PEDAGOGICAL LANGUAGE AND THE FORMATION OF THE SCHOOL SUBJECT: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Abstract

This article analyzes the effects of pedagogical language on the constitution of student identity, based on a theoretical approach grounded in Discourse Analysis and in conceptions of language as a social and historical practice. The school is understood as a discursive institution that, beyond the transmission of content, plays a central role in the production of subjectivities through norms, classifications, and expectations that circulate in its everyday discourses. Pedagogical language is central in this process, as it names, evaluates, and positions students within symbolic categories that directly influence how they perceive themselves and how they are perceived: as exemplary, deviant, or critical learners. Organized into three analytical axes: theoretical foundations on discourse and subject, effects of pedagogical language, and identity categories produced in school, the text examines how institutional discursive practices contribute to the reproduction of inequalities and the silencing of dissonant experiences. At the same time, it recognizes that discourse can also serve as a space for resistance and subjective reinvention, especially when mobilized through critical and inclusive pedagogical practices. It is concluded that pedagogical language is not merely a communication tool, but also a power device that shapes school identities. Analyzing its effects is essential for the development of educational practices committed to the recognition of diversity, the ethics of listening, and social transformation.