Pensar global, agir local: o livro didático sob a perspectiva intercultural crítica no ensino-aprendizagem de Língua Inglesa em uma escola pública bilíngue de Manaus (AM)

Abstract

In this master's research, within the field of Applied Linguistics (Celani, 2005b; Leffa, 2001; Moita Lopes, 1996; 2009), my objective was to investigate the process of teaching and learning English at a bilingual public school in Manaus (AM), EETI Gilberto Mestrinho, with an emphasis on analysing the textbook considering critical interculturality. With specific objectives, I aimed to understand how the English From Zero textbook series corresponds to the context of the students and teachers of the English Development Course Project; to analyse the perceptions of these participants on intercultural knowledge in the teaching and learning of English; and to infer the impacts of this series on the teaching and learning process and the training of English teachers in the bilingual context of the school. To this end, in the first chapter, I sought to understand the role that textbooks play in the teaching and learning of foreign languages, initially reviewing their historical context and use in Brazil (Bittencourt, 2008; Preti, 2011), also presenting their definitions (Almeida Filho, 1994; Bandeira, 2009; Leffa, 2008; among others) and perceptions of authors in the field of language teaching (Allwright, 1981; Celani, 2005a; Cunningsworth, 1995; among others). In addition, I developed a narrative literature review (Vosgerau; Romanowski, 2014), considering the scenario of previous research (2016-2023) on the topic of this investigation. In the second chapter, I discussed the implications of English as a global language (Kachru, 1990; Rajagopalan, 2003, 2005; Siqueira, 2008), the role of local knowledge in language teaching and continuing teacher training (Celani, 2016) and the proposal for a critical intercultural approach (Freire, 2005; Leffa, 2006, 2012; Walsh, 2010), focusing on the configuration of language texbooks in this perspective (Scheyerl, 2012; Siqueira, 2012, 2025). Regarding the methodological procedures described in the third chapter, I used bibliographic and documentary sources, as well as a case study with the application of profile questionnaires, investigative questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews for data generation (Gil, 2002; Ludke and André, 1986; Marchesan and Ramos, 2012; Miguel, 2010; Sátyro and D'albuquerque, 2020; Stake, 1995). Also in this chapter, I described the context of the research, aligning this discussion with the notions of bilingual education (Megale, 2005), the object investigated, and explained the procedures for analysing the results (Bardin, 2016). Finally, in the fourth chapter, I presented the results in line with the theoretical basis presented, weaving considerations and possibilities. The data generated reveal, among other aspects, that the English From Zero textbook series favours the engagement of the project's students, broadens their understanding of the language, and stimulates critical reflection by integrating regional cultural elements, in addition to aligning with more inclusive and contextualised pedagogical proposals, also contributing to the continuous training of teachers. Furthermore, the study points to the importance of developing teaching materials that dialogue with the sociocultural contexts of bilingual school communities, so that these pedagogical resources not only fulfil technical functions but also recognise local knowledge and encourage critical intercultural practices.