Text Production in School

The relationship between oral & written codes is examined from the pedagogical perspective of written language instruction in schools. Theoretical literature is surveyed, & the various proposals of the relationship between oral & written language are outlined, including suggestions for effective written language acquisition. The notions of text type & genre are examined in more detail, finding both pertinent to written language didactics in Brazilian schools. Mikhail Bakhtin's (1997) concept of discourse genre is discussed, & excerpts from teaching plans & guidelines formulated by the Brazilian Ministry of Education are quoted to show how the concept of genre figures prominently in written language curricula. Results of a survey in four Brazilian schools (N = 75 elementary & secondary school students) are reported. It is found that both teachers & students are confused as to the text types & genres they are supposed to teach & learn. Interviews with teachers (N unspecified) reveal that they do not find much help with teaching the most desired text types & genres from either professional training or manuals. 12 References. Z. Dubiel