Linguistics: Language, Culture and Society (RG 5)

Linguistics: Language, Culture and Society (RG 5)

Principal Researcher: Rita Queiroz de Barros

Number of researchers: 16 / Integrated members (with PhD): 10 / PhD students: 1 / Other researchers: 5

Considering that the study of language should consider its social and cultural contexts, this group focusses on two main topics:

1) ELF/EIL - communication and teaching, in particular the development of ELF-aware teaching materials and methodologies, ELF-aware pre- and in-service teacher training, characteristics and domains of use of English by speakers of Portuguese and the role of English in the context of third language learning.

2) Historical linguistic exchanges between English and Portuguese - contexts, tools, effects.
Despite previous research on the history of (i) Portuguese grammars of English and English grammars of Portuguese, (ii) the teaching of English in Portugal, (iii) Portuguese bi- and multilingual lexicography and (iv) translation into Portuguese since 1495, the history of the linguistic exchanges between English and Portuguese is still under-researched. Our team aims to contribute to the mapping of such exchanges, considering in particular historical bilingual lexicography and the circulation of early modern travelogues and its linguistic effects. This focus of investigation is meant to provide a historical background to the contemporary language ecology considered in the former line of research.

RG5 also accommodates individual research interests of its members, which include continuing investigation on multimodality and literacy in educational practices and participation in ULICES intergroup projects (e.g. Intercultural Literature in Portugal (1930-2000): A Critical Bibliography).