Brazil has a vast linguistic diversity; however, variations in the formal language—even though they enrich our language—are subject to prejudice.

This diversity is consistent with our cultural pluralism, which is reflected in the richness of customs, traditions, beliefs, and various other aspects. Language evolves and changes over time. In Brazil, for example, each state has its own cultural elements, and this is also reflected in linguistic diversity.

Linguists Mussalin and Bentes argue that several factors account for linguistic variants, such as the speaker’s age or the environment where the speaker usually spends the most time.

Professor and scholar Marcos Bagno asserts that language constitutes a social entity and that, precisely because it is social, it is constantly changing.

People from the Northeast, the South, the North—people from all regions.... In addition to the accents that also set them apart, they use words that are part of their daily lives and shape their “way of speaking.”

According to Bagno, rejecting and judging the way another person speaks is a mistake, because it means rejecting not only that person but also the entire community to which they belong.

When we believe that one linguistic variant is better than another, we are segregating cultural groups simply because they do not master a specific way of communicating through language.

The school, as a space for learning and knowledge, must be mindful of all these issues, especially because it is home to diverse cultural, social, and economic realities. To trivialize linguistic prejudice is to contribute to the deterioration of education. Finding humor in malicious comments or looking down on a particular way of speaking is extremely harmful to education. It is essential to make reflection on language a daily practice. In this way, we can learn from one another, based on the understanding that to know and value the standard language, it is neither necessary nor permissible to rank the importance of certain cultures. You’ve probably thought about the standard language before. But have you ever reflected on “the hidden norm of language”? Have you ever considered how the standard language is directly linked to the social power an individual holds within their society? This is a serious and urgent issue to consider when thinking about an education system based on equity.

*Janine Rodrigues is an educator, writer, founder of Piraporiando, and one of the leading authorities on diversity education in Brazil.

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