THE PRACTICE OF ORALITY IN THE FINAL YEARS OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION: AN ANALYSIS OF PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

Abstract

The present study investigates orality as a systematic teaching object in Portuguese language classes, focusing specifically on teaching practices in the final years of elementary education. The main objective is to identify challenges and propose methodological strategies that foster the development of oral skills—such as listening, argumentation, and fluency—integrated with the social practices of language use. The research is grounded in theoretical frameworks such as Marcuschi (2001; 2010), Rojo and Schneuwly (2006), Dolz, Schneuwly, and Haller (2004), Street (1995), and Bortoni-Ricardo (2005), which address the relationship between orality and literacy, the overcoming of the speech/writing dichotomy, and the importance of oral genres in linguistic formation. Methodologically, it is a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive investigation that combines literature review with field research, aiming to analyze pedagogical practices, materials, and methods applied to the teaching of orality. The results indicate that although official documents such as the PCN and the BNCC acknowledge the relevance of orality, in practice it remains insufficiently systematized, often treated as an accessory to writing rather than as a core teaching content. It was also found that insufficient teacher training, the lack of specific didactic resources, and a school culture centered on writing hinder progress in this area. The study concludes that valuing orality requires structural and methodological changes that place it on an equal footing with writing, through contextualized and diversified practices encompassing both formal and informal genres, thereby promoting students’ comprehensive linguistic competence. Investing in this dimension is essential for forming critical individuals capable of interacting, arguing, and expressing themselves effectively in multiple social contexts.