Letramento crítico e redes sociais no ensino de inglês: um enfoque em direitos humanos

Abstract

Digital social networks have become central spaces for the production and circulation of discourses, influencing language practices, identities, and contemporary forms of sociability (Buckingham, 2019). However, many students still demonstrate limited critical awareness regarding the content they consume and produce, often reproducing hate speech, stereotypes, and exclusionary practices. This scenario highlights the need to rethink the role of English language teaching and learning in the education of subjects capable of reflecting on the ethical, political, and social implications of technology use, understanding digital environments as ideologically situated discursive practices. From this perspective, this master’s research is situated within the field of Critical Applied Linguistics and aims to articulate the use of social networks with Critical Literacy (CL) practices. Critical Literacy is understood, based on authors such as Freire (1989), Soares (2014), Janks (2012), Pennycook (2004), Duboc (2012), Vasquez, Janks and Comber (2019), Monte Mór (2019), Menezes de Souza (2011), and Jordão (2007), as an approach that conceives language as a social practice oriented toward the problematization of discourses and the transformation of reality. The study investigates how the pedagogical use of social networks, guided by this perspective, can promote students’ reflection-action on human rights and foster engagement in English language learning. Adopting a qualitative approach, the study was conducted as a case study in a second-year high school class at a federal public school. Data were generated through classroom observations, interviews, and questionnaires administered to the participating teacher and students before and after the implementation of a didactic sequence. Based on the initial diagnostic phase, a sequence of lessons grounded in Critical Literacy principles was designed and implemented, integrating English language teaching and learning with the critical analysis of discourses circulating in digital media and the discussion of human rights–related issues. Data analysis indicated that the proposal enhanced student engagement with English language learning, expanded spaces for participation and authorship, and promoted more critical reflections on social media discourses and human rights. The study concludes that the articulation between social networks, Critical Literacy, and human rights education represents a promising pathway for more critical and contextualized pedagogical practices in English language education.