Italian Sign Language and Deaf culture

The object of this course is to form a group of students able to understand, express and know the basic elements of the vocabulary, grammar, and history of Italian Sign Language in order to underline the importance the use of this language has in the education and in the socialization of deaf students.

To construct a true integration between the deaf culture and the hearing culture, the language lessons will be linked with theory lessons in which the following issues will be addressed: pedagogy and psychology of deaf children and adolescents, the educational history of the deaf in Italy and in the world, analysis of the didactic methods adopted today in Italy- both in the specialized institutes which, in the public schools, deal with the American situation and the Italian one in respect to the topics of integration, education, and the access to study and the working world.

Also in the theory lessons, there will be related technical and practical workshops, in which the students will be able to work actively in the creation of didactic written and multi-media material which will be used by the teaching staff during the lessons with the deaf students (i.e. illustrated fairy tales, English books, spelling books, etc…) and which will found a precious library available to the deaf and hearing alike.

In conclusion, the students will have a way to actively participate in the (teaching) meetings with deaf children both in the form of participant observation and in helping with the lessons, by using what has been learnt in class.

Teacher: Roberto Petrone, Simona Sportoletti