Carta da Editora

Abstract

The Associação de Lingüística Aplicada do Brasil (Brazilian Association of Applied Linguistics) and the Programa de Pós-Graduação em Estudos Lingüísticos (Linguistics Studies Graduate Program) from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais present to the academic community Revista Brasileira de Lingüística Aplicada volume 6, number 1. The first article written by Sergio Flores Pedroso presents the relationship between literature and teaching in Spanish textbooks through the narrative genre. The author argues that first language mediates the learning of a second language, besides addressing language ideological components inherent to this process. Vilson Leffa proposes a transdisciplinar approach to the understanding of foreign language learning. He starts from complex theories, including Chaos Theory, Complex Thinking, and Activity Theory, and discussing terms such as disciplinarity, multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, and transdisciplinarity. The author concludes suggesting that research should go from the problem to the theory and not the other way around, as it has been usually done in our area. Camila Höfling, Maria Cristina Parreira da Silva and Patrícia Tosqui's article presents practical dictionary activities, stimulating foreign language students and users. The activities focus on vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and reading development, aiming at language use as it encourages awareness of cultural issues. Mariana Souto-Manning focuses on women narratives who had to drop out of school in their childhood and came back in their adulthood to show how linguistic resources are used to convey agency and moral stance. The results show how the women's narratives changed from portraying them as helpless victims to perceiving them as active, ergative agents. Sueli Ana Ribeiro deals with issues related to pre-service education experiences. The qualitative research done with one studentteacher, based on the reflective education, emphasizes how the various types of educational experience corroborate professional development.