Português como língua de acolhimento para imigrantes refugiados: políticas, professores voluntários e material didático

Abstract

This dissertation was conducted within the Graduate Program in Education at the University of Western São Paulo (Unoeste), in the Research Area of Education and the Research Line Teacher Education, Professional Practice, and Educational Practices, with a focus on the teaching of Portuguese as a Host Language (PHL). The study was guided by the following research question: What propositions emerge from volunteer teachers' perceptions and experiences regarding the teaching of Portuguese as a Host Language, and how have teaching materials contributed to their pedagogical practices? The empirical setting of the study was a Portuguese as a Host Language course offered on Saturdays through a partnership between a religious institution and a university extension project at the University of Western São Paulo (Unoeste). The general objective was to investigate the constitution of teaching practices in Portuguese as a Host Language projects aimed at immigrants and refugees by examining the profile of volunteer teachers, the pedagogical strategies they employed, the use of teaching materials, and the Brazilian migration policy framework. The specific objectives were to identify the profile of the volunteer teachers involved in the project; to analyze the teaching materials used in Portuguese language instruction; to understand the pedagogical strategies developed to address the specific needs of immigrant and refugee learners; and to conduct a documentary review of Brazilian public policies concerning immigrants and refugees. This research adopted a qualitative approach based on André (2013). Data were generated through semi-structured interviews with volunteer teachers, analysis of teaching materials, and examination of documents related to Brazilian migration policies. The data were interpreted through Discursive Textual Analysis, following Moraes and Galiazzi (2016), whereas the documentary analysis was guided by the methodological assumptions proposed by Cellard (2008). The theoretical framework was primarily grounded in the studies of Amado (2013), Grosso (2010), Lopes (2020), Marques (2018), Queiroz (2023), and UNESCO (2022), bringing together discussions on linguistic welcoming, social inclusion, equity, and the right to education. The findings demonstrate that Portuguese as a Host Language plays a significant role in promoting social inclusion and strengthening access to fundamental rights. However, its provision remains characterized by the absence of structured language policies and by the predominance of initiatives promoted by religious institutions, civil society organizations, and university extension projects. The study also revealed that volunteer teachers develop pedagogical strategies centered on everyday communication, linguistic welcoming, and the sociocultural contextualization of instructional content in order to respond to the specific needs of immigrant and refugee learners. Furthermore, the findings highlight the contribution of teaching materials to the organization of pedagogical practices, although such materials predominantly adopt structural approaches to language teaching. It is concluded that Portuguese as a Host Language extends beyond the instrumental dimension of language learning, constituting an educational practice committed to ensuring fundamental rights, promoting social inclusion, and strengthening the citizenship of immigrants and refugees. The results also underscore the need to expand public policies aimed at teacher education, the institutionalization of Portuguese as a Host Language, and the development of teaching materials that are responsive to learners' sociocultural experiences. Such initiatives may contribute to strengthening intercultural pedagogical practices grounded in the principles of equity, diversity, and social justice.