Deaf Studies

llsti2180  2026-2027  Louvain-la-Neuve

Deaf Studies
The version you’re consulting is not final. This course description may change. The final version will be published on 1st June.
6.00 credits
30.0 h + 30.0 h
Q2
Teacher(s)
Haesenne Thierry (coordinator);
Language
French Belgian Sign Language
Main themes
  • Deaf studies in the broadest sense, including (but not limited to) (socio-)linguistics, sociology, history, interpretology and law.
  • In-depth academic study of the socio-cultural dynamics and issues specific to deaf communities.
Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

Contribution of learning unit to learning outcomes assigned to programme
This unit contributes to the acquisition and development of the following learning outcomes, as assigned to the Master's degree in interpreting : 1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.8, 6.1
 
Specific learning outcomes at the end of the learning unit
At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to:
  1. identify, select and make critical use of relevant documentation (textual, audiovisual or signed) relating to the topics covered, in order to enrich their understanding of deaf dynamics from a multidisciplinary perspective
  2. read, understand, summarise and compare scientific articles and audiovisual documents in signed languages relating to the areas covered in the course (linguistics, sociology, history, law, interpreting, etc.) ;
  3. situate chronologically the major events an political processes affecting deaf communities in the countries studied, and offer a critical and contextualised reading, using appropriate terminology ;
  4. relate and integrate information from a variety of sources (scientific, institutional, community, historical, etc.) to produce a structured, coherent and well-argued summary ;
  5. explain the main morphosyntactic phenomena of LSFB, using specialist terminology specific to the linguistic analysis of signed languages ;
  6. explain, contextualise and illustrate the concepts covered in the course, as well as the cultural, historical, social or political implications present in the texts or materials to be interpreted ;
  7. express ideas and opinions spontaneously, clearly and accurately on topical political, economic, social and cultural issues, in an academic register, in French and in LSFB ;
  8. reproduce complex content in LSFB in a faithful, structured and synthetic way, adapting his/her discourse to popularisation or interpretation objectives ;
  9. present a personal analysis (in LSFB or written French) of historical, cultural or linguistic issues, complying with university standards for writing, quoting and oral presentation in signed language ;
  10. adopt a reflective stance on one's own place as a speaker/signer or interpreter in the transmission of knowledge about deaf communities ;
  11. identify and discuss the ethical, epistemological and political issues involved in the production and dissemination of knowledge in Deaf Studies.
 
Content
Part of Thierry Haesenne: the evolution of LSFB; linguistic insecurity; bilingualism and diglossia in LSFB; language registers in LSFB; differences between urban sign languages and emerging sign languages; the stages of signed language development. 
Part of Irene Strasly: Deaf history from antiquity to the present day, the cultural particularities of deaf communities around the world, intercultural communication and its importance for translation and interpretation.
Teaching methods
Face-to-face and distance courses (hybrid modality)
Interactive course
Some topics are presented by the professor (ex cathedra course), others by the students (flipped classes)
Discussion and analysis of documents that present difficulties of understanding and cross-cultural transfer
Evaluation methods
Continuous assessment during the semester and final certification assessment.
Party with Thierry Haesenne:
June session:
- oral exam in June (50% of the final grade for the unit)
September session:
- Modalities identical to those of June
Party with Irene Strasly:
June session:
- written research work (50% of the final mark for the unit)
August/September session:
- Modalities identical to those of June.
Faculty or entity
> LSTI


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Master [120] in Translation
TRAD2M
5
Master [120] in Interpreting
INTP2M
6