Teaching the mother-tongue: a sociolinguistic perspective

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Guy, Gregory R.
Data de Publicação: 2021
Outros Autores: Zilles, Ana M. S.
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: por
Título da fonte: Calidoscópio (Online)
Texto Completo: https://revistas.unisinos.br/index.php/calidoscopio/article/view/5985
Resumo: Adequate education and pedagogy should be based on an accurate understanding of the psychological reality of language acquisition and the social reality in which it takes place. Considering some pedagogical practices observed both in the United States and Brazil, we discuss the fact that the teaching of the mother tongue in schools is not always based on this principle. Thus, it ignores both the processes of child language acquisition and the facts of linguistic variation by seeking to impose the standard language. Importantly, the school ignores that what is called the ‘standard’ is essentially the language variety used by the social classes that have high prestige and social power. Although historical and pseudo-logical reasons are presented to justify the standard language, they turn out to be false when seen scientifi cally. Hence, attempts to ‘teach’ the features of the standard language often fail, particularly when they are based on the false assumption of the superiority of this variety and on an inadequate understanding of linguistic difference. Such attempts result in stigmatization and humiliation of those children who do not speak the standard language at home, and in their alienation from school; in this, the school is an accomplice in maintaining the social subordination of those who belong to lower social classes. The proposed alternative is to teach an appreciation of the linguistic diversity of society and the recognition of the standard as one variety among many, one which is appropriate to certain situations and social purposes. Key words: mother tongue, standard language, language acquisition.
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spelling Teaching the mother-tongue: a sociolinguistic perspectiveO ensino da língua materna: uma perspectiva sociolinguísticaAdequate education and pedagogy should be based on an accurate understanding of the psychological reality of language acquisition and the social reality in which it takes place. Considering some pedagogical practices observed both in the United States and Brazil, we discuss the fact that the teaching of the mother tongue in schools is not always based on this principle. Thus, it ignores both the processes of child language acquisition and the facts of linguistic variation by seeking to impose the standard language. Importantly, the school ignores that what is called the ‘standard’ is essentially the language variety used by the social classes that have high prestige and social power. Although historical and pseudo-logical reasons are presented to justify the standard language, they turn out to be false when seen scientifi cally. Hence, attempts to ‘teach’ the features of the standard language often fail, particularly when they are based on the false assumption of the superiority of this variety and on an inadequate understanding of linguistic difference. Such attempts result in stigmatization and humiliation of those children who do not speak the standard language at home, and in their alienation from school; in this, the school is an accomplice in maintaining the social subordination of those who belong to lower social classes. The proposed alternative is to teach an appreciation of the linguistic diversity of society and the recognition of the standard as one variety among many, one which is appropriate to certain situations and social purposes. Key words: mother tongue, standard language, language acquisition.A educação e a pedagogia adequadas devem se fundar numa apreciação acurada tanto da realidade psicológica da aquisição da linguagem, quanto da realidade social da comunidade em que se situa. Tomando-se práticas pedagógicas observadas nos Estados Unidos e no Brasil, discute-se o fato de que o ensino da língua materna nem sempre leva em conta este princípio, seja por desconsiderar o processo de aquisição da linguagem pela criança, seja por ignorar a variação lingüística pela imposição da língua padrão. Não menos importante, desconsidera-se que o que se chama de padrão é essencialmente a variedade da língua usada pelas classes sociais de alto prestígio e poder social. Embora se apresentem raciocínios históricos e pseudo-lógicos para defender ou justificar o padrão, estes se revelam falsos quando vistos cientificamente. Portanto, as tentativas de ‘ensinar’ as características do padrão costumam fracassar, particularmente quando são baseadas no falso pressuposto da superioridade desta variedade e num entendimento inadequado das diferenças lingüísticas. Tais tentativas resultam em estigmatização e humilhação das crianças que não falam o padrão em casa, e em sua alienação da escola; nisso a escola é cúmplice na manutenção da subordinação social de pessoas de classes humildes. A alternativa proposta é a de levar os alunos a uma apreciação da diversidade lingüística da sociedade e ao reconhecimento do padrão como uma variedade entre outras, apropriada a certas situações e propósitos sociais. Palavras-chave: língua materna, língua padrão, aquisição da linguagem.Unisinos2021-05-27info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://revistas.unisinos.br/index.php/calidoscopio/article/view/5985Calidoscópio; Vol. 4 No. 1 (2006): January/April; 39-50Calidoscópio; v. 4 n. 1 (2006): Janeiro/Abril; 39-502177-6202reponame:Calidoscópio (Online)instname:Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS)instacron:Unisinosporhttps://revistas.unisinos.br/index.php/calidoscopio/article/view/5985/3163Copyright (c) 2021 Calidoscópioinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessGuy, Gregory R.Zilles, Ana M. S.2021-05-27T18:07:14Zoai:ojs2.revistas.unisinos.br:article/5985Revistahttps://revistas.unisinos.br/index.php/calidoscopioPUBhttps://revistas.unisinos.br/index.php/calidoscopio/oaicmira@unisinos.br || cmira@unisinos.br2177-62022177-6202opendoar:2021-05-27T18:07:14Calidoscópio (Online) - Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS)false
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Teaching the mother-tongue: a sociolinguistic perspective
O ensino da língua materna: uma perspectiva sociolinguística
title Teaching the mother-tongue: a sociolinguistic perspective
spellingShingle Teaching the mother-tongue: a sociolinguistic perspective
Guy, Gregory R.
title_short Teaching the mother-tongue: a sociolinguistic perspective
title_full Teaching the mother-tongue: a sociolinguistic perspective
title_fullStr Teaching the mother-tongue: a sociolinguistic perspective
title_full_unstemmed Teaching the mother-tongue: a sociolinguistic perspective
title_sort Teaching the mother-tongue: a sociolinguistic perspective
author Guy, Gregory R.
author_facet Guy, Gregory R.
Zilles, Ana M. S.
author_role author
author2 Zilles, Ana M. S.
author2_role author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Guy, Gregory R.
Zilles, Ana M. S.
description Adequate education and pedagogy should be based on an accurate understanding of the psychological reality of language acquisition and the social reality in which it takes place. Considering some pedagogical practices observed both in the United States and Brazil, we discuss the fact that the teaching of the mother tongue in schools is not always based on this principle. Thus, it ignores both the processes of child language acquisition and the facts of linguistic variation by seeking to impose the standard language. Importantly, the school ignores that what is called the ‘standard’ is essentially the language variety used by the social classes that have high prestige and social power. Although historical and pseudo-logical reasons are presented to justify the standard language, they turn out to be false when seen scientifi cally. Hence, attempts to ‘teach’ the features of the standard language often fail, particularly when they are based on the false assumption of the superiority of this variety and on an inadequate understanding of linguistic difference. Such attempts result in stigmatization and humiliation of those children who do not speak the standard language at home, and in their alienation from school; in this, the school is an accomplice in maintaining the social subordination of those who belong to lower social classes. The proposed alternative is to teach an appreciation of the linguistic diversity of society and the recognition of the standard as one variety among many, one which is appropriate to certain situations and social purposes. Key words: mother tongue, standard language, language acquisition.
publishDate 2021
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2021-05-27
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
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format article
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dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv https://revistas.unisinos.br/index.php/calidoscopio/article/view/5985
url https://revistas.unisinos.br/index.php/calidoscopio/article/view/5985
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv por
language por
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://revistas.unisinos.br/index.php/calidoscopio/article/view/5985/3163
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv Copyright (c) 2021 Calidoscópio
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Copyright (c) 2021 Calidoscópio
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Unisinos
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Unisinos
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Calidoscópio; Vol. 4 No. 1 (2006): January/April; 39-50
Calidoscópio; v. 4 n. 1 (2006): Janeiro/Abril; 39-50
2177-6202
reponame:Calidoscópio (Online)
instname:Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS)
instacron:Unisinos
instname_str Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS)
instacron_str Unisinos
institution Unisinos
reponame_str Calidoscópio (Online)
collection Calidoscópio (Online)
repository.name.fl_str_mv Calidoscópio (Online) - Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS)
repository.mail.fl_str_mv cmira@unisinos.br || cmira@unisinos.br
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