From Theory to Play: How Music Transformed the Teaching of Figures of Speech in High School

Abstract

The teaching of stylistics and figures of speech in high school faces significant methodological challenges when restricted to theoretical memorization and the traditional lecture-based model. This article analyzes the impact of using Brazilian Popular Music (MPB) and pop culture as pedagogical resources in a class of 20 second-year high school students. Based on a mixed-methods approach grounded in action research, an initial diagnosis was conducted, followed by an active methodological intervention ("Pedagogical Playlist") and a subsequent assessment. The results demonstrated a substantial improvement in students' retention and accuracy rates, increasing from 36% to 88% in metaphor and hyperbole, and from 40% to 78% in paradox. It is concluded that artistic contextualization promotes meaningful learning, bridging the gap between grammatical abstraction and the practical application required in university entrance examinations and critical reading of the world.