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English Language Teaching in Brazil: An Overview of Educational Policies and Innovative Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL)-Related Projects

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Abstract

This chapter presents information about Brazil’s educational policies, followed by a historical discussion about the promotion and implementation of computer-assisted language learning (“CALL”) and CALL-related projects, including mobile learning initiatives, and the use of games for English language teaching and learning. The arrival of the Internet has made it possible to expand and integrate CALL in ELT in Brazil. At first, efforts were primarily directed toward using technologies to develop reading skills, mainly in higher education, where the demand for improvement in reading skills has been typically high. With the proliferation of digital resources, as well as mobile devices and apps, the English language teaching context now relies on teaching initiatives that seek to promote opportunities for the development of speaking skills, both in synchronous and asynchronous online modes, through digital tools, games, and continuous education via mobile devices. The current stage of CALL in Brazil focuses on using digital tools to develop skills in an integrated manner. However, an emphasis can be seen in the promotion of speaking skills opportunities in both higher education and secondary school settings. This stage is also characterized by (1) a tension between the availability of better textbooks and some teachers’ resistance to change their practices; (2) innovative CALL and CALL-related projects all over the country in the face of poor infrastructure in terms of equipment and Internet connectivity; and (3) political decisions urging the implementation of technology in education without offering support to the teachers.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and Minas Gerais State Agency for Research and Development (FAPEMIG), in Brazil for sponsoring their research.

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Correspondence to Vera Lúcia Menezes de Oliveira e Paiva .

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Paiva, V.L.M.d.O.e., Braga, J.d.C.F. (2019). English Language Teaching in Brazil: An Overview of Educational Policies and Innovative Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL)-Related Projects. In: Gao, X. (eds) Second Handbook of English Language Teaching. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02899-2_12

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