LITEROMUSICAL LITERACY: SOCIAL PRACTICES MEDIATED BY SONGS

Abstract

Based on the assumption that songs are a speech genre consisting of both music and lyrics (COSTA, 2002; COELHO DE SOUZA, 2010; CARETTA, 2011) and that, consequently, its meanings derive from the articulation between both languages, this paper aims to introduce the concept of literomusical literacy, i.e., the literacy involved in social practices mediated by songs and verbo-musical genres. Grounded on the concept of literacy as social practices mediated by written language (STREET, 1984, 2006; KLEIMAN, 1995; SOARES, 1999, 2002; BARTON, 2007) and bringing contributions from studies on literary literacy (PAULINO, 2004; COSSON, 2006; PAULINO; COSSON, 2009) and music education (SWANWICK, 1994, 2003; FRANÇA; SWANWICK, 2002), literomusical literacy is conceived as the state or condition of those who participate in social practices mediated by songs and discourses that emerge from songs and take a critical stand on them because they are able to understand and reflect upon their verbal and musical components, on how they articulate to build certain meaning effects and on how they relate to their musical community. This involves, for instance, recognizing and interpreting the actions that are being mediated by songs, and through this interpretation, to be able to understand the values underlying them and the target interlocutors. Acknowledging the existence of a particular literacy involved in the social practices mediated by verbo-musical genres entails reflecting on the pedagogical practices associated with the use of songs in language teaching and how to turn these literacy practices into literomusical literacy practices.