O objetivo deste artigo é tecer considerações e reflexões a respeito da mudança de crenças de alunos e de professores sobre ensino e aprendizagem de línguas em Lingüística Aplicada. Para isso, primeiro discorro brevemente sobre o conceito de crenças sobre aprendizagem e ensino de línguas e as tendências mais recentes na sua pesquisa. Em seguida, discuto o conceito de mudança e os fatores relacionados a esse conceito, tais como contexto e ação. Em terceiro lugar, focalizo mais especificamente a mudança de crenças, respondendo às seguintes perguntas: (a) o que é mudança?; (b) é possível mudar as crenças?; c) como? e (d) quais fatores favorecem ou dificultam a mudança de crenças? Concluo com implicações para ensino e aprendizagem e para a pesquisa sobre (mudança das) crenças de ensino e aprendizagem de línguas.

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on changes of beliefs about language teaching and learning on the part of both teachers and students based on recent research in the field of Applied Linguistics. In the first part of the article, I discuss briefly the concept of belief with respect to language learning and teaching and point to recent trends in the specialized literature. In the second section, I examine the notion of change as well as factors related to it, particularly context and action. In the third, I focus specifically on belief change and examine the following questions: (a) What is change?; (b) Is it possible to change beliefs?; (c) If change is possible, how can beliefs be changed?; and (d) What are the factors that favor or hinder changes in beliefs? Finally, I conclude, on one hand, with implications for teaching and learning foreign languages and for research; on the other, with regard to the analysis and change of teacher and learner beliefs.

Language learning beliefs have been a topic in Applied Linguistics for 15 years now. Beliefs are considered as one of the individual learning differences that may influence the learning/acquisition process. Many studies have been published about language learning beliefs but few of them have examined the methodology of investigating beliefs. This paper is a state-ofart review of current research methodology on students' language learning beliefs. The author groups studies on language learning beliefs into three approaches according to their definition of beliefs, methodology, and the relationship between beliefs and actions. The main advantages and disadvantages of each approach are discussed and questions for the future research on students" language learning beliefs are offered at the end.