O bilinguismo no contexto histórico e atual nas Comunidades Kaingang: o papel do Colégio Rural Estadual Indígena Rio das Cobras

Abstract

The focus of this research is to highlight the issue of bilingualism in the Kaingang indigenous school of the Rio das Cobras Indigenous Land, located in the municipality of Nova Laranjeiras, in the State of Paraná, where the Kaingang and Guarani Indians live, with a greater Kaingang presence. The research deals with the two languages of indigenous learners (Kaingang as mother tongue and Portuguese as a second language) and how the first language interferes with second language learning in obtaining a good form of education, including the role of the mother tongue and its importance to the very identity of the Indians. In the course of this work, we present some questions that begin with the historical process of indigenous contact with Western society, to the present day with the role of the Colegio Rural Estadual Indígena Rio das Cobras, and from this we seek to contextualize the difficulties in literacy and acquisition in the Portuguese language presented by indigenous students today, who are more fluent in their first language, the mother tongue. Through the research, carried out using the anthropological methodology of ethnography, more specifically participant observation, it was possible to discuss the question of indigenous educational policies and their applicability in force since the Brazilian Constitution of 1988. According to the first data collected in interviews and data collection in the legislations, we could reach the conclusion that, in order to promote the development of a good education in the two languages spoken by the indigenous Kaingang, and, thus, the student achieve a good learning in the indigenous school. Thus, it is necessary to have a bilingual educator with specific teaching methodologies for bilingual education in the indigenous school.