Linguistic variation and pronunciation in elementary courses of Portuguese as a foreign language

Abstract

This article discusses pronunciation in elementary courses of Portuguese as a second language. It is argued that pronunciation is a critical component of the language, and therefore should be taught in elementary classes. Based on empirical evidence from linguistic studies, we list some of the most important topics of the Brazilian Portuguese sound system that students should learn. Following that, we analyze six textbooks of Portuguese as a second language. We observe whether or not these materials teach pronunciation, as well as what kind of theoretical and practical components each textbook offers. We come to the conclusion that there is much difference in how textbooks discuss pronunciation: some of them do not provide any information on phonetics and phonology, whereas others present charts with correspondences between sounds and letters of the language, and others devote more time to theoretical explanation and exercises that can surely help students acquire more proficiency, both in speaking and understanding others. This connection between relevant aspects that must be taught in Portuguese as a second language and the comparison between textbooks allows us to argue that teaching pronunciation is a crucial component for our students’ literacy while learning Portuguese as a second language.