Contextualization

Language is a living organism that is constantly changing over time, polysemy and foreign words are two processes that demonstrate this plasticity of our language.

Polysemy is the linguistic phenomenon that occurs when a word has various meanings depending on the context in which it is used. It is common in our language and helps enrich our vocabulary, allowing us to use a single word in different communication situations.

Foreign words, on the other hand, are the use of foreign words or expressions in the Portuguese language. These terms are usually incorporated due to some cultural, scientific, technological, or even fashion influence, reflecting the interaction and influence between different cultures.

Understanding these phenomena is important to become a more effective communicator and a more attentive reader. Moreover, the ability to identify foreign words and polysemy is crucial for the correct interpretation of texts, essential for building a good cultural and academic repertoire.

Introduction

In this project, you will work in groups to explore foreign words and polysemy in the Portuguese language. During this journey, you will come across several examples of these phenomena in our daily lives, as well as exercise valuable skills such as teamwork, research, critical thinking, and clear communication.

To start, I recommend reading the following resources:

1. Polysemy - Infoescola
2. Foreign Words - Só Português
3. Polysemy and monosemy - Mundo Educação
4. Foreign Words in the Portuguese Language - Brasil Escola

These are just starting points. I encourage you to do additional research and share interesting findings with your peers. Remember, the best way to learn is to actively engage with the material and apply it in various situations.

Practical Activity

Activity Title: "Traveling Words: Polysemy and Foreign Words in Portuguese"

Project Objective

The project's objective is to creatively and collaboratively explore the presence of foreign words and polysemy in the Portuguese language in everyday life, social media, literature, music, among others.

Detailed Project Description

Groups will work together to produce an online "Living Dictionary" that presents examples of polysemy and foreign words found in various media and everyday life. For each chosen word, its usage context, meaning in context, evaluation of its relevance (in the case of foreign words), and the word's origin (in the case of foreign words) should be presented. The "Living Dictionary" should contain a minimum of 20 words for each linguistic phenomenon (20 for polysemy and 20 for foreign words).

Groups can use free online platforms such as WordPress, Blogger, among others, to create the Living Dictionary.

Required Materials

1. Computer with Internet access
2. Books, magazines, music, movies, or any other text source
3. Online tools for creating a free blog or website (WordPress, Blogger, etc.)

Detailed Step-by-Step Guide for the Activity

1. Form groups of 3 to 5 students.
2. Conduct preliminary research on the topics of polysemy and foreign words, using the recommended sources and any others you find relevant.
3. Discuss in the group the main ideas and concepts about polysemy and foreign words, based on the research conducted.
4. Define the words that will be explored in the dictionary. Remember, you should choose words that exhibit polysemy and are foreign words.
5. Research the usage context, meaning(s), evaluation of relevance, and origin of the chosen words for the dictionary.
6. Develop content for each word in the dictionary, including the definition, usage context, meaning(s), evaluation of relevance (in the case of foreign words), and the word's origin (in the case of foreign words).
7. Create the online dictionary using the chosen platform, inputting the gathered information about each word.
8. Review the dictionary content, ensuring there are no errors and all information is correct.

At the end of the project, students should submit:

1. The link to the online Living Dictionary.
2. A written report detailing the project creation process. The report should include the following main topics:

• Introduction: The student should contextualize the theme, its relevance and real-world application, the objective of this project, and the reason for their choices.
• Development: The student should explain the theory behind foreign words and polysemy, detail the activity, indicate the methodology used, and present the results obtained.
• Conclusion: The student should conclude the work by summarizing the main points, explaining the learnings obtained, and drawing conclusions about the project.
• Bibliography: The student should indicate the sources they relied on to work on the project such as books, web pages, videos, etc.