Abstract

GARCIA LEON, David L.  and  GARCIA LEON, Javier E.. Decolonising the curriculum. An experience with academic reading and writing courses. Sinéctica [online]. 2019, n.52, 00004. ISSN 2007-7033.  https://doi.org/10.31391/s2007-7033(2019)0052-004.

This article presents the results of a research project on the reading and writing of Spanish language-level courses at the National University of Colombia (Bogotá) from 2012 to 2013. The article outlines the analysis of course syllabus from a Participatory Action Research methodology and from the contributions of the decolonial turn through the concept of language coloniality. Research results indicated that the courses prioritized the argumentative genre while ignoring the cultural and linguistic practices of the students which reproduced a colonial Eurocentric view on academic reading and writing. Additionally, the syllabus emphasised on the syntactic and grammatical aspects of language literacy which ignored its functional and communicative elements, resulting in a formalistic and corrective view of the language. Based on the research findings, the course syllabus was decolonized as a measure to link the linguistic and cultural practices of the (afro and indigenous) students.

Keywords : critical literacy; academic reading and writing; academic programme; tertiary education; decoloniality.

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