“Não tem material didático para surdo; eu pesquiso a vida inteira”: impressões de professores de língua portuguesa e inglesa sobre o ensino e material didático para surdos

Abstract

This dissertation aims to promote reflection upon school reality related to the education system of sign language and written language, as well as teachers’ perspective associated with didactic material applied in classrooms. Initially, it was assumed as theoretical construct in the sociocultural theory (VYGOTSKY, 1988), which conceives the language in interaction encouraging different experiences necessary to the student social and cultural development. Afterward, there is a reflection upon the main deaf peculiarities (LEBEDEFF, 2017); (THOMA et al., 2014), and what the authors mention, as Leffa (2007) and Sarmento (2016), about the selection and preparation of didactic material in language teaching. Moreover, there are considerations concerning the specific didactic material for deaf people. (COSTA; SANTOS, 2018; KARNOPP, 2006; QUADROS; SCHMIDIET, 2006). Such theoretical reflections are discussed through semi-structured interviews (audio recorded) generated by four Portuguese teachers, Libras and English for the deaf, in two schools located in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre. The interview focused on teachers’ reflections upon the relation between their concepts of language, objectives and perceptions when teaching the languages to students. Also, material used in classroom are approached, their selection criterion and/or resource elaboration taking into consideration the deaf particularities and, finally, what educators consider essential in a didactic resource. Based on the findings identified in this paper, the impediments described by the educators, in the conduction of two languages in different modalities in the classroom, are emphasized. In addition, it was underscored the constructive and meaningful teaching related to each language, the selection criterion and/or didactic material elaboration, even as the manner of how to deal with the resources in classroom, depend directly on the concepts of language and the teachers’ deafness. The outcomes offer contribution to teachers, education professionals for the deaf concerned with the didactic material elaboration and with the deaf specially, because it allows to rethink practices and teaching resources in order to establish meaningful, productive and quality of learning.