Celpe-Bras washback effects in a Portuguese as an Additional Language didactic unit under the perspective of Multiliteracies

Abstract

This paper aims to discuss the possible washback effects (PINHEIRO; QUEVEDO-CAMARGO, 2017; SCARAMUCCI, 2004; WALL, 1997) of the Certificate of Proficiency in Portuguese for Foreigners (Celpe-Bras) in the design of didactic units developed in a preparatory course of Portuguese as an Additional Language (PAL) for the Exchange Program for Undergraduate Students at a Brazilian public university. We assume that the main effect of this exam in the analyzed context reflects on an approach from the perspective of the Multiliteracies Studies (COPE; KALANTZIS, 2000; KALANTZIS; COPE, 2012). In order to fulfill this objective, upon a qualitative and interpretative analysis (FLICK, 2009), we propose to discuss a didactic unit directed to pre-PEC-G students, organized by the instructors of the course at that University, in order to investigate the impact of the examination on the design of this material. This research is justified by the need to point out materials for teaching PAL that diverge from the structuralist perspectives traditionally found in textbooks published in this area (BIZON, 2013; DELL’ISOLA et al., 2003). As conclusions, it was evidenced that, although there are points to be improved, the didactic unit analyzed here being guided by the assumptions of Celpe-Bras ended up being based on the Multiliteracy Pedagogy, thus overcoming the traditionalist notion of work with the language, markedly situational and structuralist as Bizon (2013) argues. In seeking to promote contextualized, situated and reflective learning for the learners in question, the unit corroborates the assertion that the retroactive effects of the exam can manifest in a most positive way (SCARAMUCCI, 2004), in this case, in didactic materials for teaching PAL.