Histórias linguísticas de surdos bilíngues do par libras-português

Abstract

ABSTRACT: One of the characteristics of bilinguals is the diversity of proficiency profiles and language use, which is accentuated in the case of deaf people, since the conditions of access and exposure to the languages are rather heterogeneous (GROSJEAN,2008). These conditions of access and exposure to the languages are linked to innumerous factors, such as the biological issues that surround deafness and the social, linguistic and educational conditions of the deaf person. Considering this diversity of profiles, the goal of this study is to produce a description of bilingual deaf people of the pair Libras-portuguese regarding aspects of their linguistic history and their profiles of proficiency in Libras. The research is grounded on an understanding of bilingualism based on the usage of the languages (GROSJEAN, 2008, for example), as well as on studies about the bilingualism of deaf people (MAYBERRY, 2007; PLAZA-PUST, 2012, 2014, among others). The study involved the administration of an online questionnaire to 100 deaf participants. Analysis of the data shows that the majority of the participants is composed of pre-lingual deaf people, people with severe or profound deafness and confirms the high variability in age of exposure to Libras. The main contexts of acquisition of sign language were schools, followed by the associations and Libras courses. Most participants have more than 7 years of contact with the deaf community. The majority declared great Libras usage skills, with grades 9-10 for signing and perceiving signs. This paper discusses the research implications for the definition of linguistic policies and the necessity of creating instruments for the objective assessment of proficiency in Libras.