BRAZILIAN SIGN LANGUAGE (LIBRAS): A DISCUSSION ABOUT LIBRAS INUNDERGRADUATE COURSES AT UFERSA - CAMPUS CARAÚBAS

Abstract

The process of including deaf students in schools is marked by a series of challenges, especially with regard to the training of teachers who will work with these students in regular classes. In this regard, Law No. 10,436/2002 and Decree 5,626/2005 determine that Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) must be included as a compulsory subject in higher education courses. This article seeks to analyze how the subject Introdução à Língua Brasileira de Sinais is structured in the curriculum of the Physics, Letras-Libras, Letras-English, and Letras-Portuguese courses at UFERSA – Campus Caraúbas. The methodology follows a qualitative exploratory approach, similar to a case study. To this end, we started with documentary research, focusing on the Libras curriculum component in the Pedagogical Projects of the courses analyzed, observing their syllabus, workload, content covered, and current legislation. To identify the main challenges and contributions in practice, questionnaires were administered to students from the four courses who had already taken the subject, and interviews were conducted with the teachers responsible for teaching them. Based on the critical-reflective theory of teacher training proposed by Freire (1996) and discussions by contemporary authors on the inclusion of Libras and its curricular structure (Almeida, (2012); Mercado, (2012); Santos, (2016); and Vitaliano, Dall’Acqua, and Brochado, (2013). The results point to the relevance of this discipline, however, some gaps were identified in terms of workload and the acquisition of specific knowledge of sign language. Thus, this study contributed to understanding the reality of teacher training at the institution and fostering debate on the effectiveness of the inclusion of Libras in the curriculum, pointing to the need for its expansion and adaptation to the real needs of future teachers.