Lesson plan of Linguistic Variation

Objectives (5 - 7 minutes)

1. Understanding the Concept of Language Variation: Students should be able to understand and explain what language variation is, recognizing it as a natural phenomenon of human language that occurs intrinsically and continuously.

2. Identifying and Classifying Types of Language Variation: Students should be able to identify and classify different types of language variation, such as diatopical, diastratic, diaphasic, and diachronic variation. They should be able to understand how these variations occur and what factors influence them.

3. Analyzing Examples of Language Variation: Students should be able to identify and analyze practical examples of language variation in different contexts, such as in everyday speech, literature, media, etc. They should be able to relate these examples to the concepts learned, demonstrating a clear understanding of the topic.

Secondary Objectives

• Developing Critical Thinking: Through the analysis of examples of language variation, students will be encouraged to develop critical thinking, questioning their own beliefs and linguistic biases.

• Valuing Linguistic Diversity: By understanding language variation, students will be encouraged to value linguistic diversity and respect different forms of linguistic expression.

Introduction (10 - 15 minutes)

1. Review of Related Content: The teacher should begin the class by reviewing the concepts of language and speech, and how they are used as a form of communication. Next, the teacher should briefly review the concept of the standard norm, the standard variant of a language, which will be compared to other types of language variation during the class.

2. Problem Situations: The teacher can present two problem situations to spark students' curiosity and reasoning. The first could be the observation of how the same person can use different forms of language in different contexts (for example, the language used at home with the family versus the language used at school). The second could be the question: "Why do some people consider the way we speak or write 'wrong' or 'incorrect'?"

3. Contextualization: The teacher should then discuss the importance of language variation in everyday life and in different contexts, such as in literature, in the media, and on social networks. One can mention how language variation reflects the cultural and social diversity of a country and how understanding it can contribute to effective communication.

4. Capturing Students' Attention: To capture students' attention, the teacher can share some curiosities about language variation. For example, one can mention that the Portuguese language has undergone several transformations over the centuries, and that the way we speak today is very different from the way we spoke in the 16th century. Another interesting curiosity could be the existence of regional "accents" within the same language, such as the Carioca and Paulista accents of Brazilian Portuguese. The teacher can also mention the concept of "linguistic prejudice" and how it can affect communication and social relationships.

Development (20 - 25 minutes)

1. Activity "The Language I Speak" (10 - 12 minutes):

   • Preparation: The teacher should prepare in advance cards with short sentences, but which express the same idea, albeit in different language variants. For example, the sentence "I go to the market" can be expressed in different variants, such as "I go to the supermarket", "I go to the fair", "I go to the shopping mall", etc. The teacher should prepare enough cards so that each group of students has at least five cards.
   • Execution: Students should be divided into groups of five. Each group receives a set of cards with the sentences. The objective of the activity is for the students to organize the cards according to the language variant that they represent. In addition, they should discuss and write down which factors can influence language variation.
   • Discussion: After the activity, each group should present its classifications and influencing factors to the class. The teacher should lead a discussion, clarifying doubts and reinforcing the concepts of language variation.

2. Activity "What Language is This?" (10 - 12 minutes):

   • Preparation: The teacher should prepare in advance a list of words and expressions in different language variants of Portuguese, including regionalisms, slang, technical terms, etc. The teacher should also prepare a sheet with the correct answers.
   • Execution: Students should be divided into groups of five. Each group receives a copy of the list of words and expressions. The objective of the activity is for the students to identify the language variant of each word or expression. They should discuss in their groups and mark the language variant corresponding to each word or expression.
   • Correction: After the activity, the teacher should correct the list, clarifying any doubts and explaining the language variations present. The teacher should also emphasize that all the variants listed are valid in the Portuguese language, depending on the context and standard norm.

3. Activity "Newspaper of the Future" (5 - 7 minutes):

   • Preparation: The teacher should prepare in advance a set of fictitious news items, each written in a different language variant. The teacher should also prepare a sheet with the correct answers.
   • Execution: Students should be divided into groups of five. Each group receives a news item and must identify the language variant in which it was written.
   • Correction: After the activity, the teacher should correct the news items, clarifying any doubts and explaining the language variations present. The teacher should also discuss how language variation can affect the interpretation and communication, especially in formal texts such as news reports.

Feedback (8 - 10 minutes)

1. Group Discussion (3 - 4 minutes):

   • After the activities are completed, the teacher should promote a group discussion, where each group of students will have up to 3 minutes to share their solutions and conclusions. The teacher should encourage students to explain how they arrived at their solutions, what challenges they encountered, and how they overcame them.
   • During the discussion, the teacher should ask questions to stimulate critical thinking and deepen the students' understanding of the topic. For example: "Why did you classify this sentence as a language variant and not as a language error?", "How can language variation influence the interpretation of a news item?".

2. Connection to the Theory (2 - 3 minutes):

   • After the discussion, the teacher should make the connection between the practical activities and the theory presented in the Introduction of the class. The teacher should reinforce the concepts of language variation and the different types of variation, and how they were applied in the activities.
   • The teacher should also recall the factors that influence language variation and how they were considered by the students during the activities.

3. Individual Reflection (2 - 3 minutes):

   • The teacher should propose that the students do an individual reflection on what they learned in the class. To help them with this reflection, the teacher should ask the following questions:
     1. "What was the most important concept you learned today?"
     2. "What questions have not yet been answered?"
   • Students should write down their answers on a piece of paper. This reflection will help students consolidate what they have learned and identify any doubts or areas that need further study.

4. Teacher Feedback (1 minute):

   • To end the class, the teacher should provide general feedback on the class performance, highlighting the strengths and areas that still need improvement. The teacher should also reinforce the importance of the class topic and how it applies in different real-life contexts.
   • The teacher should also encourage students to continue exploring and learning about the topic, suggesting additional readings or complementary activities.

Conclusion (5 - 7 minutes)

1. Summary of Main Contents (2 - 3 minutes):

   • The teacher should begin the Conclusion by recalling the main concepts covered in the class, such as what language variation is, the different types of variation (diatopical, diastratic, diaphasic, diachronic), and the factors that influence language variation.
   • The teacher should also recap the main conclusions of the practical activities, highlighting the importance of considering the context and standard norm when analyzing language variation.

2. Connection between Theory, Practice, and Applications (1 - 2 minutes):

   • Next, the teacher should explain how the class connected theory to practice and its applications. It should be emphasized how the practical activities allowed students to apply the theoretical concepts learned, and how these concepts are relevant to understanding and analyzing different forms of linguistic expression in everyday life.

3. Complementary Materials (1 minute):

   • The teacher should suggest additional reading or study materials for students who wish to deepen their knowledge about language variation. These materials may include academic articles, books, specialized websites, educational videos, etc. The teacher should also encourage students to research more about language variation in different contexts and languages, to broaden their understanding and respect for linguistic diversity.

4. Relevance of the Subject to Everyday Life (1 minute):

   • Finally, the teacher should emphasize the importance of the class topic for the students' everyday lives. It should be emphasized how understanding language variation can contribute to more effective and respectful communication, both orally and in writing.
   • The teacher should also highlight how valuing and respecting linguistic diversity can promote inclusion and cultural diversity, essential skills for living in a society.

5. Closing (1 minute):

   • The teacher should close the class by thanking the students for their participation and effort, and reinforcing the importance of the class topic. The students should also be reminded about any tasks or readings that should be done in preparation for the next class.