Mastering textual types in basic education in Portugal: report of a pedagogical experience

Abstract

This study is the result of research and pedagogical practice in the framework of a Master’s in Teaching of the 1st Cycle of Basic Education and of Teaching Portuguese and History and Geography of Portugal in the 2nd Cycle of Basic Education, developed in the University of Minho and in cooperating schools. It aims at describing and discussing activities and strategies that promote knowledge about the compositionality of texts and about what defines and distinguishes different textual types; in the context of these, special attention was given to the genre of dissemination of science in the media, especially in contrast to other genres. It is important for students to develop strategies for understanding texts and to increase the mastery of the rules of construction of different types of text, as they show difficulties in receiving/understanding and in producing/structuring texts. To this end, this study recognizes and is based on the importance of linguistic knowledge, at the macro-textual level, for the promotion of reading and writing skills. It also underlines that in the training of future teachers, the knowledge of textual compositionality cannot be neglected