From Grammar to Socio-interactionism: L1 Education in Brazil

Abstract

L1 education in Brazil has been based on at least three paradigms, which are common to most Western countries since the second half of the nineteenth century. In the Brazilian context, these paradigms have been referred to as the traditional paradigm, the communicative paradigm, and the socio-interactionist paradigm. This study aims to analyse how these three paradigms evolved from the Latin-Jesuitic heritage, in which classic culture was central, to contemporary multiliteracies education, associated to the development of competences by learners and monitoring through international assessment exams. The analysis highlights as key to this historical process: the construction of the national standard language and literary canon; the strong influence of communication theory for a conception of language as instrumental; the downgrading of literary text in favor of journalistic and public texts; the submission of lessons to textbook models; the interference of academic research on language and literature; and the legitimate presence of children’s and youth literature at school. Once these factors are identified and the historical construction of Portuguese Language and Literature as a school subject outlined, conclusions point to the simultaneous and unbalanced presence of the three paradigms in contemporary representations of Portuguese teaching in Brazil. As a consequence, teachers are faced with the challenge of coping with contradictions and ambiguities arising from the presence of these mixed paradigms in public policies, official curricula, and teaching materials.