Elite bilingual education in Brazil: an applied linguist’s perspective

Abstract

We have live a historical moment when superdiversity creates a composition and affluence of importante variables that affect where, how and who people live with. In this scenario, issues of a multilingual formation in different countries are intensified and so is the establishent of elite bilingual schools. This article aims to present the relationship between the increasing phenomenon of Elite Bilingual Education in Brazil and studites developed in this field by Applied Linguistics. It is organized for a presentation of the globalizing multicultural context which supports the interest in the area and for a discussion of its connection with bilingual education. It will also discuss nation-wide circulating definitions of Bilingual Education and Elite Bilingual Education. Moreover, it will approach research and activities carried out in the Brazilian context, through the presentaion of numbers of schools and research in the area, besindes some researhers and their institutions involved with the issue. Furthermore, the article will clarify the scenario and the situation in Brazil. It will also include a specific focus on research being conducted at present at PUC-SP. Finally, some gaps, defined in national research and related to international ones, will be pointed out.

Keywords

• Elite Bilingual Education, Applied Linguistics, Research. Activities, Gaps