Tensions concerning the teaching of Portuguese: interfaces between genre and linguistic analysis

Abstract

In this article, based on an analysis of the practice of two teachers, we aim to discuss the teaching of the Portuguese language, focusing on the interface between the work with genres and linguistic analysis. Our objective was to identify the knowledge related to linguistic analysis taught in two classes in the final year of primary education. We observed 22 lessons given by two teachers (11 lessons each) when they were developing a pedagogical sequence with the genre readers’ letters. Four types of teaching situations that involved knowledge and reflections about this genre were identified: 1) definition of the genre and identification of different text samples of this genre; 2) reflections on socio-discursive features of the genre (text purpose, audience and location of occurrence) in general and/or in specific activities related to reading and text production; 3) reflections on the compositional form of the genre in general and/or in activities related to reading and text production; and 4) reflections on linguistic features and language conventions. The frequency of reflections on linguistic resources of the text genre being taught was low. This result revealed teachers’ difficulties in promoting situations, along the pedagogical sequence, that help their students to think about the use of such resources in reading and writing activities involving readers’ letters. The construction of a didactic model that includes grammatical features common to this genre was also a difficult task for teachers.