Shifting Away from Normative/Hegemonic Language Assessment in Graduate Programs in Brazil and Espousing a Social Justice Agenda: Insights from Assessment Practices with Indigenous and Deaf Students in Two Universities

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article analyzes the language ideologies that underpin the assessment of the foreign language proficiency of Indigenous and Deaf graduate students in two federal universities in Brazil. It draws on recent theory-building about language ideologies, academic literacies, language testing and communicative repertoires. The data analyzed include institutional guidelines and reading proficiency tests administered in the past five years at both universities. We show that, while official documents are grounded in a one-nation-one-language ideology, the design and implementation of the tests reflect efforts to value the students’ communicative repertoires and aim for more democratic forms of assessment.

Keywords

• reading proficiency assessment
• academic literacies
• language ideologies
• affirmative actions