Teacher training in Timor Leste: practices and considerations on speech genres and teaching

Abstract

This is an experience report on a portuguese-writing activity carried with Timor Leste’s higher-education students in the 5th semester of a course called: Further-degree Program – Teacher Training at the National University of Timor Leste (Classe de Extensão – Formação de Professores da Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e). Both active and prospective east-timorese teachers for the basic education level took part in the classes. However, dealing with portuguese – as a communication tool and as a teaching subject – posed a challenge to them. That is because many timorese do not fully command the idiom, despite being the country’s official and instructional language. Thus, aiming to teach the writing skill in portuguese, a series of classroom activities were developed, underpinned in the concept of speech genres and on the socio-historical aspects imposed by the context of the student-teachers. Though they did not fully grasp the concept, which was likely a consequence of a grammar-oriented education, they managed to understand the methodology employed and to assess the necessary changes in their teaching practices.