Bilingual education for deaf people: implantation of an educational proposal

Abstract

Deaf people education in our country faces a tension determined by a conflict between linguistic policies, that recognizes the necessity of implantation of a bilingual education for deaf people and educational policies, which argue for inclusive education. This conflict has led to the development, mainly in public schools, of bilingual experiences for deaf people carried through in accordance with the several ways of understanding pupils' specificities by professionals, many times without respecting their educational necessities and linguistic and social-cultural particularities. It is thus urgent the development of pedagogical practices directed to the necessities of deaf citizens and therefore initiatives that propitiate the development and use of Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS) in the school space, mainly in basic education. This project aims at giving a close look to the implantation of actions that aim at the development of a bilingual inclusive program for deaf pupils in Primary Teaching - First Stage with the characteristics above mentioned, in Santa Cruz das Palmeiras city, in order to reach through these practices positive results in educating deaf pupils. The research will focus on: a) language development/appropriation in LIBRAS by deaf children in the interaction with deaf adults; b) learning Portuguese language as a second language, involving an analysis of the most positive space for this learning and the processes involved; c) teaching-learning of pedagogical contents in general stemming from the development of specific methodologies and adequacy of contents to bilingual inclusive demands; and d) the interactions of deaf children in the school space with deaf and hearing partners and adults in classroom and extra-classroom activities. The work will be done by means of periodic meetings with the professional team involved with the project and discussions of videotapes of the school space activities that will be used for analyzing and evaluating the practices developed therein. (AU)