Variedades linguísticas do guineense: por um debate crítico sobre educação linguística em Guiné-Bissau

Abstract

Based on Paulo Freire's experience with so called Adult Popular Education in Guinea-Bissau, in the 1970s, this article aims to problematize linguistic diversity as a factor of cultural enrichment. With this intent, from a decolonial logic and taking into account the Educational Sociolinguistics as a theoretical pillar, sociolinguistic mosaic of Guinea-Bissau is briefly exposed, with emphasis on the debate about three varieties of the Guinean language, namely: the Guinean’s portuguese, Guinean with Fula’s traces and Guinean with Balanta’s trace. In this sense, speakers of these varieties were interviewed to understand their linguistic education processes and to observe whether they were subjected to linguistic prejudice throughout their schooling. It was found, therefore, that as the Portuguese language is the most prestigious in the country, the closer a Guinean speaker gets to it, the less preconceptions he or she suffers in the society. However, a learning process aimed at human emancipation, as advocated by Paulo Freire, could face this excluding linguistic perspective.