A variedade étnica português Xerente Akw˜e: subsídios para a educação escolar indígena

Abstract

Indigenous ethnic languages variety studies are highly needed in Brazil given the benefits that they can provide not only to linguistics but also to indigenous school education. Because there are many steps to be followed, in order to make possible a contact with indigenous variety, first it is necessary to build a knowledge of the indigenous language to accomplish such task. My assumption is that the indigenous language acquired as the first language (L1) will influence the learning of a second language (L2). Accordingly, I present a brief study of the Xerente Akw˜e language and the influences it brings to Portuguese in order to present the Xerente Akw˜e Portuguese Variety. The Xerente Akw˜e language belongs to the Macro Jê stock and to the Jê family. Its 3,500 speakers live in two areas within the state of Tocantins, Brazil. Data were collected for 20 years by many researches and use quantitative and qualitative methods. My main objective is to contribute to indigenous sociolinguistics and to indigenous school education.