Uma disputa no contexto brasileiro entre alguns seguidores de um modelo da Análise do Discurso (Linha francesa) e os que usam metodologias de pesquisa interpretativa e/ou quantitativa em Lingüística Aplicada

The purpose of this paper is to examine recent views of applied linguistics (AL) in the Brazilian context presented by some of the followers of the French school of discourse analysis (DA). Coracini (1998), Bertoldo (2000) and Coracini and Bertoldo (2003) argue that AL dichotomizes theory and practice. In their view, qualitative and quantitative methods provide questionable results since those methods are based on the premise that a conscious subject can make use of the results of research to effect changes in the teaching/learning of foreign and second languages. I contend that the arguments advanced fail to engage AL in a fair debate.