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Science classes for deaf students: studies on the production of discourse by interpreters of LIBRAS and science teachers

Bilingualism in deaf education presumes sign language as the first language of the deaf. With school inclusion deaf students have been enrolled in regular educational institutions resulting in a new structure in the classroom. Science teaching for the deaf is a challenge, because the student uses a language that is different from the teacher and needs a LIBRAS interpreter to access the body of knowledge mediated by the interpreter. The present study investigated the production of narratives (as a discourse genre) of professors and LIBRAS interpreters in science classes for deaf students. The narratives were produced in the class diary and analyzed by the content analysis technique. Our results pointed out that bilingualism still does not pervade the inclusive classroom, and the language barrier is the major difficulty found in learning science by deaf students.

Science teaching; Deaf; Brazilian Language of Signals; Narrative; Bilinguism


Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação para a Ciência, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências, campus de Bauru. Av. Engenheiro Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14-01, Campus Universitário - Vargem Limpa CEP 17033-360 Bauru - SP/ Brasil , Tel./Fax: (55 14) 3103 6177 - Bauru - SP - Brazil
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