Numeracy and literacy in a bilingual context: Indigenous teachers education in Brazil

This paper presents the results of a study developed in the context of indigenous teachers education from Xingu Indian Park, Brazil. The indigenous bilingual (or multilingual in some cases) teachers that participated in this education program were from 14 ethnic groups. The research focused on a mathematics textbook production, written in indigenous language by indigenous teachers to be used at schools in the Park. The paper discusses the numeracy-literacy practices in this process and focuses on the meanings, values and ways of use that are related to numbers, writing and drawing. In particular, mathematics problems written by the indigenous teachers (in indigenous language and Portuguese) are analyzed. The analysis shows how aspects of orality influence the writing of these problems. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.