This study highlights the importance of deaf instructors during the process of constructing deaf identities. This qualitative study was undertaken at the Children's Program: Language and Deafness - in a Center of studies and research of a University in the State of São Paulo, an outpatient community service for children aged 4 to 9. We looked at excerpts filmed during daily contacts between the subjects, in order to reflect upon issues related to deaf identity, including the process of acquisition of Sign Language by deaf children and the role of the instructor in the unfolding of deaf students' interest in this language. The tapes were transcribed from Brazilian Sign Language to Portuguese and subsequently analyzed. The results showed that natural context interactions between deaf instructors and children constituted privileged moments for sign language acquisition. The interaction among the children helps them see themselves as deaf users of sign language, an aspect which is extremely relevant to the constitution of deaf identity.
Deafness; Language; Identity