Deaf immigrants

the plurilingualism context and language courses in Italy

Abstract

Immigration is a process that affects different social spheres, promoting structural changes and reflections in different areas. In this context, language teaching becomes key to promote the inclusion of the immigrant population arriving in a new country. This public also presents specificities that demand a special treatment, as is the case of deaf immigrants, which are the focus of this study. This bibliographical research aimed to highlight unique experiences developed in two courses of Italian to adult deaf immigrants in Rome and Naples. The reports presented portray courses of Italian as a foreign language (FL) focused on work, aiming to promote social integration and a better communication in workspaces. Plurilingualism is, in this context, a key concept to understand the relations built in these language courses, articulating students’ experiences with the learning of a foreign language. The results indicate that the change of social context with the creation of courses that include the deaf immigrant led to reflections and promoted the creation of scientific content in the country, as well as didactic material, which stand out from other nations.