Language variation in the classroom: pre-service and in-service teachers’ beliefs

Abstract

The number of students speaking African and Brazilian varieties of Portuguese has increased in Portuguese schools in recent years. The issues raised by learning contexts in which these varieties coexist motivate research on knowledge, values and pedagogical practices on language variation, framed by studies of teachers' beliefs in different languages. This article contributes to a characterization of the predominant beliefs of pre-service and in-service teachers regarding language variation in the classroom. More specifically, the aim of the study is to compare pre-service and in-service teachers' beliefs in the following dimensions: (i) knowledge about language variation; (ii) impact of the use of different varieties of Portuguese in the classroom; (iii) teaching practices on language variation. The study is based on a quantitative analysis of the responses of 56 pre-service teachers and 40 in-service teachers to a Likert-scale questionnaire. The results of the study globally show teachers' positive beliefs on language variation. Significant differences between pre-service and in-service teachers and some contradictions point to the urgency of further research to support a linguistically and culturally responsive pedagogy.