ENGLISH LANGUAGE FOR TOURISM: EXTENSION PRACTICES IN RURAL EDUCATION TRAINING IN THE QUILOMBOLA COMMUNITY OF PÉROLA DO MAICÁ, IN SANTARÉM-PA

Abstract

This report presents a summary of the activities carried out in Integrative Project VII, which focuses on teaching English for community tourism in the urban quilombo community of Pérola do Maicá, in Santarém, Pará. The work focuses on cultural appreciation, identity strengthening, and language training for residents, especially young people and adults involved in the Encantos do Maicá project. The study is based on the understanding that quilombola communities face processes of invisibility in urban spaces, as discussed by Oliveira (2021) and Gomes (2019). Thus, English language teaching takes on a political-pedagogical character when dialoguing with the territory, its practices, and needs. The methodology was structured as action research, with participant observation, conversation circles, English language workshops, a workshop on opening letters on signs, and the production of bilingual materials. The activities incorporated real situations of community tourism, such as greetings, personal introductions, gastronomic vocabulary, and identification of tourist attractions in the community. Residents collaborated in the creation of bilingual signs and the organization of a mini vocabulary for use on tourist routes. The actions took place in a dialogical manner, as proposed by Freire (2011), integrating academic knowledge and traditional knowledge. The active participation of the community enabled the construction of meaningful learning, the strengthening of cultural practices, and the expansion of local leadership. In addition, the project contributed to the curricularization of extension in the Rural Education Degree course, in accordance with the guidelines of the PNE (Law 13.005/2014) and the institutional resolutions of the IFPA. This report presents the results, actions taken, and reflections that arose throughout the process.