Plurilingualism at risk

the status of Spanish in Brazilian language and educational policies

Abstract

This bibliographic research, with a qualitative and interdisciplinary approach, highlights the crucial importance of preserving the teaching of the Spanish language in Brazilian schools, especially after its transition from a mandatory to an optional subject in the basic education curriculum. The study discusses the challenges arising from this change, emphasizing the need for its inclusion to foster integration among Latin American peoples and to enrich students’ linguistic and cultural development. It also addresses the influence of political and power dynamics that sustain the predominance of English over Spanish. The literature review encompasses studies in Applied Linguistics and Language Policy, highlighting the removal of Spanish through a provisional measure and actions that contributed to maintaining its teaching in some states. The studies cited include authors such as Malta (2013), Moita Lopes (2015), and Grees (2019), among others. The results reveal several factors that contributed to the marginalization of the subject in the curriculum, including the emphasis on entrepreneurship and capitalist values in education, the lack of cultural representation, and the persistence of a homogeneous culture. Regarding the research objectives, the study sought to carry out a theoretical analysis of Spanish teaching in Brazil, identify the reasons for its removal as a mandatory subject, highlight the main consequences of this change, list arguments that emphasize the importance of Spanish in Brazilian basic education, and investigate actions and movements aiming to reverse the current situation of Spanish teaching in the country. Finally, it presents actions and proposals to strengthen the presence of Spanish in the Brazilian educational context, concluding that the permanence of its teaching depends on coordinated efforts among various sectors. It is necessary to engage the educational community in campaigns to value the language, strengthen movements and associations, encourage academic support from universities, and promote partnerships and exchanges with Spanish-speaking countries.