Pedagogical discourse: analysis of the discourse of english teachers and the official discourse about bilingual programs in the last 15 years in Bogotá
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34140/bjbv7n4-062Palavras-chave:
pedagogical discourse, bilingualism, policy analysis, English teaching, BogotáResumo
This qualitative case study analyses the pedagogical discourse that has framed bilingual education in Bogotá over the last fifteen years, contrasting the official discourse embedded in public policy with the teachers' discourse constructed in classroom practice. The present study draws on Bernstein's sociolinguistic theory and postmethod pedagogy (Kumaravadivelu) to examine policy documents and semi-structured interviews, as well as to conduct classroom discourse observations. The data were coded and interpreted through Critical Discourse Analysis, with particular attention paid to lexical choices, modality, and intertextuality. The findings demonstrate that the prevailing official discourse adopts a technocratic and future-oriented narrative, equating English with competitiveness and modernization. Conversely, teachers articulate a humanistic, context-responsive discourse that emphasizes interculturality, care and translanguaging.
The policy-practice gap manifests in three distinct dimensions: The following three factors must be considered: (a) conceptual divergence (standardized proficiency vs. contextual bilingualism), (b) ideological asymmetry (neoliberal accountability vs. critical pedagogy), and (c) pedagogical contradictions (test-driven instruction vs. meaning-making). The present study puts forward the argument that this asymmetry serves to reproduce sociolinguistic inequalities, at the same time creating opportunities for teacher agency through the process of discursive recontextualization. It is recommended that a shift away from top-down standards be initiated, with a simultaneous valuation of local multilingualism and balancing quantitative with qualitative assessment. The present study contributes a critical sociolinguistic account of the way power is distributed through the medium of pedagogical discourse, thereby repositioning teachers as transformative agents in the context of bilingual education.
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