Usar la lengua en la escuela

Abstract

The goal of the reading-writing learning process is, in a broad sense, to have new members of the community actively participating in those practices that need literate subjects. Since the objective is skillfulness in certain practices, the best way to achieve it is through submersion in authentic versions of those practices. Practices in which the use of language and the use of texts answer to intentions that go further than the mere teaching of reading and writing. Once the empiric evidence that supports this thesis is discussed, I’ll present an inter-disciplinary approach to reading and writing. According to this approach, the training of active members of written culture must be undertaken not only in language class, but in other non-linguistic curricular classes. Unlike what usually happens in language class, in which we have to create a necessity in order to insert a text in a meaningful way, in other classes we have to create texts that fulfill needs that already exist. In non-linguistic curricular areas is where there are more chances of using authentic texts in a meaningful way and with different purposes. The inter-disciplinary approach has found major issues in order to fulfill the requirements of text authenticity and diversity, of interaction between written and spoken language, and peers exchange of ideas. Among these issues were: exclusive use of text books, difficulties with starting diversified tasks inside the classroom and responsibility fragmentation. These issues show the crucial changes entailed by this approach and some regards that our school culture should overcome if we are to train critical and intelligent readers, citizens skilled at dealing with written information.