Writing in portuguese as a second language among deaf people and the expression of emotional content

Abstract

This article investigates how deaf students express emotions and subjective aspects in written texts in Portuguese during classroom activities in a municipality in the interior of the state of São Paulo, where Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) is the language of instruction. Assuming Vygotsky's assumptions about the constitution of the subject in/through language, writing, as a mediator of cognitive and affective processes, is seen as a tool for elaborating subjectivity, allowing the deaf subject to reflect on themselves, their emotions, and their social relationships. Texts written by deaf young people were analyzed and categorized into four groups: Writing as an elaboration on deafness – the texts narrate experiences of prejudice, exclusion, and discovery of deaf identity; Writing as action planning – the students express desires and plans, demonstrating organizational and reflective skills; Writing as an elaboration of the self-other relationship – the accounts show how emotions are experienced and understood in social interactions. Writing as an expression of affective experiences and social norms – the texts address conflicts between personal desires and social rules, revealing emotional maturity. The results indicate that writing taught and mediated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language), in a meaningful way for students, allows them to express themselves in their own unique way, reflecting their emotions and autonomy. This research reaffirms that bilingual educational practices that take into account the linguistic and cultural aspects of deaf people are fundamental for the full appropriation of written language, an important instrument for human development.