The aim of this research is to examine the performance of students in a foreign language course, when a change in the pedagogy was introduced, using a genre-based approach to teaching and learning. The students in the study were in the second grade of elementary education, in a project called EJA (Education for Teens and Adult Students) at a public school in the State of Rio de Janeiro, and, at the time when the research was conducted, they were experiencing various difficulties in studying English. This study was designed to examine these learners’ perceptions of reading and their written production in a course in which the development of their language ability is focused on reading skills, through the exploration of genres. The study presents an investigation of the impact of genre-based teaching on learners with these characteristics. Using a reflective orientation, this study seeks to clarify the objectives of adult education classes, and it defends the view that the use of genres is consistent with the reality of this segment of Brazilian public education.