Learning objectives
At the end of the course, students will have acquired knowledge related to the structure of sign languages, and more generally of the phenomena related to them.
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
- Knowing the main features and profiles of deaf people.
- Understainding the nature and the manifestations of their ways of communication.
- Knowing the theoretical and methodological foundations for sign languages.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Students will be able to apply knowledge and comprehension skills useful to understand the deaf world, also identifying key personal and contextual factors influencing that specific kind of communication. In particular, students will develop skills needed both to create and support argumentation and to solve problems in the field of sign language linguistics.
MAKING JUDGEMENTS
Students will be able to collect and interpret data to determine autonomous judgements in in the field of sign language linguistics, including cross-cultural and interdisciplinary thinking on cultural and intercultural, scientific and ethical topics connected to the judgements expressed.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Students will be able to convey information, ideas, problems and solutions to specialists and non-specialists, presenting one's personal opinions, ideas and proposals in a comprehensible and effective way, and s Supporting one's opinion on the basis of the course contents.
LEARNING SKILLS
- Observing and analysing data for discovery and learning purposes.
- Developing reflection skills.
- Developing assessment and self-assessment skills.
- Developing learning skills useful to carry out advanced studies in sign language linguistics.
Prerequisites
The course requires some background in the field of General Linguistics: for this reason the students must have taken a basic exam in General Linguistics before. In order to fully appreciate the contents of this module, it would be advisable for students to attend the "Corso di lingua e cultura LIS" (Pietro Celo, LT Lingue) module first.
Course unit content
The course is dedicated to the exploration of the structure of sign languages, reflecting in general at 360 degrees on the theoretical aspects of the ways of communication with / amoung deaf peopole, starting from the analysis of the Italian Sign Language (Lingua dei segni italiana, LIS).
Every lesson can be ideally divided into three parts: the presentation of the main topic through an esemplification in LIS; a theoretical discussion; the presentation of related social and cultural aspects of the life of deaf people.
Full programme
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Bibliography
Students are required to study the
following materials:
A) W.C. Stokoe, Sign Language Structure: An Outline of the Visual Communication Systems of the American Deaf, Md. Linstok Press, Silver Spring 1960, pp. 13-58 (eventually an italian edition: William C. Stokoe, La struttura della lingua dei segni, Franco Cesati Editore, Firenze 2021)
B) the materials of a forthcoming manual
More Learning resources will be provided on the ELLY platform, and indications for further reading will be given during the lessons.
Teaching methods
The teaching, if the health situation - as we hope - will go towards normalization, it will return to the usual formula of face-to-face lectures (caracterized by interaction with students during them) and seminar activities, with the possibility of reviewing them in recorded form in the Teams class at the link that will be found on the Elly page.
All lessons and other teaching activities are held in English.
Assessment methods and criteria
The learning assessment method will be oral (in presence or remotely depending on the health emergencies of the moment). The general knowledge, content and methodology, of the discipline will be verified, also evaluating whether these are applicable to other less distant training areas. Among the primary contents of the evaluation we must include at least: clarity, logic of argumentation, competence of sectorial language, capacity for interdisciplinary connections, adequacy of the answers to the questions posed. The final evaluation is out of thirty.
A fail is determined by a substantial lack of an understanding of the minimum content of the course, th inability to express oneself adequately (orally and/or in writing), by a lack of autonomous preparation, the inability to solve problems related to information retrieval and the decoding of complex texts, as well as an inability to make independent judgments. Moreover, a fail is due to a substantial lack of competence in applying the knowledge acquired.
A pass (18-23/30 is determined by the student’s understanding of the minimum, fundamental contents of the course, an adequate level of autonomous preparation and ability to solve problems related to information retrieval and the decoding of complex texts, as well as an
acceptable level of ability in making independent judgments. Moreover, a pass is due to only partial competence in applying the knowledge
acquired.
Middle-range scores (24-27/30) are assigned to the student who produces evidence of a more than sufficient level (24-25/30) or good level
(2627/30) in the evaluation indicators listed above. Moreover, middle range scores are due to acceptable to good levels of competence in
applying the knowledge acquired.
Higher scores (from 28/30 to 30/30 cum laude) are awarded on the basis of the student’s demonstration of a very good or excellent level in the
evaluation indicators listed above. Moreover, higher scores are due to very good to excellent levels of competence in applying the knowledge acquired.
Other information
Given the nature of the teaching object, attendance at the course is strongly recommended.
