Can I say "the book"?
Textbooks distributed by the Ministry of Education are dividing educators by arguing that there is no single way to speak Portuguese well, but rather a correct or incorrect way.
247, with news agencies - "Can I say 'the books'? - Of course you can." The dialogue takes place in the book "For a Better Life," distributed by the National Textbook Program of the Ministry of Education (MEC) to young and adult students in elementary and high school. The publication does not prioritize the use of standard Portuguese, but advocates the adoption of colloquial language, acknowledging its inaccuracies. Students can indeed make grammatical and syntax errors, but should know that "depending on the situation, they may be victims of linguistic prejudice," states a passage from the work, which is part of the "Living, Learning" collection.
The goal of this model adopted by the Ministry of Education is to show that the concept of correct and incorrect should be replaced by the idea of appropriate and inappropriate language use. In other words, the use of Portuguese will vary according to the situation in which the individual finds themselves. The Ministry of Education stated in a note that the book "For a Better Life" was approved because it encourages the formation of citizens capable of using language flexibly. According to the Ministry of Education, it is necessary to get rid of the myth that there is only one correct way to speak and that writing should mirror speech. The Ministry of Education said that schools should provide young and adult students with a welcoming environment in which their linguistic varieties are valued and respected.
The initiative has raised considerable controversy in the media, academic circles, and linguistic communities. Some believe that respect for all variations of language should be defended, but that educational institutions should only instruct their students in the standard form of the language, the same form that will continue to be required by the Ministry of Education in its periodic assessments. In another passage, the authors highlight the phrase "the most interesting illustrated books are borrowed" to exemplify that, in popular usage, this form of expression is common, as is the phrase "we catch the fish" or "the boys catch the fish".