Gragoatá (Jun 2015)
RHETORICAL MOVEMENTS IN WRITTEN PRODUCTIONS ON THE CELPE-BRAS EXAM
Abstract
In this article we will present the research result in which it was investigated the execution of a specific task by examinees taking Celpe-Bras who were being tested to prove their proficiency level in Brazilian Portuguese. Based on Swales's theory (1994, 1998) and in the genre conception as a social action proposed by Bazerman (1994, 2005), readers' letters produced by the examinees taking Celpe-Bras were analyzed. When performing task IV, which consisted of reading a report from a Brazilian periodical and writing a text to be published in the readers' letters section of the same medium, it was observed a diversity in the discursive written production. Aiming at assessing the quality of the written production, the rhetorical movements of each text produced were analyzed and these examinees' level of discursive linguistic knowledge was assessed. It was noted that, in the heading section, the examinees opted for different ways of opening the letter in which a variety of formality levels is observed. In the development of the letter, many opted for contextualizing followed by questioning the arguments presented in the base-text and defending a point of view. Even presenting different levels of proficiency, there was great concern in all the letters in our corpus to answer the command in the task heading. However, in the closing section, it was noted that in many letters the examinees ended their texts without presenting a proper closing as it would be expected in this genre. Practically all the productions presented problems with discursive coherence, having different levels of formality been used in the heading and closing. It was checked, in only a few letters, coherence in the three rhetorical movements, or three sections (heading, development and closing).
