TACTILE ITALIAN SIGN LANGUAGE

The program is included in Language, civilization, and science of language. The aim of this program is to provide the students with the basic methodological tools in the field of deafblind communication. The objectives of the program are: build knowledge about general features of deafblind population and about law regulations concerning deafblindness; developing the ability to reflect about language, haptic and somesthetic perception; provide the students with tools for the communication with deafblind people. Particular attention will be dedicated to phonological and syntactical aspects of tactile sign language, which will be studied in comparison with visual sign language. The accomplishment of these objectives allows the students to have the knowledge necessary to learn sign languages and different communication methods based on tactile perception. Furthermore, it also allows the students to learn more about what skills are required to become a guide-interpreter for deafblind people.

To know and to be able to understand
To know the general features of the deafblind population with regards to the most frequent causes of deafblindness
To know the existing current legislation concerning deafblindness in Italy and in some other counties among those which have ratified the ONU Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
To know the possible communicative role of tactile perception.
To know the phonological parameters of tactile sign language and be able to compare them to those of visual sign language.
To know the main communication methods (different from tactile sign language) used by deafblind people.
To know how to approach and guide a deafblind person.

The ability to use the acquired knowledge in the context
To be able to recognize the most frequent causes of deafblindness and be able to recognize the specific features of a deafblind person in relation to such causes.
To be able to describe the current life situation of deafblind people from the perspective of Law in Italy and in some other countries among those which have ratified the UNCRPD.
To be able to use the linguistic meta-competence for the acquisition of other communication systems based on haptic perception.

Evaluation ability
To be able to formulate and argue different simple hypothesis, also developing a critic approach to the evaluation of the alternative hypothesis.

Communication skills
To be able to communicate the specific features of the deafblind population by using appropriate terminology.
To be able to interact with a deafblind person through different communication systems.
To be able to interact with peers in a critic and yet respectful way.

Learning skills
To be able to take notes and share them.
To be able to consult the literature in reference.

It is preferable for the students who wish to enroll in this program to know Italian sign language at basic level already. They should be able to understand and use everyday life phrases and basic sentences aimed at satisfying concrete needs. They should be able to introduce themselves and other people; they should be able to ask questions and give answers about personal details such as the place where they live, the people they know and the things that they own, They should be able to interact in a simple way, as long as the other person is speaking slowly, clearly and is willing to communicate. These skills are achieved by attending the course of Italian sign language (LIS) 1.

General features of the deafblind population.
The most frequent causes of deafblindness and the proportion of those affected by such causes.
The existing current legislation concerning deafblindness in Italy and in other countries among those which have ratified the UNCRPD.
The possible communicative role of tactile perception.
The phonological parameters and the syntactic features of tactile sign language in comparison with the same parameters in visual sign language.
The main communication methods (different from tactile sign language) used by deafblind people.
How to approach and guide a deafblind person.

The students who do not attend the course will be asked to train autonomously or with peer students until they reach a basic level in these skills: guiding techniques; communication in tactile Italian sign language (interrogative, negative and hypothetical sentences; personal pronouns and adverbs; disambiguating techniques or cues); communication methods (print on palm, Malossi, Social Haptic Communication). In addition to the previous requirements, the STUDENTS WHO DO NOT ATTEND the course will have to provide a SHORT ESSAY/ARTICLE. It is warmly recommended discussing the topic of the essay/article with the lecturer in advance.

Obligatory readings

- Bjørge, H. K., Rehder, K. G., Øverås, M. (2015). Haptic Communication: The American Edition of the Original Title Haptisk Kommunikasjon Kindle Edition
- Checchetto, A. (2011). Interpretare in LIS a favore di persone sordocieche: cosa accade ad una lingua visiva quando la percezione è tattile. In: Vallini C., De Meo A., Caruso V. (a cura di) Traduttori e traduzioni. Napoli: Liguori, 2011. Disponibile anche nella versione e-book: http://www.liguori.it/schedanew.asp?isbn=4275
- Checchetto, A., Cecchetto, C., Geraci, C., Guasti, M.T., Zucchi, A. (2011). Una varietà molto speciale: La LISt. In: Cardinaletti A., Cecchetto C., Donati C. (a cura di), Grammatica, lessico e dimensioni di variazione nella LIS. Milano: FrancoAngeli, 2011
- Checchetto, A., Geraci, C., Cecchetto, C., Zucchi, S. (2018). The language instinct in extreme circumstances: The transition to tactile Italian Sign Language (LISt) by Deafblind signers. Glossa: a journal of general linguistics, 3(1).
- Mesch, J. (2000). Tactile Swedish sign language: Turn taking in conversations of people who are deaf and blind. Bilingualism and identity in deaf communities, 187-203.


Additional readings

- Corballis, M. C. (2008). Dalla mano alla bocca. Le origini del linguaggio. Milano: Raffaello Cortina Editore. Capp. 6-7-8-9
- Edwards, T. (2015). Bridging the gap between DeafBlind minds: interactional and social foundations of intention attribution in the Seattle DeafBlind community. In: Frontiers in Psychology 6:1497
- Edwards, T. (2017). Sign-Creation in the Seattle DeafBlind Community: a triumphant story about the regeneration of obviousness. In: Gesture 16:2. 307-332. doi 10.1075/gest.16.2.06edw
- Lathinen, R. M. (2008). Haptices and Haptemes. A case study of developmental process in social-haptic communication of acquired deafblind people. PhD dissertation. Capp. 2, 6, 7
- Lathinen, M., Lathinen R., Palmer, R. (2010). Environmental Description for visually and dual sensory impaired people. Edizioni A1 Management UK. parr. 2.3, 4.3, 4.4. Capp. 6, 7, 8
- Mazzeo, M. (2003). Tatto e linguaggio. Il corpo delle parole. Roma, Editori Riuniti. Cap.3
- Mesch, J. (2013). Tactile signing with the one-handed perception. Sign Language Studies, 13 (1), 238-263. http:/dx.doi.org/10.1353/sls.2013.0005

The assessment consists of an oral test structured on 6 main topics. Each answer can be given a maximum of 5 scores. The test lasts approximately 30 minutes and will be divided into two sections: a theoretical section, in which the students will be asked to provide evidence of knowing the topics learned during the course and to be able to explain them with the appropriate terminology; a practical section in which the students will be asked to show their ability to use tactile sign language and some of the other communication methods (in the degree required by the program). During the second part of the test also the approach and guiding techniques to be used with a deafblind person are verified.

Face to face lessons with training sections in pairs or groups. The program is partially available online, on the e-learning platform moodle.unive.it. The modules online are to be used as a wider source of information for the autonomous learning process and they consists of regular lessons (pdf slides), videos, literature and additional activities.

Italian

During the course, the chosen literature references may vary. Students will be notified in advance.
All the information concerning possible changing in the calendar will be posted on the personal news-feed of the professor.
May the students have difficulties in accessing the information contained in the university website (difficulties such as sensory disabilities), they can ask the professor to be notified via email or smartphone.

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