Uma análise discursiva das representações de língua e aluno em materiais midiáticos de escolas de idiomas

Abstract

This study aims to analyze, from the perspective of the Franco-Brazilian Discourse Analysis, the representations of the English language and the student in advertising materials of language schools. The research is based on the understanding that language, both verbal and visual, is permeated by ideological formations that produce specific meanings and interpellate subjects to occupy certain positions. Six media pieces promoting the teaching of English were examined, identifying discourses that sustain a hegemonic and neoliberal view of learning. The analyses reveal that the language is represented as a commodity, associated with social mobility, personal success, and integration into a global symbolic market. It is also mainly portrayed as an oral practice linked to the idea of global communication, while other aspects, such as writing, remain absent. Likewise, the student is interpellated as a performative, autonomous, competitive, young, and emotionally prepared subject, erasing social inequalities, historical processes, and the singularities that shape language teaching in Brazil. It is observed that these representations are not presented as separate: representing the language also means representing the student, and vice versa, reinforcing meanings that naturalize certain subject positions. It is concluded that, by promoting idealized and meritocratic images, these materials reinforce stereotypes and contribute to the maintenance of an exclusionary imaginary about learning and teaching English.