O CELPE-BRAS NA VISÃO DA COORDENADORA DE UM CURSO DE PORTUGUÊS PARA CANDIDATOS AO PEC-G

Abstract

The Celpe-Bras exam was adopted as a requirement for the admission of foreign students to Brazilian higher education institutions through the PEC-G program. Considering the relation established between the language test and the exchange program, the article aims to discuss how Celpe-Bras acts as a language policy mechanism and what are its impacts for the agents involved in a Portuguese course for candidates to the PEC-G, according to the view of the supervisor of such a course. The study is based on the concept of language policy mechanisms (SHOHAMY, 2006) and on the literature review that addresses the uses of tests and their consequences in society (MENKEN, 2017; SHOHAMY, 2017). The research methodology is qualitative-interpretive (LIN, 2015). Data was generated through semi-structured interviews and analyzed in the light of the socio-cognitive-interactionist conception of text and the qualitative analysis of the thematic content, lexical selection and textual materiality. Discussion highlighted that Celpe-Bras plays the role of a language policy mechanism and it impacts the identity of students and teachers, the students’ agency and the supervisor's professional duties.