Beyond the question: to teach or not to teach grammar?

Abstract

This text presents reflections on what, for what purpose and how teaching grammar by (i) approaching different conceptions of language and grammar; (ii) discussing if the teacher of Portuguese Language needs or not to be guided by a certain conception; and by (iii) discussing the purposes of teaching grammar and what is the most adequate manner for dealing with it at school. This text is guided by the following questions: 1) Is it necessary that the teacher of Basic Education knows different conceptions of language and grammar? 2) Is it necessary that the teacher assumes one conception of language and grammar, and guides his/her classes exclusively by that conception? The reflections are developed in the sense of answering the first question affirmatively and the second question negatively. We argue in favor of an wide approach of grammar in use that assembles conceptual aspects from different linguistic theories contemplating language as a socio-historically constructed heterogeneous system, as tension between stability and instability in the relations of forms and functions, and that contemplates the teaching of contextualized grammar, through linguistic, epilinguistic and metalinguistic activities. We considered such an approach looks at developing the students’ communicative competence aiming the formation of the subject-citizen. To carry out the proposed task, we heard linguists and grammarians with linguistic and/or philological formation that directly or indirectly have been paying attention to this matter, as well as in official documents and discussions with Elementary School teachers in the context of PROFLETRAS.