Introduction

“Languages, Art, Citizenship” ("Línguas, Arte, Cidadania") is the title of a project conceived and carried out in Portugal, the main aim of which consists in developing and assessing a didactic approach to foreign language teaching conceived by Portuguese teachers and researchers. The languages contemplated in this initiative are English, German and Portuguese (taught as a foreign language).
The project started to be carried out in the school year of 2002-2003 by three teachers who were then teaching at schools of the Algarve (South of Portugal): Alexandre Dias Pinto (of São Brás de Alportel Secondary School and Centre for Comparative Studies of the University of Lisbon – CEC), Carlota Miranda (of Vila Real de Santo António Secondary School) and Ana Cristina Correia (of Lagos Secondary School). Since literature and the other arts play a central role in this methodology, the Centre for Comparative Studies of the University of Lisbon participated in this initiative. Two other members join the team afterwards: Orlanda Azevedo (University of Berkeley and CEC) and Pedro Valente (Colégio São João de Brito and CEC).
The teaching method was systematically followed in the English classes of two groups of the 10th form of Vila Real de Santo António Secondary School and of two other groups of the 8th form of Lagos Secondary School. It was also put into practice in the tutorial classes (“aulas de Apoio Pedagógico Acrescido”) of Portuguese (taught as a foreign language) for students of the 11th form, as well as in the individual activities of regular classes, at São Brás de Alportel Secondary School. Finally, this teaching approach was used in the German classes of one group of the 11th form and another of the 12th form of Vila Real de Santo António Secondary School. All in all, ninety two students were involved in the first year.
The project proceeded in the school year of 2003-2004 at Amadora Secondary School with a group of students of Portuguese as a foreign language and in the English classes of two groups of the 10th form. It was also carried out in the English classes of two groups of the 8th form José Buísel Secondary School, in Portimão. One hundred and eight students were involved at this second stage of the initiative.
In 2004-2005 our teaching approach was carried out in English classes of Bom Sucesso Secondary School (7th and 8th forms) and of Luís Buísel Secondary School (8th form). In the present school year (2005-2006), our language teaching methodology was followed in English classes of the 7th and 9th forms of Agostinho da Silva Secondary School and of Luís Buísel Secondary School.