Perception of speech therapy and education students about their experiences and practices in reading and writing academic genre texts

PURPOSE: to analyze the perception of Speech-Therapy and Education undergraduates regarding their experiences and practices in reading and writing texts from academic discourse genres. METHODS: It´s a mixed crosscut study, with data collected by the application of a semi-structured questionnaire with open and closed questions about students’ relation towards reading and writing of academic texts, their difficulties in the use of these genres and how they cope with such difficulties. RESULTS: The results show that a significant number of the students assume that they have some difficulty in reading and writing these discourse genres in academic settings, which may be an indication of gaps in working with reading and writing during previous educational levels. Some of these students even blame themselves for not effectively following the reading and writing proposals in higher education, implying that this is due to an intrinsic disorder. CONCLUSION: The data allow us to state that, despite the increase in the number of students in higher education, many still feel excluded from academic life, especially for not using academic discourse genres in a proficient way. It is the University responsibility, along with all actors involved in higher education, to promote actions that consider the right to education for all students.