Linguistic Policies, Linguistic Planning, and Brazilian Sign Language in Brazil
This article explains the consolidation of Brazilian Sign Language in Brazil through a linguistic plan that arose from the Brazilian Sign Language Federal Law 10.436 of April 2002 and the subsequent Federal Decree 5695 of December 2005. Two concrete facts that emerged from this existing language plan are discussed: the implementation of bilingual education in regular state schools in the state of Santa Catarina and the creation of the e learning undergraduate Brazilian Sign Language Program (known as Letras Libras) It discusses a study on the impact of Brazilian language policies on the lives of deaf people enrolled at regular schools in the state of Santa Catarina, where Brazilian Portuguese is normally the teaching language. In this context, sign language is used as the instructional language for deaf students. By referring to information and opinions from the teachers themselves, I look at the various paths to a process that relies on the professional education of teachers who work in a bilingual