Twenty-eighth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

It is an ongoing discussion if the teaching of certain skills constitutes or reinforces a type of linguistic prejudice. It is stated that the emphasis on supposedly western linguistic skills (namely argumentative language) facilitates the integration of students whose cultural background has them already familiarized with these practices. On the other hand, it would function as a tool that ultimately excludes certain students based on their non-western cultural background. We discuss these theories in the light of practical experience with a tutoring project in academic reading and writing implemented at the University of São Paulo since 2015. In this project we provide students with tools to improve reading and writing skills relevant to the study of humanities. Considering that Brazilian universities have an increasingly diverse student body, the question of whether this project is giving these students tools for success in academic and social practices or simply replacing their “natural” language skills with Western communication tropes is more poignant. We are inclined to believe that the particularities and the performative potentials of argumentative language justify the emphasis given to its teaching by academic institutions. The experience with the tutoring project shows that students, instead of being desenfranchised from their pre-existing knowledges and particularities, find themselves empowered by the acquisition of critical thinking skills. Therefore, we believe that such a project can be a very effective way of teaching critical thinking skills, which, in turn, are an important intellectual tool in the fight against socio-political oppression.