Group formation in a class of Portuguese as a Foreign Language: when friendship helps learning

Abstract

This article aims to show how groups of students are formed in a multiethnical class of Portuguese for Foreign Students. The data analyzed were collected from two classes of exchange students at a university of Minas Gerais, Brazil, departing from theoretical references of Interactional Sociolinguistics and Cultural Geography. It was longitudinally observed, by means of triangulation of data sources – classroom maps, interviews with students, and research diaries – how these classroom groups were formed and the extent to which this formation impacted the way these students develop their skills of listening and speaking in Portuguese. It was also observed that the students who were able to interact with more classmates in the classroom were the ones who most developed their interaction skills in Portuguese.