Literacy school practices and oral community strategies in the classroom for teaching Mapuzugun

Abstract This article presents findings of a case study on the implementation of the Indigenous Language curriculum in primary school classrooms in Chile. In particular, the article revolves around literacy practices used to teach the intercultural curriculum as implemented in eight schools from three different regions of Chile. The aims of this research were twofold: to identify the participants’ perceptions about reading and writing in Mapuzugun and to analyze the pedagogical practices involving literacy in the classroom. Results show that literacy is not a central aspect in beliefs of the traditional educators charged with teaching the intercultural curriculum, despite there being a wide range of literacy practices displayed in the classrooms. We argue that literacy practices play a relevant role in the construction of hybrid social identities that bring together traditional school practices and a community's oral strategies.