PROFILING READING AND WRITING PRACTICES BEFORE AND AFTER ENTERING UNIVERSITY

WHAT DO STUDENTS OF LETTERS REVEAL

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze and discuss the partial results of a qualitative and quantitative study on the reading and writing practices of higher education students. It is based on the principle that understanding the profile of these students and knowing their literacy practices becomes a useful tool for professors in planning teaching-learning activities. The research considers data provided by students of the Letras Course at a public university institution, who answered a structured questionnaire on socioeconomic conditions and reading and writing habits before and after entering university. The paper is theoretically aligned with the contributions of New Literacy Studies (STREET, 2006), adhering to the perspective that understands literacy as a social practice linked to the socio-cultural contexts in which it is built. From the preliminary analysis of the results, it can be concluded that recognizing the heterogeneity of students reflected in their reading and writing practices collaborates to carry out actions that aim to develop the academic literacy of students, while it can also cooperate for the valorization of identity of these students.