A variação linguística no livro didático "Teláris", de língua portuguesa

Abstract

This research is grounded in Variationist Sociolinguistics and Educational Sociolinguistics, drawing on authors such as Bortoni-Ricardo (2004; 2005), Labov (2008 [1972]), Eckert (2000), and Zentella (1997), who investigated language in use, considering the interactions between its internal organization and the social and cultural factors that influence its manifestation. From a teaching perspective, these authors emphasize the relationship between the variable use of language and pedagogical practices, which constitutes the main premise of this study. Based on this approach, the study examines the treatment of linguistic variation in the Portuguese language textbook Teláris Essencial, intended for the 6th grade of Elementary School, assessing whether the book provides teachers with the tools to implement a pedagogy of linguistic variation aligned with the guidelines of the BNCC (2017). The corpus comprises thirty-three excerpts from the textbook, which were analyzed to identify positive aspects, possible gaps, or inadequacies in the way linguistic variation is addressed. This detailed examination made it possible to observe whether stereotypes, linguistic prejudice, or a lack of proper contextualization occur. The excerpts were analyzed according to three categories: (a) conceptions of linguistic variation in the Teláris textbook; (b) activities based on different types of linguistic variation – diatopic variation; and (c) instances in which linguistic variation was omitted. The data were qualitatively analyzed to cover all chapters, exercises, and informational boxes that address the theme of variation. Additionally, a comparison was made between the book’s approach and the guidelines of the Documento Curricular para Goiás – Ampliado (DCGO, 2019) and the BNCC (2017) concerning variationist principles. The results were discussed in light of the consulted literature, providing a theoretical basis for evaluation and enabling suggestions for improving the treatment of linguistic variation in Elementary School. Furthermore, each analyzed excerpt was compared with the recommendations present in the teacher’s manual. The analyses revealed that, although there are isolated initiatives to address linguistic diversity, the textbook predominantly presents a normative and exclusionary view, favoring the standard language and hindering the appreciation of speakers’ actual linguistic practices. Even with some isolated efforts to address diversity, the book tends to portray Portuguese as a homogeneous language across Brazil, without promoting a broader and more critical reflection on the country’s linguistic diversity.