Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Numeracy and Literacy in a Bilingual Context: Indigenous Teachers Education in Brazil

  • Published:
Educational Studies in Mathematics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study developed in the context of indigenous teachers education from Xingu Indian Park, Brazil. The indigenous bilingual (or multilingual in some cases) teachers that participated in this education program were from 14 ethnic groups. The research focused on a mathematics textbook production, written in indigenous language by indigenous teachers to be used at schools in the Park. The paper discusses the numeracy-literacy practices in this process and focuses on the meanings, values and ways of use that are related to numbers, writing and drawing. In particular, mathematics problems written by the indigenous teachers (in indigenous language and Portuguese) are analyzed. The analysis shows how aspects of orality influence the writing of these problems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
€32.70 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Finland)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barton, B.: 1996, ‘Making sense in ethnomathematics: Ethnomathematics is making sense’, Educational Studies in Mathematics 31, 201–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barton, D.: 1994, Literacy: An Introduction to the Ecology of Written Language, Blackwell, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cavalcanti, M.C. and Maher, T.M.: 1993, ‘Interação transcultural na formação do professor índio’, in Seki, L. (ed.), Linguística Indígena e Educação na América Latina, Unicamp, Campinas, pp. 42–55.

  • D'mbrosio, U.: 1985, Socio-Cultural Bases for Mathematics Education, Unicamp, Campinas.

    Google Scholar 

  • D'mbrosio, U.: 1990, Etnomatemática, Ática, São Paulo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gavazzi, R.A.: 1994, ‘Observações sobre uma Sociedade Ágrafa em Processo de Aquisição da Língua Escrita’, Em aberto – INEP 14, 63–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goody, J.: 1977, The Domestication of the Savage Mind, Cambridge University Press.

  • Goody, J. and Watt, S.: 1977, ‘The consequences of Literacy’, in Giglioli, P.P. (ed.), Language and Social Context, Penguin Education, pp. 81–98.

  • Hornberger, N.H.: 1989, ‘Continua of biliteracy’, Review of Educational Research 59(3), 271–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knijinik, G.: 1996, Educação e Resistência – Educação Matemática e Legitimidade Cultural, Artes Médicas, Porto Alegre.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kress, G. and van Leeuwen, T.: 1996, Reading Images – The Grammar of Visual Design, Routleedge, London/New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lave, J.: 1988, Cognition in Pratice: Mind, Mathematics and Culture in Everyday Life, Cambridge University Press.

  • Maher, T.J.M.: 1996, Ser professor sendo índio: questões de lingua(gem) e identidade, Doctoral Dissertation, Department of Applied Linguistics, Unicamp, Campinas.

  • MEC: 1994, Cadernos de Educação Básica, Diretrizes para a política Nacional de Educação Escolar Indígena, Ministério da Educação e Cultura, Brasília.

  • Mendes, J.R.: 2001, Ler, Escrever e Contar: Práticas de numeramento-letramento dos Kaiabi no contexto de formação de professores índios do Parque Indígena do Xingu, Doctoral Dissertation, Department of Applied Linguistics, Unicamp, Campinas.

  • Mignolo, W.D.: 1994, ‘Afterword: Writing and recorded knowledge in colonial and postcolonial situations’, in Boone and Mignolo (eds.), Writing Without Words – Alternatives Literacies in Mesoooamerica and the Andes, Duke University Press, London, pp. 293–313.

    Google Scholar 

  • Monte, N.L.: 1994, ‘Linguagem no contexto escolar indígena: O caso do Acre’, Leitura e Alfabetização 1, 45–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Monte, N.L.: 1996, Escolas da Floresta – Entre o passado oral e o presente letrado, Multiletra, Rio de Janeiro.

    Google Scholar 

  • Müller, R.: 1976, A pintura do corpo e os ornamentos Xavante: Arte visual e comunicação social, Doctoral Dissertation, Department of Anthropology, Unicamp, Campinas.

  • Ribeiro, B.: 1986, ‘Desenhos semânticos e identidade étnica: O caso Kayabi’, in Ribeiro, D. (ed.), Suma Etnológica Brasileira, 3. Vozes/Finep, Petrópolis, pp. 86–101.

  • Ribeiro, B.: 1989, Arte Indígena, Linguagem Visual, USP, São Paulo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Souza, L. M.M.: 2000, ‘Surving on paper: Recent indigenous writing in Brazil’, ABEI Journal – The Brasilian Journal of Irish Studies 2, 178–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Street, B.: 1984, Literacy in Theory and Practice, Cambridge: University Press.

  • Street B.: 1995, Social Literacies: Critical Approaches to Literacy in Development, Ethnography and Education, London, Longman Group Limited.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vidal, L. and Müller, R.: 1986, ‘Pintura e adornos corporais’, in Ribeiro, D. (ed.), Suma Etnológica Brasileira, vol. 3, Vozes/Finep, Petrópolis, pp. 155–168.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mendes, J.R. Numeracy and Literacy in a Bilingual Context: Indigenous Teachers Education in Brazil. Educ Stud Math 64, 217–230 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-005-9009-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-005-9009-x

Key Words

Navigation