Estratégias de letramento crítico no livro didático de língua inglesa: uma ênfase nos traços culturais identitários

Abstract

This work proposes a dialogue between critical literacy, textbooks, and culture, considering in particular cultural elements that constitute one's identity. The critical literacy, which defends critical reflection on issues that permeate language and social practices (BRASIL, 2006), has been discussed as an approach that brings a new vision of foreign language teaching to basic education. It can find support in the textbook, whose role is not only to transmit ideas, but to strengthen the critical capacity of learners through the work of themes which are relevant to learning (BARROS E SANTOS, 2012). The present research conceives culture as one of these themes, given that it can reveal relations of domination, conflicts and intolerance towards certain ways of life (KRAMSCH, 2001). Thus, the study conducted in this research not only emphasizes the application of critical literacy and the role of textbooks in teaching practice, but also recognizes the importance of including culture in the dialogue between critical literacy and textbooks. Promoting, therefore, interaction between these three elements, this research aimed to analyze the critical literacy strategies employed in a collection of English textbooks indicated by the 2018 National Textbook Program for the High School focusing on three main domains: identity cultural traits of language, ways of life and art. For that, we used a documentary research methodology within a qualitative and interpretative nature, and, as result, a total of 10 critical strategies were found, repeatedly used in different activities and employed individually or combined with each other. These strategies propose the debate and critical discussion of several issues of social relevance, thus contributing to the development of students' critical consciousness. It was concluded, therefore, that the adoption of a critical perspective especially reinforced by textbooks can contribute to an English language teaching aimed at the critical and citizen empowerment of the student.