From the Art of Silabar to the modern syllabaries of the Portuguese language: the persistence of the language taught

Abstract

Language progresses and becomes more complex in accordance with the development of individuals, societies, and humanity. From the end of the Middle Ages, vernacular languages formalized grammars to standardize and teach spoken and written language. Syllabaries became a fundamental means of teaching languages to children, but also to adults. In this text, a comparative and long-term look at the teaching of the Portuguese language is outlined, whose first syllabary, The Art of Silabar, was created by João de Barros, in the middle of the 16th century, and that of the French, English, Castilian. An attempt will be made to understand and justify, on a pedagogical and psycholinguistic level, the long-term and persistence of syllabaries in the languages taught. A type of small textbook that has lasted either as an autonomous entry, or integrated into composite reading and writing compendia, more recently, the syllabary is also a language game provided through digital media.