Os provérbios em manuais de ensino de português língua não materna

Os provérbios apresentam uma grande variedade de estruturas e podem servir diversos propósitos comunicativos. Devido à sua riqueza cultural e linguística, prestamse ainda a múltiplos objetivos didáticos, nomeadamente no ensino de Português como Língua não Materna (PLNM). Neste trabalho, investigamos como são de facto utilizados os provérbios em manuais de PLNM, usando ferramentas e recursos de processamento computacional de linguagem natural (PLN). Os resultados são comparados com observações já feitas sobre um corpus de manuais de Português para falantes nativos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estimating lexical availability of European Portuguese proverbs

This paper relates data on lexical availability with data on textual frequency of proverbs in European Portuguese. Each data source should provide different perspectives on the use of proverbs in the language. This should allow an empirically well-motivated selection of proverbs aiming at the development of NLP resources, specifically for applications for learning Portuguese as a Foreign Language and for the diagnosis/therapy of speech impairments/disabilities. A large database (over 114,000 proverbs and their variants) was independently classified by two annotators, according to intuitively estimated lexical availability. Next, a random, stratified sample was selected and lexical availability was then confirmed with an online survey. Frequency data was gathered from two web browsers and a large-sized, publicly available, corpus of journalistic texts. Results from the survey, the web and the corpus by and large confirm the initial intuitive classification and a core of commonly used proverbs was definedinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Let's play with proverbs? NLP tools and resources for iCALL applications around proverbs for PFL

Proverbs are an important form of cultural expression of a society and are related to various areas of knowledge and human experience (González Rey, 2002). While linguistic elements in widespread use, proverbs are very rich structures both from a cultural and from a linguistic point of view and can therefore contribute significantly to the teaching of languages, both native and foreign (Council of Europe, 2001). However, though there are extensive collections of Portuguese proverbs with tens of thousands of forms and its variants (Reis, in preparation), its automatic identification in texts is quite difficult, given its formal variation, both lexical and syntactic (Chacoto, 1994). Nevertheless, using real examples, where proverbs are used in a natural or spontaneous discourse context, is a more natural way to learn and teach the complex conditions and communicative situations that determine the use and meaning of these expressions. On the other hand, frequency indices associated with proverbs and its variants would allow one to select the most common expressions. These are precisely the most interesting forms from the point of view of their teaching/learning and could serve as a basis for the construction of educational games, particularly for learning Portuguese autonomously as a foreign language (PFL) assisted by computer. To make this possible, it is necessary, first of all, be able to recognize the occurrence of proverbs in the texts (Rassi et al. 2014), including the instances where these expressions are presented in a truncated or creatively modified form, for example, to better suit the communicative situation or to produce new and more expressive meanings. In this paper, we present an on-going project, which aims at automatic identification of proverbs in texts. In this interdisciplinary study, we combine natural language processing tools with questionnaires construction techniques for teaching purposes (Hoshino and Nakagawa 2005, Correia et al. 2010). This is illustrated here with different sets of formats that can be built based on the knowledge of the form and variation of proverbs, as well as their frequency in corpora.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Portuguese proverbs: types and variants

Drawing on the methodology and previous results of Rassi et al. (2014) on the automatic identification of Brazilian Portuguese proverbs, this paper reports on an extension of that experiment, but now focused on the identification of the European Portuguese proverbs and their variants. Based on a large collection of over 56 thousand Portuguese proverbs and their variants, a database of proverb types was specifically built for natural language processing, along with the finite-state tools that allow for the identification of these strings in texts. Our aim is to make these linguistic resources and language processing tools publicly available, which will undoubtedly be deemed useful assets to other paremiologic studies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

ESG – The gender pay gap : an analysis of the magnitude of the gender pay gap and the potential impact of closing it

As part of the Social component of ESG, the gender pay gap remains unresolved and is still under the European Commission’s radar despite equal pay being a part of the European Treaties (article 157TFEU) since 1957. According to 2019 EU data, the gender pay gap stands at 14.1%. The European Commission commits to addressing this issue via the Pay Transparency Directive. The gender pay gap is the average difference between women’s and men’s salaries in gross hourly earnings and is driven by several factors associated with the labour market behaviour (sectoral segregation, part-time work), but also the uneven split of paid and unpaid work, career choices influenced by family care, the fewer and lower-paid female managers and even gender discrimination. A strong joint effort by Governments, Companies, and Social partners is suggested to close the gender pay gap, namely by adopting best practices and enforcing a minimum wage, promoting pay transparency and roles diversification, and investing in social protection and parental leave (Governments); ensuring equal pay, overcoming bias, implementing genderneutral and family-friendly policies, committing to gender balance, betting on transparency, providing adequate training and reducing the impact of parental leave on the parents’ career (Companies); and addressing sector differences and collective bargaining (Governments and social partners). The benefits of closing the gender pay gap comprise reducing poverty, empowering women, and also improving business performance and consequently strengthening the global economy while increasing diversity in the workplace and therefore contributing to a more inclusive economy.Como parte da componente Social de ESG, a disparidade salarial de género permanece por resolver e sob o radar da Comissão Europeia, embora a igualdade salarial faça parte do Tratado de Roma (artigo 157TFEU), 1957. Os dados da UE de 2019 indicam que esta totaliza 14,1%. A Comissão Europeia compromete-se a abordar este tema, nomeadamente via Directiva da Transparência Salarial. A disparidade salarial de género consiste na diferença média entre os salários de homens e mulheres (valor/hora ilíquido), impulsionada por diversos factores associados ao comportamento do mercado de trabalho (segregação salarial, trabalho a tempo parcial), à divisão desigual de trabalho pago e não pago, decisões de carreira influenciadas pela dedicação à família, inferior número e menos bem pago de responsáveis femininas e discriminação de género. È sugerido um forte esforço conjunto de Governos, Empresas e Parceiros sociais, através da adopção de melhores práticas e regulamentação de salário mínimo, promoção da transparência salarial e diversificação de funções, investimento na protecção social e licença parental (Governos); igualdade salarial, superação de preconceitos, políticas neutras e protectoras das famílias, equilíbrio de género, aposta na transparência, formação e redução do impacto da licença parental na carreira dos pais (Empresas); e intervenção na disparidade sectorial e negociação colectiva (Governos e parceiros sociais). Os benefícios de eliminar a disparidade salarial de género englobam a redução da pobreza, o empoderamento das mulheres e a melhoria do desempenho dos negócios e o fortalecimento da economia global, incrementando a diversidade no trabalho e, como tal, contribuindo para uma economia mais inclusiva

COVID-19 : do luto e do pesar ao luto prolongado

Copyright © Ordem dos Médicos 2020Aguiar et al made some relevant considerations about funeral rituals and public health measures triggered in Portugal, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the issues raised was the mental health support for bereaved family members. This raises a reflection about the particularities of the COVID-19 pandemic, namely the impact on mental health and the experience of mourning for the people affected.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Metodologia de Trabalho de Projecto no 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico. Porquê e Como? Conceções teóricas e práticas de docentes

Temos vindo a assistir, gradualmente, à defesa de um currículo significativo, contextualizado, funcional e mais aberto, com vista ao sucesso escolar e à formação integral. A Metodologia de Trabalho de Projeto (MTP) parece responder a estes desafios, pois promove um ensino-aprendizagem centrado na resolução de problemas, nos interesses e necessidades de aprendizagem dos alunos, numa visão integrada, democrática e cooperada da aprendizagem. Todavia, a utilização da MTP no 1º. Ciclo do Ensino Básico (1º. CEB) é ainda escassa e considerada por muitos docentes como de difícil execução. O presente estudo procura salientar os contributos da MTP para o ensino e aprendizagem dos alunos do 1º. CEB e os aspetos essenciais que se colocam na utilização desta metodologia, através das perceções de professores que a utilizam na sua prática pedagógica. Adotou-se no estudo uma abordagem qualitativa e recolheramse dados através de entrevistas semidiretivas, junto de 6 professores titulares do 1º. CEB, de escolas do ensino privado, sobre as suas experiências pedagógicas com a MTP. Os dados foram sujeitos a análise de conteúdo. Os resultados salientam o grande contributo da MTP para a aquisição de competências essenciais a uma formação integral, em particular: a promoção da autonomia; o desenvolvimento da capacidade crítica e de reflexão; e um aumento do interesse e da motivação dos alunos na sua aprendizagem. Como principais dificuldades sentidas na realização de trabalho de projeto, destacou-se: a gestão do tempo; o acompanhamento do trabalho de todos os grupos, em simultâneo; a gestão de interesses e conflitos; a escassez de recursos; e a avaliação das aprendizagens. Os resultados sugerem ainda que a baixa utilização da MTP nas escolas do 1º. CEB se deve, sobretudo, à pouca abertura e flexibilidade do currículo nacional e à falta de motivação e recetividade das escolas e professores para esta abordagem curricular. Sugere-se o alargamento deste estudo a outras escolas do país, de ensino privado e público, o envolvimento de professores com um perfil diferente e ainda das famílias dos alunos envolvidos na MTP.We have been gradually assisting in the defense of a meaningful, contextualized, functional curriculum and more open, with a view to school success and integral education. The Problem Based Learning (PBL) seems to respond to these challenges, because it promotes teaching-learning focused on solving problems, interests and learning needs of students, in an integrated, democratic and cooperative view of learning. However, the use of PBL in the 1st Cycle of Basic Education (1st CBE) is still scarce and considered by many teachers as difficult to execute. The present study tries to emphasize the contributions of the PBL to the teaching and learning of the 1st. CBE and essential aspects that are put in the use of this methodology, through the perceptions of teachers who use it in their pedagogical practice. A qualitative approach was adopted in the study and data were collected through semi directives interviews with 6 professors from the 1st. CBE, from private schools, about their pedagogical experiences with PBL. Data were subjected to content analysis. The results highlight the great contribution of PBL to the acquisition of essential skills for integral training, in particular: the promotion of autonomy; the development of critical capacity and reflection; and an increase in students' interest and motivation in their learning. As main difficulties experienced in carrying out project work, it was highlighted: the management of time; monitoring the work of all groups at the same time; the management of interests and conflicts; scarcity of resources; and evaluation of learning. The results also suggest that the low utilization of PBL in schools of the 1st. CBE is, mainly, due to the lack of openness and flexibility of the national curriculum and the lack of motivation and receptivity of schools and teachers for this curricular approach. It is suggested the extension of this study to other schools in the country, private and public education, the involvement of teachers with a different profile and still the families of the students involved in the PBL

Extractability and mobility of mercury from agricultural soils surrounding industrial and mining contaminated areas

This study focussed on a comparison of the extractability of mercury in soils with two different contamination sources (a chlor-alkali plant and mining activities) and on the evaluation of the influence of specific soil properties on the behaviour of the contaminant. The method applied here did not target the identification of individual species, but instead provided information concerning the mobility of mercury species in soil. Mercury fractions were classified as mobile, semi-mobile and non-mobile. The fractionation study revealed that in all samples mercury was mainly present in the semi-mobile phase (between 63 and 97%). The highest mercury mobility (2.7 mg kg-1) was found in soils from the industrial area. Mining soils exhibited higher percentage of non-mobile mercury, up to 35%, due to their elevated sulfur content. Results of factor analysis indicate that the presence of mercury in the mobile phase could be related to manganese and aluminum soil contents. A positive relation between mercury in the semi-mobile fraction and the aluminium content was also observed. By contrary, organic matter and sulfur contents contributed to mercury retention in the soil matrix reducing the mobility of the metal. Despite known limitations of sequential extraction procedures, the methodology applied in this study for the fractionation of mercury in contaminated soil samples provided relevant information on mercury's relative mobility

Lead in octopus (Octopus vulgaris) in Portugal: a preliminary study

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A migração de haitianos para o Brasil e os usos da razão

No ano de 2010, começaram a surgir os primeiros migrantes vindos do Haiti até às fronteiras do Brasil, na Amazónia. O pedido de refúgio foi utilizado como forma de aceder à documentação necessária para continuarem a sua deslocação, em busca de trabalho no Brasil ou alhures. Não tendo este estatuto reconhecido pelas autoridades e não preenchendo as condições requeridas pelo Estatuto do Estrangeiro – pesado resquício da ditadura militar – os haitianos foram objeto de uma exceção com base na sua condição de vítimas de uma catástrofe natural que deixara o país em condições ameaçadoras para a sua sobrevivência. Alvo, desde o início, da atenção dos meios de comunicação e de uma tentativa de contenção nas fronteiras, rapidamente se tornaram protagonistas involuntários de uma narrativa de “invasão”, despertando reações que em tudo revelam a manutenção de preconceitos e práticas que datam do período final da escravatura no Brasil. A procura por protagonismo regional e internacional, para além da condição de potência emergente, levaram o Brasil a participar na força militar MINUSTAH, que ocupa o Haiti há mais de dez anos. Recorrendo à força moral, paradoxal e politicamente ambígua, da razão humanitária (Fassin, 2012), diversos atores interferem na criação das condições para o surgimento e, inclusive, na gestão dos fluxos migratórios, ditos, indesejáveis, como o caso dos haitianos no Brasil. Reproduzindo no Brasil um modelo económico que se vale da mão-de-obra dócil e barata, os haitianos que se afiguram como culturalmente indesejáveis para muitos, são, afinal, economicamente desejáveis num sistema capitalista.In 2010, the first migrants from Haiti began to arrive at the borders of Brazil, in the Amazon. The refugee claim was used as a strategy that allowed them to continue their trip, in search of work in Brazil or elsewhere. Failing to have this status recognized by the authorities or to meet the conditions required by the Estatuto do Estrangeiro – a heavy remnant of the military dictatorship – Haitians were subjected to an exception based on their status as victims of a natural disaster that in its aftermath forced them to deal with threatening living conditions. Targeted right from the beginning, they captured the media attention and were subject of an attempt to contain them at the borders, quickly becoming the unwitting protagonists of a narrative of "invasion” and awakening reactions that reveal practices and prejudices dating back to the late period of slavery in Brazil. The quest for a regional and international leading role and the status of emerging economy, have led Brazil to participate in the MINUSTAH military force occupying Haiti for over ten years. Using the politically ambiguous and paradoxical moral force of the humanitarian reason (Fassin, 2012), several actors interfere in the creation and the administration of supposedly undesired migration flows, as the case of Haitians in Brazil. Contributing to the reproduction of an economic model that relies on cheap and submissive workforce, Haitians may seem culturally undesirable at the eyes of some but are economically desirable in a capitalist system