LIBRAS IN ACTION: a Brazilian Sign Language Workshop for Hearing

Abstract

Teaching Brazilian Sign Language (BSL) requires didactic strategies that take into account its visual–spatial specificities and foster the development of linguistic skills and competencies inherent to the language, within a communicative approach. This study reports the development of a gamified didactic proposal for teaching BSL as a second language (L2) during the 76th Meeting of the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science (SBPC Jovem). The proposal was guided by the principles of Visual Pedagogy, the communicative approach, and gamification. The process involved ten researchers from the Visual Pedagogy Study Group (GEPV) and the Research Group on Education and Diversity in the Amazon (GEDAM/Ufra), organized into seven main stages: (1) brainstorming; (2) reading and study on gamification; (3) planning of gamified content; (4) development of visual identity; (5) creation of a sign bank; (6) prototyping and testing; and (7) validation of the proposal. As a result, a workshop was developed and implemented at the Youth Tent of the 76th SBPC, structured into four levels interconnected by a common narrative: the story of Jean and Apoena, who represented teams of participants. The levels addressed topics such as the history of deaf education, school and regional vocabulary, and BSL syntax. For each level, materials such as puzzles, signed videos, and sign cards were produced. The workshop proved to be successful, offering an enriching experience for both researchers and participants, and highlighting the importance of playfulness and gamification in promoting engagement and student-centered learning within this context.