In search of a culturally sensitive pedagogy

An alternative to combat linguistic prejudice in a border context

Abstract

In the region of the Triple Frontier (Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina), the presence of "Brasiguaios" (Brasiguayan) students in Brazilian schools is very common, especially in Foz do Iguaçu (PR).  Due to the vision of linguistic homogenization of Portuguese, adopted by the Brazilian school, they become socially stigmatized. Given this reality, this paper aims to discuss theoretically how the linguistic prejudice directed to Braziguayan students is an ideological phenomenon and how it is possible to overcome such segregating practices. This study has a qualitative approach, within the scope of Applied Linguistics, and resorted to bibliographic research. The results reveal that the linguistic prejudice experienced by the Braziguayans is ideological, marked by stereotyped worldviews and ideologies, which impact in considerable ways these subjects who already live other unequal situations, such as the socioeconomic ones. It is a segregationist practice that preaches the incompetence of speakers coming from the lower social classes, and, therefore, it is a mechanism of linguistic ideology, which postulates linguistic/social hierarchy. In border schools, this situation is aggravated, above all, by the lack of didactic-methodological actions that are sensitive to the linguistic heterogeneity that makes up the classroom.  In this sense, Educational Sociolinguistics, from a Culturally Sensitive Pedagogy point of view, becomes a useful way to work with the Portuguese Language, since it is an approach that helps to overcome the exclusive teaching of grammar rules, promoting the mastery of linguistic/communicative resources and increasing the development of students' communicative competence through the appreciation of culturally accumulated knowledge.