Sociolinguistics and multiple literacies: an ethnographic study in two traditional Brazilian communities
Sociolinguistics; Multiple Literacies; Traditional Communities; Linguistic Variation; Teacher Praxis.
The present work consists on an (auto)ethnographic qualitative research (ERICKSON, 1991; FETTERMAN, 2010; ADAMS; ELLIS; JONES, 2016) that aims to investigate sociolinguistic practices (BORTONI-RICARDO, 2014), the linguistic variation (BAGNO, 2006[1999]) and literacies (KLEIMAN, 2005; STREET, 2014) inserted in the teaching praxis of the teachers who work in the communities visited throughout this research. In addition to analyzing their life stories, taking into account, mainly, relevant moments when their teaching identities were built within the context where they work. Still in this perspective, I seek to identify the teaching strategies of the quilombola teacher who teaches Portuguese in her community in Goiás and of the indigenous riverside teacher from Amazonas who teaches English, Portuguese and Nheengatu in the rural area of Manaus. It is important to point out that the participants in this research are members of traditional Brazilian communities, groups with have their own forms of social organization, which occupy and use territories and natural resources as a condition for their cultural, social and religious practices (BRASIL, 2007). In this context, when performing their roles as teachers, the participants believe it is relevant to present different literacy practices to students without a single focus. Diverging, therefore, from a social and school practice that presents the language only in its standard variety and ends up reinforcing the myth of the existence of a single, valued and dominant language (STREET, 2014) and the stigma that other varieties are inadequate and have a lower status lower. Both research participants seek to take a deeper look at the way linguistic variation is presented to students and how this can shape students' relationship with the standard norm taught in schools and with the school space itself (SCHERRER, 2005). I also discuss the importance of bringing the constructs presented above to the classroom, as they are configured as a way of unveiling the myth of the existence of a static language. And so, to provide reflection on standardized methods of language teaching. While facing this situation, I analyze how combating power relations sustained by uniformizing language discourses is an important role for schools and their teachers that struggle for a more egalitarian and fair society. Finally, I highlight the efforts of these teachers to preserve the knowledge and practices of their communities by reinforcing to students the importance of maintaining traditions.