LINGUISTIC VARIATION AND TEACHING

Abstract

Teaching about linguistic heterogeneity is one of the greatest challenges for teachers in the classroom. The imposition of normative grammar as the only acceptable variant, the idea that language is a homogeneous and unchanging system, and the belief that there is only one correct way to speak lead many teaching professionals to fail to consider and recognize the processes that linguistic variations have undergone since ancient times, that is, that there are different ways of expressing the same meaning depending on the context and time, whether at school, with family, or among friends. In this sense, based on theoretical and methodological contributions from Bagno (2007; 2011), Bortoni-Ricardo (2005), Cardoso (2010), Coelho (2015), among others, this article aims to reflect on the opinions of experts/researchers on the importance of teaching linguistic variation, a topic little discussed in the basic education classroom, commenting on what leads some professionals to not address linguistic diversity in the classroom, identifying and deconstructing pejorative linguistic beliefs and behaviors essential to avoid the reproduction of linguistic prejudice inside and outside the school. Instead, it is necessary to promote reflections and critical thinking among students that encourage respect for linguistic differences. This process contributes not only to the development of an inclusive education, but also to the construction of a school environment that values diversity and favors the socialization of knowledge, strengthening interpersonal relationships and the understanding of the multiple cultural and linguistic realities that make up society.