Orchestrating chaos: teaching foreign language pronunciation in the complexity paradigm

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a theoretical discussion on foreign language pronunciation teaching considering the Complexity Theory (e.g., BECKNER et al., 2009). To this end, we analyzed the framework for communicative pronunciation instruction proposed by Celce-Murcia et al. (1996) and Celce-Murcia et al. (2010), taking the Complex Adaptive Systems Theory as reference. In this analysis, the framework proposed is considered to be able to sustain the metaphor of Complexity applied to language, as it considers that multiple agents must interact in an organic manner during the teaching and learning processes, and that the behavior of a speaker is gradually built based on his past experiences. However, we point out that following the steps proposed in the framework does not necessarily guarantee the dynamicity needed in teaching. Therefore, we highlight the role of qualified professionals to implement and to orchestrate Complexity in the foreign language classroom.