Literacy in English: A Bakhtinian Reflection from a Case Study

Abstract

In this paper, we reflect and problematize, from a Bakhtinian perspective and having a study case as the focus, how literacy in English is developed by analyzing dialogued critical-reflective journals exchanged between the English teacher and a student majoring in Letters (first term). The dialogued critical-reflective journal, written at the end of each class by the student, is conceived as a form of verbal interaction between the teacher-educator and the pre-service teacher. The content of this journal is concerned with an interpretative description in which the pre-service teacher describes, interprets and relates how he experiences the process of verbal interaction in his English studies. Thus, we approach some notions from the Bakhtinian architecture which are hypothesized to be the foundation of the pedagogical practice in focus; we analytically discuss how the journal, as literacy practice, may influence the education of the (future) English teacher; and we finally relate the Bakhtinian theoretical framework to this dialogical language practice translated into methodological aspects of/in the education of language teachers at the university.