Multiliteracies: leveling in the Language and Literature program at a public university in the countryside of Maranhão, Brazil

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the impact of academic literacy workshops, conceived as a leveling strategy for first-year students enrolled in a Language and Literature (Letras) teacher education program at a public university in the countryside of Maranhão, Brazil. The study is grounded in the recognition of a gap between reading and writing practices developed in Basic Education and the demands of the academic sphere, a gap further exacerbated by socio-educational and economic inequalities that affect both access to and retention in higher education. Methodologically, the study is based on research-action (Thiollent, 1985), involving the monitoring of the students over the course of one semester in an Introduction to Linguistics course. The research design comprised four phases: a diagnostic stage, including questionnaires and observation; planning; implementation of in-person workshops featuring practice-oriented activities addressing academic genres, research ethics, and Brazilian Technical Standards Association (ABNT standards); and continuous assessment through field journals. The theoretical framework is based on the Pedagogy of Multiliteracies and on the conception of literacy as a situated social practice (Cope & Kalantzis, 2026; Lea & Street, 1998; Street, 2014). The findings indicate that although isolated leveling initiatives are insufficient to address broader structural inequalities, interventions grounded in a consistent theoretical and methodological framework can yield meaningful short-term impacts. The study thus highlights the necessity for continuous, situated, and multimodal educational practices in public higher education that can articulate access, retention, and critical participation, contributing to the education of teachers as literacy agents and to the democratization of this space, particularly in institutions located outside major urban centers.