O sentido do sucesso: metáforas conceptuais e o pensar alto em grupo na perspectiva do letramento crítico

Abstract

This research aims to investigate whether the practice of Group Think-Aloud (GTA), combined with the analysis of conceptual metaphors about success, contributes to the development of critical, inferential, and reflective reading among middle school students, considering the potential of collaborative reading as a means of broadening reading comprehension and questioning the discourses present in different types of texts. The specific objectives include: analyzing the interpretation of conceptual metaphors in diverse texts through interactions mediated by GTA, focusing on the collective construction of meaning and the expansion of discursive awareness; developing a pedagogical proposal that integrates metaphor analysis and encourages the formation of critical readers; and evaluating the contribution of this articulation to the enhancement of students’ inferential, analytical, and interpretative skills.The research is characterized as qualitative, with an interpretive-critical orientation, aimed at an in-depth understanding of the multiple representations of subjects in their social context. It is configured as an intervention-research in the field of Applied Linguistics, articulating theory and pedagogical practice to promote transformations in the educational environment. For data generation, audio recordings of the GTA-mediated classes were used, conceived as a living testimony of collaborative reading practices. The theoretical framework includes the concept of literacy, which, far from being reduced to the mere decoding of graphic signs, is understood as a social and historical practice that enables individuals to ask questions, recognize themselves as holders of the right to knowledge, and act critically in the world. By revisiting the conceptual trajectory of the term in Brazil, from Mary Kato (1986) to the contributions of Soares (1998), Tfouni (1995), and Kleiman (1995), it discusses how literacy, in its multiple dimensions, constitutes an instrument of social transformation. This is linked to the concept of Critical Literacy (Carbonieri; Jordão; Duboc, 2016), which emphasizes the reader’s ability to identify and question ideological discourses, combined with contributions from Cognitive Linguistics, especially conceptual metaphors (Lakoff; Johnson, 2002). The approach to cognition considers the social and cultural dimensions of knowledge (Bagno, 2020) and the importance of internalized cognitive schemas in textual comprehension (Koch, 2002). Group Think-Aloud (Zanotto, 1995) is adopted as a mediating practice that values listening, negotiation of meanings, and collective construction of meaning. The results indicate that GTA functions as a formative device capable of generating interpretive shifts and fostering the collective construction of meanings, expanding reading beyond decoding toward critical reflection on complex social issues, such as success and meritocracy. Students demonstrated the ability to mobilize plural conceptual metaphors, reflecting distinct perspectives—from success as individual merit to views that problematize structural inequalities. The mediation of the teacher-researcher proved fundamental in establishing a dialogical and ethical environment, transforming the classroom into a space of critical formation and resistance. Thus, the research reinforces the potential of articulating conceptual metaphors and collaborative practices for the formation of critical and reflective readers, highlighting the political and social dimension of reading instruction.