativo e agradável. A fundamentação teórica é baseada nos trabalhos de Brumfit (1991), Carter & Long (1991), Bakhtin (1992), Lazar (1993), Kramsch (1993), Lajolo (1993), Certeau (1996), Freire (1996), Brandão (1999), e Zozzoli (2006) entre outros. A pesquisa de campo consistiu no uso de uma obra literária autêntica em uma instituição privada de ensino de línguas em Maceió - AL, com dois grupos de aprendizes de inglês que tinham diferentes níveis de competência linguística. O objeto da pesquisa foi o romance Dear Nobody (1991) da escritora britânica contemporânea Berlie Doherty. Os dados foram coletados por meio de gravação em VHS e MP3, diários, redações, bem como as anotações da pesquisadora. Os resultados sugerem que os aprendizes reagem positivamente à obra literária autêntica e que o/a professor/a tem um papel relevante no processo de leitura. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Literatura; Aprendizagem; Leitura; Língua Estrangeira; Percepção 11 CONTENTS INTRODU CTION ......................................................................................................... 12 1. LITERARY READING ............................................................................................ 15 2. A WAY TO CREATIVE WRITING AND CREATIVE RESPONSIVE ATTITUDE ..................................................................................................................... 30 3. LANGUAGE LEARNING AND LITERARY AWARENESS – AN INTERFACE .................................................................................................................. 42 3.1. The research context................................................................................................. 44 3.2. The subjects............................................................................................................... 46 3.3. The aims.................................................................................................................... 47 3.4. The author................................................................................................................. 50 3.5. The book................................................................................................................... 51 3.6. Field research............................................................................................................ 52 3.6.1. Preparation....................................................................................................... 52 3.6.2. Pre-reading....................................................................................................... 53 3.6.3. While reading................................................................................................... 55 3.6.4. After reading.................................................................................................... 56 3.7. Evidence of oral response......................................................................................... 56 3.8. Evidence of written response.................................................................................... 65 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 70 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES ....................................................................... 72 APPENDIXES ………………………………………………………………………… 77 Appendix I. Advanced group picture............................................................................... 77 Appendix II. Intermediate group picture……………...................................................... 78 Appendix III. Berlie Doherty picture…………………………………………………... 79 Appendix IV. The literary work cover……...………………………………………….. 80 Appendix V. Advanced full transcription 1.................................................................... 81 Appendix VI. Advanced full transcription 2.................................................................... 87 Appendix VII. Advanced full transcription 3.................................................................. 95 Appendix VIII. Intermediate full transcription 1............................................................
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