This presentation reappraises the localist dynamics in the Applied Linguistics research and publishing ethos in Brazil as suggested by a survey presented at AILA 2017, and discusses the extent to which Brazilian Applied Linguistics remains a self-sufficient realm with an insular dynamic driven by regional concerns or local development needs.
The objective of this presentation is to extend a personal reflection started at AILA 2017 on the research and publishing ethos in Applied Linguistics in Brazil. For that, an overview of publications over the 2007-2107 period by 37 applied linguists holding level 1 CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) scholar status (6 1A; 6 1B; 8 1-C; 17 1D) was performed, revealing a large output of research reported almost entirely in Portuguese through hundreds of domestic journals, with few scholars producing internationally visible publications. A higher number of internationally visible publications was nonetheless evident among 1C and 1D scholars as compared to 1A to 1B scholars. Coupled with very recent developments in Brazil's official higher education and science and technology policies emphasizing internationalization, and thus pressure on scholars to publish internationally and in English, this would be reason to expect some change in the localist dynamics of Brazilian Applied Linguistics. This presentation, therefore, examines that possibility by updating the information on the publication output of 1A-1D CNPq scholars since 2017 as well as by adding fresh data on level 2 CNPq scholars who received their PhDs since 2010. In addition, commentary was sought about the published report of the initial 2017 survey from a small sample of senior Brazilian Applied Linguistics scholars who have authored monographs about the identity of Brazilian Applied Linguistics since its inception. This enlarged picture is brought together for an appraisal of the extent to which it is fair to say that Brazilian Applied Linguistics remains a self-sufficient realm with its own insular dynamics often driven by concerns related to regional or even local development needs. I argue that knowledge of this research and publishing ethos is crucial for understanding the research culture in Applied Linguistics in Brazil.
