A cartography of science divulgation in Language Sciences in Brazil and Portugal

Abstract

In this article, we aim to map channels of media of multimodal productions for Scientific Divulgation in Language Sciences in Brazil and Portugal, from 2018 to 2022. We further aim to understand the motivations and usual procedure of linguists who dedicate themselves to this activity. In order to do so, we used the snowball technique for the first objective and the semistructured interview for the second one. The mapping shows that the divulgation/popularization of science is growing in Brazil, particularly multimodal digital media such as podcasts, YouTube Videos and blogs, and mainly, non-institutional programs that can promote more freedom for thematic choices, namely multimodal productions with direct mention to every day facts or context. In Portugal, the activity is emerging, predominantly in the written mode, in the form of opinion pages in national newspapers, and in some institutional multimodal initiatives by a research center. According to our interviewees, the usual procedure in the dissemination of science develops knowledge and skills related to communication not only outside academia, but also inside (among peers and to students), which could be considered another reason for more linguists to be involved in such activities, deemed relevant for a full-fledged citizenship.