Ensino de português em turmas mistas: experiências com o ensino baseado em projetos

Abstract

In this paper, I discuss my process in designing syllabi for the Elementary Portuguese I and II courses at Stony Brook University. Given the challenging context of Portuguese language teaching and learning at the institution, characterized by mixed-level classes (Fernandes & Silva 2019), I sought to develop more organic syllabi (Fernandes 2020), centered on interaction and grounded in a language use perspective (Clark 2000). Within this framework, I saw in Project-Based Learning (Costa 2018; Du & Han 2016; Stoller 2006; Barbosa 2004) an opportunity to put these principles into practice, promoting a more authentic and also pluricentric use of the language. Throughout the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 academic years, I proposed project-based syllabi, each organized around projects lasting approximately five weeks and involving the production of different discourse genres. Each project included activities that addressed, for instance, the study of genres and linguistic resources related to the various assignments, as well as formative and summative assessments. The students’ work showed that, beyond collaborating with one another through the different stages, particularly students with distinct proficiency levels within the same group, they were able to use the language in more authentic contexts, which points to possible benefits of this method for mixed-level classes.