In the early 20th century, Brazil began to institutionalize the use of textbooks in public education. This process was deeply influenced by political, ideological, and international factors. The creation of the Comissão Nacional do Livro Didático (CNLD) in 1938 marked the first governmental attempt to regulate textbooks, primarily for political control. Later, in the 1960s, the partnership between Brazil and the United States through USAID led to the creation of Colted, which distributed millions of textbooks without prior evaluation. Over the decades, several institutions and programs were created to manage textbook production and distribution, culminating in the Programa Nacional do Livro Didático (PNLD), which introduced quality criteria and teacher autonomy in textbook selection.

The following table summarizes key milestones in the development of textbook policies in Brazil:

Year

Institution/Program

Key Characteristics

1938

CNLD

Political/ideological control of textbooks

1966

Colted

USAID-funded, mass distribution without evaluation

1971

INL/Plidef

Focus on middle school textbooks

1985

PNLD

Evaluation criteria, teacher autonomy, free distribution

2011

PNLD (Foreign Languages)

First evaluation of English and Spanish textbooks

Based on the information presented and on the base text of Metodologia de Ensino de Língua Inglesa – Lesson 2, Theme 2, analyze the evolution of textbook policies in Brazil. Then,  select the alternative that  explains how these changes impacted the teaching of English as a foreign language in public schools:

A)The implementation of PNLD in 1985 immediately standardized English teaching across all public schools, ensuring uniformity in content and methodology.

B)The partnership with USAID through Colted in the 1960s improved the quality of English textbooks by introducing American pedagogical standards.

C)The CNLD's early focus on ideological control ensured that English textbooks aligned with democratic values, promoting critical thinking from the start.

D)The inclusion of foreign languages in PNLD only in 2011 delayed the development of quality English teaching materials, reflecting a historical neglect of foreign language education in national policies.