O espanhol na cidade de São Paulo: quem ensina qual variante a quem?

Resumen

This paper deals with interaction of Spanish variants in a foreign language classroom, in some of the best know Spanish language institutes in São Paulo city. The research started with as evaluation of the teaching material used, in the light of contemporary trends in modern language teaching. Interviews with supervisors and teachers were held, and questionnaires were answered by students in the institutes researched. The sets of data resulting contributed to compose the current situatin of teaching Spanish as a foreign language in São Paulo - wich is going through a dramatic increase since the integration of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay in a common market agreement (Mercosur). Many allegedly communicative classes were recorded, intending to evaluate whether the communicative principles are actualy capitalized. The analysis of the data allowed tocnclude the existence of a very particular situation of interaction among Spanish variants in the classroom, brought by the interaction of Spanish teaching materials and Latin-American teachers using their mother variants. The fact that the pedagogical and cultural consequences of this interaction go by unperceived or ignored, or even underestimated by the actors involved, frustrates any intent of working effectively in communicative settings. Teachersbeing partially set apart from their mother variants, in order to comply with the materials used, cannot work communicatively, as they are not effective representatives of their language and culture.