The present research aims to rethink the role of authentic texts in foreign language teaching and learning, especially of German as a foreign language, based on the perspective of the post-method pedagogy and the concept of learning as participation. Starting from a survey that shows little presence of authentic texts in textbooks for German as a foreign language for beginner levels (A2 level of European Framework of Reference), and taking into account that textbooks are still the main tool for teaching in most institutions, this research seeks to think about the consequences of this scenario on the development of a critical and transformative teaching. Hence, this work expects to problematize the differences between authentic, adapted and semi-authentic texts included in international textbooks of German as a foreign language, and speculate on some possible effects resulting from the use of each of these materials for the mentioned perspectives. Based on the parameters of the post-method pedagogy elaborated by Kumaravadivelu (2006) and the concept of learning as changing participation by Lave & Wenger (1991), combined with the concept of discourse community from Swales (1990), comparative analyses between authentic and adapted texts from the genres "interview" and "newspaper article" were carried out, noticing which elements of the authentic text were retained or omitted in the adaptation, and how they could support or hinder the realization of a critical teaching and learners' legitimate peripheral participation in discourse communities of the target language. The analyses results reveal that adapted texts usually convey a positive message about the country and culture of the target language, related mostly to professional success, and the same does not occur in authentic texts, which bring more realistic and diversified points of view of the culture of the target language. Subsequent analyses with semi-authentic texts show that the tendencies found in adapted texts are also present in semiauthentic texts, which turns the textbook into a "postcard of the target language" (BOLOGNINI, 1991) instead of a tool that helps the participation and the development of critical awareness of the learner. Moreover, an analysis of an authentic interview included in a textbook shows that authentic texts, even when included in a textbook, can provide more opportunities of learner participation in discourses of the target-culture and have greater potential of developing learner awareness. The role of teachers in developing learners' critical awareness and participation in foreign language classroom was also highlighted, acknowledging their value in the mediation between the learner and the text, but also raising questions about the range of their freedom when working with conventional textbooks and the need of specific instruction to deal with other materials, especially the ones which are not previously facilitated for language teaching and learning. Lastly, a proposal on the understanding of the concept of legitimate...
This article aims to revisit the discussion about the concept of authenticity in the teaching of foreign languages by authors of great relevance in German and English, as well as in Brazil, emphasizing the role of authenticity of materials. The German-speaking authors researched defend a conception of authenticity of materials related to text genres, which also covers texts adapted for teaching. The English-speaking authors, on the other hand, problematize the overestimation of authenticity of materials in the teaching, and interpret the concept of authenticity more broadly, calling authentic also the interactions between the learners, the context of the classroom, etc. In Brazil, there was a strong influence of the Englishspeaking authors, however, research that addresses the use of authentic materials continues to be published. In this way, we can perceive the coexistence of different views of authenticity, including of materials, which may have contributed to the reduced number of authentic texts in textbooks of German as a foreign language. Taking into account that the authentic / nonauthentic dichotomy does not adequately cover the texts found in current textbooks, we propose a more gradual typology (based on BROWN and MENASCHE, 2010) for a more detailed analysis of these materials. Keywords: authenticity; authentic materials; foreign language teaching Resumo: O presente artigo tem como objetivo revisitar a discussão acerca do conceito de autenticidade no ensino de línguas estrangeiras por autores de grande relevância em língua alemã e inglesa, e também nas pesquisas em âmbito nacional, enfatizando o papel da autenticidade de materiais. Os autores de língua alemã pesquisados defendem uma concepção de autenticidade de materiais ligada às marcas de gênero textual, que abrange também textos adaptados para o ensino.Os autores de língua inglesa, por sua vez, problematizam a valorização da autenticidade de materiais no ensino e interpretam o conceito de autenticidade de forma mais ampla, denominando autênticas também as interações entre os aprendizes, o contexto de sala de aula, etc., dando menos foco à questão dos materiais. No Brasil, houve forte influência dos autores de língua inglesa, porém, pesquisas que abordam o uso de materiais autênticos continuam tendo força. Desta forma, percebe-se a coexistência de diversas visões de autenticidade, inclusive de materiais, levando a um esvaziamento do conceito, o que pode ter contribuído para a redução no número de textos autênticos em livros didáticos de alemão como língua estrangeira. Entendendo que a dicotomia autêntico/não-autêntico não abrange adequadamente os textos encontrados em livros didáticos atuais, propõe-se uma tipologia mais gradativa (baseada em BROWN e MENASCHE, 2010) para uma análise mais detalhada desses materiais. Palavras-chave: autenticidade; materiais autênticos; ensino de línguas estrangeiras
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