Acquired deafblindness and the teaching of the Brazilian Sign Language as a second language

experience report

Abstract

The aim of this study is to report the experience of teaching Brazilian Sign Language as a second language for a person with acquired deafblindness in the rehabilitation program of the Benjamin Constant Institute. The text addresses some grammatical characteristics of Libras, as well as adaptations observed in Tactile Libras. The purpose of the classes was for the student to learn a basic vocabulary of sign language in the tactile modality. The teaching was guided by the student's need to learn simple and quick ways of communicating in emergency and danger situations, of knowing codes used by other students in the program with whom he had contact and, mainly, optimizing communication time and saving effort for times when his cochlear implant was not being used. One of the main specificities of deafblindness is heterogeneity, so the strategies employed were developed according to the student's profile. The first one was to perform the service together with their main communication partner, so they could practice at home and make use of some signs. Another very valuable strategy that helped the student to remember the content was the description of the signs, activating his visual memory and his bodily experience. The described signs were later recorded in audio to be heard at home. According to the report of the deafblind and their families, the purpose was achieved, and sign language was becoming a facilitating instrument, meeting the communication demand when the student was not using his cochlear implant.