Língua, discurso e identidade: a língua inglesa no discurso da mídia e a construçãoidentitária dos brasileiros

Abstract

This article analyses the representations of the English language in contemporaneous Brazilian printed press and their influence on the identity construction of Brazilians, concerning the production of an imaginary about national and foreign language, society, market and globalization. The research theoretical background is a perspective of discourse analysis for which subjects and meanings are produced historically through discourses, dispersed in heterogeneous discourses and affected by a discursive memory. Theoretical reflections are complemented by considerations about the relationship between language, subjects, identity and identifications. The analysis focuses on the discursive representations of the English language and relationship of Brazilians to this language. Results show the existence of a hegemonic discourse about the need that all Brazilians should know English and a discursive effect of making the recipient of this discourse responsible for fulfilling those market demands. The paper discusses the ideological interpellation of this discourse over individuals, with the intent of disclosing the role of media discourse in the construction of an imaginary about languages and its possible effects on Brazilians’ views of their own national language.