THE PRACTICE OF LITERARY READING IN SCHOOL: MEDIATION OR TEACHING?

Abstract

Buzzword of the moment in the Brazilian educational field, the mediation and more directly the mediation of literary reading has been translated into leisure activities which target is reading for enjoyment and delight and addressed the teacher to the role of facilitating access to books. These practices also replace the traditional use of the literary text as material of teaching the Portuguese language, providing another space for literature in school. However, although hailed as the realization of old demands of scholars of literary literacy field, that is, the fundamental reading of the literary work by the students themselves, such practices end by refusing to school the reason for its existence, which is to be an educational institution. Faced with this seemingly paradoxical and dichotomous scenario, what is the place of the teacher when works with the literary text? Must he teach or mediate the literary reading? This paper seeks to reflect on these issues through a literature review and critical analysis of the theme.