Graffiti: Two pedagogical experiences on critical literacy in Chile and Colombia

Abstract

A great deal of knowledge has been accumulated about the deficiencies in language teaching practices, but little attention has been paid to the theoretical, methodological and pedagogical possibilities offered by critical literacy in Latin America. Therefore, this research article examines alternative approaches to rethink the teaching of reading and writing, particularly through the use of the elements of graffiti as a pedagogical and didactic tool in two educational contexts in Colombia and Chile. Likewise, the study discusses the importance of critical and alternative literacy linked to social justice from the social and popular uses of language in contexts of inequality. The description and analysis of two Latin American school experiences is proposed, based on the methods of ethnography, participant observation and content analysis. We found out that students from such disadvantaged populations possess a significant repertoire of critical literacy strategies. We concluded that the pedagogical inclusion of graffiti allows rethinking language practices, integrating different corporal and socio-affective dimensions to the production of senses and meanings.