The Fourth of July is a day to celebrate the moment the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America was approved in the Second Continental Congress in the year of 1776. It commemorates the moment that the original 13 colonies officially declared their decision to leave the British Empire and create a new nation.
The document had a first version written by Thomas Jefferson, with the aid of John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. Many of the ideas presented there turned to be part of American ideals up to current days, such as: “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Despite the consciousness of the issues involved in movements like this one, such as the war to become truly independent or the part of society not considered then, it is still valuable to study and reflect upon it, in order to realize its importance and influence in the American Continent at that time.
The power of this holiday in the American society could be witnessed by some of our students who participated in our exchange program “Leadership and Entrepreneurship” at the University of California. There, the group took part in a community celebration organized by the local Rotary Club*, read what one of these students, Letícia Duarte, said about the experience: “It was one of the most magical and special moments of my life…we watched the fireworks display and could experience a bit of this amazing aspect of American cultural life!”
Getting to know and respect cultural diversity is an essential part of our English classes at Colégio dos Jesuítas. Our Bilingual Program aims to promote the learning of the English language through the integration of different areas of knowledge, using the language to think critically about global issues, collaborating, thus, with the development of our students as responsible global citizens, committed to values like peace and justice.
Apoiado em pressupostos teóricos que apontam, dentre outros aspectos, a importância social da língua/linguagem e a relevância da habilidade e competência discursiva em uma sociedade letrada cada vez mais globalizada, o Programa Bilíngue do Colégio dos Jesuítas tem por objetivo colaborar para que nossos estudantes possam desenvolver-se como usuários proficientes da língua inglesa, capazes de posicionarem-se, local e globalmente, de modo responsável, crítico e comprometido com valores importantes promovidos em todos os colégios da RJE, como a justiça e a paz. Nessa direção, o contato, sempre respeitoso, com a diversidade cultural, aqui representada pela comemoração do dia da independência americana, por exemplo, pode suscitar diálogos em sala de aula que alcançam diferentes áreas do saber, como geografia, história e muitas outras, sempre buscando promover interações significativas e contextualizadas para a aprendizagem da língua.
Por Ângela Cristina Fiorani Diniz
Coordenadora de Línguas Estrangeiras/Programa Bilíngue
