Políticas Linguísticas para o ensino de língua francesa na Bahia

Marcos legais e caminhos para a Formação Docente

Abstract

The increasing internationalization of universities has been having significant impacts on the provision of foreign language teaching and learning in Brazil, where a wide range of regional and state-specific realities can be observed. Despite this heterogeneous landscape, there has been a legal imposition of English as the sole foreign language until 2024, which has contributed to the gradual erasure of linguistic diversity. This study outlines the historical background of French language teaching in the state of Bahia, aiming to understand the current perspectives for training new teachers in this field. The adopted methodology consisted of a documentary analysis of data provided by public higher education institutions in Bahia—both state and federal—complemented by an examination of the main language policies related to foreign language education. The main findings point to a reduction in teacher training opportunities and a limited offering of language courses, which are mostly available through government initiatives and outreach programs. While such measures partially meet existing demands, they do not provide a sustainable long-term solution.