Contextualization

We continuously learn the Portuguese language, from the day we are able to utter our first sounds until our adult life. However, in order to master a language, it is not enough to just know the meaning of words and their grammatical rules. You must understand the diversity of language and how it can be manipulated to construct different discourses and meanings.

In this sense, "language" is the human capacity to communicate through a system of symbols, whether verbal or non-verbal. "Language" is a specific systematization of language that varies from culture to culture, being what we normally call language. "Discourse" is the social practices of constructing meaning from language, and "meaning" is the particular interpretation that each of us gives to discourses.

The ability to recognize the nuances of language is a powerful tool in the modern world. Knowing how to differentiate discourses, interpret their meanings and use language efficiently are skills valued in the job market and also in everyday life.

In the current context of globalization and strong presence of digital communication, the ability to create, analyze and interpret discourses becomes increasingly important. In our daily lives, we are constantly exposed to a large amount of information and we must be able to interpret it, criticize it and, when necessary, counteract it.

Therefore, dear students, we invite you to dive into the universe of language, language, discourses and meanings. As a starting point, we suggest the following study sources:

• Nova Escola - What is language?
• Sua Pesquisa - What is Portuguese Language?
• Khan Academy - Understanding language
• Textbook: "Portuguese Languages" – Single Volume. Editora Moderna. Authors: William Roberto Cereja and Thereza Cochar Magalhães.

Practical Activity

Activity title: "Expressing and Interpreting Senses: An Adventure through Language and Discourse"

Project goal: The goal of this project is to explore and understand the concepts of language, language, discourses and meanings through research, experimentation and reflection. Students will analyze the use of different forms of discourse and language in various communication media, such as books, newspapers, advertisements, music, movies and social networks. They will also learn to construct their own messages in different forms of discourse and analyze the differences in meaning between words in a synonymous series.

Detailed project description:

In this project, groups will be invited to explore the dynamic world of language and its meanings. They must address the following key theoretical concepts: language and language, discourses, meaning, direct and indirect speech, and semantic differences in synonymous series.

Required materials: Books, magazines, newspapers, internet access, paper and colored pens, whiteboard or flip chart for presentation.

Step by step activity:

1. Research and collection of examples (6 hours): Students should research and collect examples of different types of discourses in different media. They should look for examples that show different uses of language and different meanings. This collection should include, but not be limited to, political, advertising, journalistic, academic, literary discourses, etc.

2. Discourse analysis (3 hours): Students should analyze the collected examples and discuss the use of language in each of them. They should analyze the differences in meaning between words in a synonymous series, differentiate between direct and indirect speech, recognize the different meanings of a word or expression in different contexts, etc.

3. Discourse creation (3 hours): Each group must create their own discourse using different forms of language. The speech can be a political debate, an advertisement, a news story, a poem, a song, a play, a video, etc. The important thing is that they apply the concepts learned in creating their speeches.

Project deliverables:

1. Collected Examples: Collection of examples of discourses that students collected during the research phase. This should be presented in a digital or physical portfolio, depending on the group's preference.

2. Discourse analysis: A documentary that includes the group's discussion and analysis of the collected examples. This documentary can be filmed or written.

3. Creative Speech: Each group must present the speech they created to the class. This can be done through a live presentation, video, podcast, PowerPoint presentation, etc.

4. Final report: Each group must write a final report addressing the four main topics: Introduction, Development, Conclusions and Bibliography used. In the introduction, students should contextualize the topic, its relevance and application in the real world, as well as the objective of this project. In the development phase, students should explain the theory behind the project's central themes, detail the activity, indicate the methodology used and present and discuss the results obtained. In the conclusion, students should repeat their main points, explain the lessons learned and the conclusions drawn about the project. In the bibliography, students should indicate the sources they relied on to work on the project such as books, web pages, videos, etc.

All of these deliverables are an integral part of the project evaluation and will be evaluated considering the originality, team effort, application of concepts learned and the quality of the presentation and final report.