Teacher Training in the Context of Applied Linguistics: What Interns say about their Classroom Experience

Abstract

Examining the teaching practicum enables the unveiling of the pedagogical actions of the teacher educator and the presentation of situations experienced by student teachers in their classroom practice. This article reflects on the initial education of Portuguese language teachers in Brazil, drawing on representations constructed by student teachers based on their experiences in basic education classrooms. The study was conducted at a university in northeastern Brazil between 2022 and 2024. Data were generated through questionnaires, explicitation interviews, and self-confrontation sessions. For the purposes of this article, we analyze responses from an explicitation interview focusing on the undergraduate Portuguese Language and Literature teacher education program and the teaching practicum experience. Data analysis was grounded in Sociodiscursive Interactionism (Bronckart, 2009, 2023), with emphasis on the context of production and thematic content. Two research questions guide the discussion: (1) What is the importance of the teaching practicum in initial teacher education? (2) In what ways does the Portuguese Language and Literature teacher education program contribute to the teaching practicum experience? The objectives of the study are to understand how student teachers construct representations of their initial education and to contribute to ongoing discussions on Portuguese language teacher education. The findings indicate that the teaching practicum is a stage marked by significant tensions, stemming from the confrontation between pedagogical theories and classroom practices. In light of these results, the Portuguese Language and Literature program could benefit from greater investment in theory– practice integrated coursework.