“IS THIS TEXT?”: THE RECONFIGURATION OF LANGUAGE PRACTICES IN DIGITAL CULTURE AND ITS CHALLENGES FOR SCHOOL

Abstract

This article problematizes the notion of text still prevalent in school contexts, characterized by the centrality of written verbal language, linearity, and structural stability, in contrast with the transformations in language practices within digital culture. Grounded in a theoretical-critical approach based on discourse analysis and genre theory, it discusses how productions such as memes, short videos, and social media posts challenge traditional criteria for recognizing what counts as text in school. Drawing on Bakhtin, Pêcheux, and contemporary studies on multimodality and multiliteracies, the article argues that the traditional notion of text is insufficient to account for contemporary discursive practices. It sustains that digital genres constitute legitimate language practices, shaped by specific conditions of production, circulation, and materiality. As an implication, it highlights the need for curricular reconfiguration that recognizes the diversity of language practices in digital culture and promotes critical and contextualized education.