BRAZ-TESOL
newsletter
We will be represented at
TESOL International
Conference
in Santo Antonio, Texas
march2005
BRAZ-TESOL
goes west!
in this issue
ISSN 1516-182X
Articles
• FOSSILIZATION: have you observed this phenomenon in
your students? Part 2
• How to express your strenghts: write a powerful RESUME
• Student objectives: driven EFL CLASS
Translation SIG
• 10th Anniversary Celebration Event: and the party went on
• Enjoy the Translation SIG Contest 2004 masterpieces
BRAZ-TESOL NEWSLETTER, ISSN 1516-182X, is a quarterly publication
of BRAZ-TESOL, the professional organization of Teachers of English
to Speakers of Other Languages in Brazil. It is distributed free of
charge to individual and institutional members of BRAZ-TESOL.
BRAZ-TESOL GENERAL COUNCIL
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS FOR TEACHERS AND MANAGERS
• SIT TESOL Certificate (Starting in São Paulo in July)
• IDLTM – International Diploma in
Language Teaching Management
• Master of Arts in Teaching
For information about these and other SIT programs offered in the U.S.
or in Brazil, contact the World Learning—Brazil office in São Paulo.
Executive Board
President: Vera Bradford
1st Vice-president: Bob Carrington
2nd Vice-president: João Madureira
Secretary: Betty Pow
Treasurer: Marcelo Barros
Advisory Council
Mike Delaney, Albina Escobar*, Elaine Chaves Hodgson,
Carmen Lucas*, Magali de Moraes Menti, Donald Occhiuzzo*,
Vilma Sampaio de Oliveira*, Maria Angela Fonseca Pedroso,
Nadia Sarkis*, Anna Szabo*, Maria Rita Vieira, Sara Walker*
* Past Presidents
Graphic Design and Desktop Publishing
Claudia Ranzini / Prata Design Gráfico
BRAZ-TESOL represents over 3,000 teachers of English in Brazil.
For membership information, please contact BRAZ-TESOL
Membership Committee:
Av. 9 de Julho, 3166 - Jardins - São Paulo - SP CEP 01406-900
Phone/Fax: +55 (11) 3559-8782 / E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.braztesol.org.br
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Dear Readers,
You will remember, from the December issue, an
article by Marcelo Barros, BRAZ-TESOL towards its 20th
anniversary. In his article, Marcelo mentions a number
of issues which we are currently working on to either
implement or improve in the next year or so. As this is a
complex challenge for us at the Executive Board level,
we will need support from all the Advisory Board and
from all the BRAZ-TESOL members.
I am very proud to announce that Vera Bradford, our
Vicky Weischtordt’s contribution will help all of us who
President, has been invited by TESOL International to
are seeking a new opportunity in our careers, by
attend a number of meetings and events sponsored by
showing how to write a powerful résumé.
them during the forthcoming Conference in Santo Antonio,
Texas. This will be an excellent opportunity for Vera to
Gary Cain offers an interesting viewpoint based on an
objectives-driven classroom approach.
expand her knowledge about how our parent organization
The Translation SIG 10th Anniversary celebration is
works and how best to incorporate new ideas into our
reported by Neide Gaspar and we also bring the
reality in Brazil. So, we are going WEST and in the next
masterpieces that were awarded in the translation
issue we will report back on this glorious quest!
contest.
This issue of our newsletter brings part 2 of Fabíola
Massaro’s article on Fossilization in which she shares
Pause a while now and enjoy your reading!
with us a number of activities she designed to deal
with this problem.
João Madureira
contents
Articles
8
FOSSILIZATION: have you observed this
phenomenon in your students? Part 2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fabíola Novella Massaro
12
How to express your strenghts: write a
powerful RESUME
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vicky Weischtordt
14
Student objectives: driven EFL CLASSES
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gary E. Cain
BRAZ-TESOL 3
newsletter
march 2005
Translation SIG
4
10th Anniversary Celebration Event:
and the party went on
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Neide Gaspar
5
Enjoy the Translation SIG Contest 2004
masterpieces
Translation SIG
10th Anniversary Celebration Event
AND THE
party
WENT ON
by Neide Gaspar
Translation SIG Organizing Committee
Ten years have elapsed since Dr. Gloria Sampaio – a dedicated
scholar in the field of translation studies and practice – proposed
the creation of a Translation SIG (Special Interest Group). That
was a bold move because, as Gloria recalled in her speech at the
10th anniversary celebration, translation was (and still is, in less
enlightened circles) a taboo word in EFL. I myself witnessed an
episode of open criticism of people who said they could not
understand what translation had to do in a TESOL association.
Gloria patiently called their attention to the fact that many of the
members of the Translation SIG Central Committee were teachers
in Translation Courses held at prestigious universities and
language schools.
Among those institutions, UNIBERO was a pioneer. They
kindly hosted two of the events promoted by the Translation SIG
in previous years. It was fitting, then, that UNIBERO be chosen as
the venue for our celebration of the 10th anniversary. They not
only reserved a cozy auditorium and comfortable lobby for the
formal ceremony and cocktail, but took care of the catering
details, with the support of tutors and students from their
Tourism & Hostelry courses.
On Saturday, November 20, Translation SIG members and
friends got together for the celebration. BRAZ-TESOL president Vera
Bradford, present with other members of the Board, made the
opening speech. Maria Clara Forbes-Kneese, from APIC – Associação
Profissional de Intérpretes de Conferência, who honoured us by
accepting the invitation for a talk, presented an overview of
translation and interpretation history in Brazil and abroad.
As part of the celebration, we also awarded prizes to the
winners of the latest Translation Contest. A panel of judges –
Dr. Stella Esther Ortweiler Tagnin, Dr. Marisis de Aranha Camargo,
Dr. José Garcez Ghirardi, Ms. Valderez Carneiro da Silva (M.A.) –
made the final selection among shortlisted entries. Prizes were
awarded to Roberta Freire de Souza and Stela Foley, as first best
translations as well as for Marcelo Concario and Lais Rodrigues
Torres Andrade as second best translations. The judges also
awarded honourable mentions to Roberta Freire de Souza and
Ricardo Madureira Rodrigues. A cocktail offered further
BRAZ-TESOL 4
newsletter
march 2005
opportunities for friends and supporters to mingle in a pleasant
atmosphere. Our thanks to UNIBERO – CENTRO UNIVERSITÁRIO
IBERO-AMERICANO, in particular to Monica Derito Ramos
(Coordenadora do Curso de Letras, Tradutor e Intérprete),
Dr. Cleide Maria Bocardo Cerdeira (Coordenadora de Extensão),
Valderez Carneiro da Silva (Supervisora do Núcleo de Estudos de
Tradução), Cynthia Ferrari (Supervisora do Laboratório de Eventos
do Curso de Turismo), Celso dos Santos Silva (Supervisor do
Laboratório de Alimentos e Bebidas) and Fernanda Rotta
(Monitora de Extensão).
Our gratitude to Silvana and Lana, our dear friends at the
BRAZ-TESOL Central Office, whose expertise and dedication were
fundamental for the success of the event.
Last but not least, thanks are also due to all the participants
in this and in previous translation contests and events, and to all
of those who followed the lead of Gloria Sampaio and others,
responsible for making translation studies more popular and
more respected.
Translation SIG Contest 2004
masterpieces
We are pleased to share with our readers the first best translations by the winners of the
10th Anniversary Translation SIG Celebration. Roberta Freire de Souza was awarded the first
prize for the translation from Portuguese into English and Stela Foley got the first prize for
the translation from English into Portuguese. We hope you enjoy the interesting solutions our
winners provided for their translations.
Translation SIG
Enjoy the
Telephone conversation (Wole Soyinka)
Conversa Telefônica (Wole Soyinka)
The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. ‘Madam,’ I warned,
‘I hate a wasted journey – I am African.’
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurised good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was, foully.
‘HOW DARK?’… I had not misheard… ‘ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?’ Button B. Button A. Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar-box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfoundment to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis –
‘ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?’ Revelation came.
‘You mean – like plain or milk chocolate?’
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,
I chose. ‘West African sepia’ – and as afterthought,
‘Down in my passport.’ Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. ‘WHAT’S THAT?’ conceding
‘DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.’ ‘Like brunette.’
‘THAT’S DARK, ISN’T IT?’ ‘Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused –
Foolishly madam – by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black – One moment Madam!’ – sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears – Madam,’ I pleaded, ‘wouldn’t you rather
See for yourself?’
O preço parecia razoável, localização
Indiferente. A locatária jurou que morava
Em outro lugar. Não faltava nada
Só minha confissão. ‘Senhora,’ comecei
‘Detestaria perder a viagem – sou africano.’
Silêncio. Transmissão silenciosa de
Herméticas boas maneiras. Veio a voz,
Envernizada, a longa piteira dourada inundada pelo assobro.
De sopetão.
“MUITO ESCURO?”… Escutei claramente …. “VOCÊ É CLARO
OU MUITO ESCURO?” Altenativa B ou Alternativa A. O hálito rançoso,
o fala-cala no telefone público.
Cabine vermelha. Caixa de correio vermelha.
Ônibus de dois andares vermelho chapinhando piche. De volta para a realidade!
Sem graça pelo mal-estar silencioso, atônito entreguei os pontos
Na ânsia de esclarecer o obscuro.
Deu mostras de consideração, mudou o enfoque da pergunta –
“VOCÊ É ESCURO? OU BEM CLARO?” Minha mente clareou.
“A senhora quer dizer – como chocolate meio amargo ou chocolate ao leite?”
Consentiu clinicamente, aplastando sua leve
Impessoalidade. De imediato, devidos ajustes feitos no comprimento de onda da voz,
Optei: “Sépia do oeste africano” – e em reflexão tardia
“É o que diz o passaporte.” Silêncio para divagações espectroscópicas,
Respingos de polidez, até a franqueza do cair em si
Endurecer seu sotaque no bocal, “O QUE SIGNIFICA ISSO?” concessão feita
“NÃO SEI O QUE ISSO SIGNIFICA”. “Tipo moreno.”
“ISSO É ESCURO, NÃO É?” “Não completamente.
Sou moreno de rosto, mas a senhora tem que ver o resto.
Palma da mão, solas dos pés são
De um amarelo-oxigenado.
O atrito – pura tolice, senhora – de tanto eu ficar sentado,
Deixou meu traseiro preto-azulado – Um momento senhora!” –
senti o trovejar do telefone
Ressoar em meus ouvidos – “Por favor, a senhora não prefere ver com seus
próprios olhos?”
Translation from English into Portuguese by Stela Foley
BRAZ-TESOL 5
newsletter
march 2005
O Gato e a Barata (Millôr Fernandes)
The Cat and the Cockroach (Millôr Fernandes)
A baratinha velha subiu pelo pé do copo que, ainda com um
pouco de vinho, tinha sido largado a um canto da cozinha, desceu
pela parte de dentro e começou a lambiscar o vinho. Dada a
pequena distância que nas baratas vai da boca ao cérebro, o
álcool lhe subiu logo a este. Bêbada, a baratinha caiu dentro do
copo. Debateu-se, bebeu mais vinho, ficou mais tonta, debateuse mais, bebeu mais, tonteou mais e já quase morria quando
deparou com o carão do gato doméstico, que sorria de sua
aflição, do alto do copo.
– Gatinho, meu gatinho – pediu ela – me salva, me salva. Me
salva que assim que eu sair daqui eu deixo você me engolir
inteirinha, como você gosta. Me salva.
– Você deixa mesmo eu engolir você? – disse o gato.
– Me saaalva! – implorou a baratinha – Eu prometo.
O gato então virou o copo com uma pata, o líquido escorreu e
com ele a baratinha que, assim que se viu no chão, saiu correndo
para o buraco mais perto, onde caiu na gargalhada.
– Que é isso? – perguntou o gato – Você não vai sair daí e
cumprir sua promessa? Você disse que deixaria eu comer você
inteira.
– Ah, ah, ah – riu então a barata, sem poder se conter – E você
é tão imbecil a ponto de acreditar na promessa de uma barata
velha e bêbada?
MORAL: ÀS VEZES A AUTODEPRECIAÇÃO NOS LIVRA DO
PELOTÃO.
The old little cockroach went up the stem of a glass that had been
left in a corner of the kitchen. It still had a drop of wine in it. She
went down its inner part and started licking the wine. Given the
short distance cockroaches have from their mouth to their brain,
soon the alcohol went to her head. Drunk, the little cockroach fell
inside the glass. She struggled, drank some more wine and got
dizzier. Then she struggled more, drank more, and got even dizzier.
She was almost dying when she came across the big face of the
domestic cat, which smiled at her agony from the top of the glass.
‘Kitty, my kitty,’ she asked. ‘Help me, save me! If you do, as
soon as I come out of here I’ll let you swallow me entirely, as you
like it. Save me!’
‘Will you really let me swallow you?’ the cat said.
‘Saaave me!’ begged the little cockroach. ‘I promise.’
The cat then turned the glass with his paw, and the liquid
trickled with the little cockroach in it. As soon as she saw herself
on the floor, she left running to the closest hole, where she
laughed her head off.
‘What is this?’ the cat asked. ‘Aren’t you coming out of there
to fulfill your promise? You said you’d let me eat you entirely.’
‘Ha, ha, ha,’ laughed the cockroach, without being able to get
a grip on herself – ‘And are you so stupid to the point of believing
the promise of an old drunk cockroach?’
MORAL: SOMETIMES SELF-DEPRECATION SAVES US FROM
THE FIRING SQUAD.
Translation from Portuguese into English
by Roberta Freire de Souza
BRAZ-TESOL 6
newsletter
march 2005
Applications are now being accepted for the
Do you teach
children?
adolescents?
culture?
BRAZ-TESOL / SIT Scholarship
Earn a Master of Arts in Teaching (ESOL)
at SIT in the United States.
pronunciation?
Are you involved in
teacher development?
Programs begin late June and late August
For complete information, please consult:
www.worldlearning/brazil
Inquire: [email protected]
[email protected]
Whatever your interests are,
plan ahead and don’t miss
this great event!
5th BRAZ-TESOL SIG Symposium
on Friday, September 30 and
Saturday, October 1, 2005
in São Paulo
Venue: to be confirmed
There will be a call for papers!
Take this opportunity and share your
knowledge and experience!
For further information visit
www.braztesol.org.br regularly and check
the June issue of the BT Newsletter
BRAZ-TESOL 7
newsletter
march 2005
COURSES FOR TEACHERS OF ENGLISH
Start dates in May and July 2005
• “Testing & Assessment” – a 2-month
online course (May/June)
• SIT TESOL Certificate – an intensive 4-week
program in São Paulo (July)
For information, please contact the
World Learning—Brazil office in São Paulo.
article
FOSSILIZATION:
have you observed
this phenomenon in
your students?
Fabíola Novella Massaro
[email protected]
Part 2
“The process of action research (Kemmis and Mc Taggart, 1982
apud Johnson 1992, p. 180) involves identifying a problem,
reflecting on the reasons why it exists, formulating an ‘action
plan’ to deal with the problem, and implementing it.” The
activities proposed here will equip students with an effective error
treatment, which takes this ‘action plan’ into consideration.
As I mentioned earlier, my first contact with the term
fossilization was during a course I took and my interest in
fossilization led me to design the following activities that can both
raise students’ awareness of the fossilized mistakes they
incessantly make and defossilize them.
Activity 1 not only deals with valuable data on BP speakers’
most common fossilized mistakes but also with language
awareness at great length. This very activity is a means of
predicting areas of potential error using a ‘contrastive analysis’
approach. In order not to overload students with too much
information in one class, this activity can be broken and carried
out on five different days. Each day I make students analyze a new
kind of mistake as well as revise the mistakes dealt with in the
previous class.
With this in mind, activity 2 was designed in such a way that
students can not only select the mistakes (from activity 1) they
always make but also try to defossilize them by writing them
down in the boxes provided, as well as writing their corresponding
correction. After all, it is interesting to cater for students with
more personalized exercises. This activity on error correction is
effective provided students revise regularly to check whether they
are still making the same mistakes.
Activity 3 is an attempt to illustrate what fossilization is
about, by showing students the inverse process so they can
perceive the kinds of fossilized mistakes a Canadian would make
when trying to write in BP. I suggest students tell the teacher what
BRAZ-TESOL 8
newsletter
march 2005
(kinds of ) mistakes are present in the e-mail extracts so as to
ensure they understand the concept of fossilization. Without a
shadow of doubt, my students always find this activity fun and
motivating because it seems to widen their perceptions of a
learner’s common inaccuracies in a foreign language and how
they can begin to monitor themselves.
All things considered, I would like to share some feedback I
received from my students after having given them activities 1, 2
and 3. Based on the sentences below, which were said by my
students, one can clearly notice that they are now more aware of
their mistakes and can monitor themselves better by controlling
their language. Consequently, they seem to have profited from the
activities suggested as they gradually became less dependent on
me (the teacher) and more autonomous to correct themselves.
“Every time I am talking and make a mistake from the list, I am
able to correct myself right afterwards.”
“I can notice the mistakes my classmates make now.”
“I am now able to correct myself.”
“I still make mistakes, especially when I do not pay attention to
accuracy, but it seems that I know I am making mistakes.”
“Thank you for calling my attention to the mistakes I make.”
“You are the first teacher who insisted on my correct
pronunciation of THink!”
“The other teachers never showed me the mistakes I was making.”
“Thank you for insisting on correcting my fossilized mistakes. I
don’t say stuffs anymore!”
Conclusion
Having in mind all the difficulties a student faces when learning a
new language, I wanted to write this paper and develop the
proposed activities in order to aid BP students of English to
correct themselves, raise their awareness to the particularities