Abstract
The research presented in this article aimed to investigate the presence of the coloniality of language in German teaching practices for Brazilian learners, more specifically for learners who come from immigration areas with a history of contact with German-Brazilian languages. Brazilian teachers, both already working and still in initial training, were invited to reflect together, in online sessions that were recorded and transcribed, about how they would proceed if they were asked for private German classes by a student with this kind of background. In their enunciations, signs of submission or subversion to the coloniality of language were identified. The introduction summarizes the problem that led to the investigation. The history of German teaching in Brazil is then revisited, and excerpts of the participants’ enunciations, grouped under themes, are cited and commented. The final considerations argue that, on the one hand, some of the teachers demonstrate a posture of submission to the coloniality of language, without realizing that they reproduce contradictory discourses. On the other hand, some of them seem willing to subvert coloniality in their teaching practice. It is concluded that overcoming the colonial mentality works as a starting point for a critical Language Education in German for Brazilian learners.
Keywords:
German-Brazilian language; German teaching; coloniality of language