French Belgian Sign Language (LSFB) - Breakthrough level (A1) -Complete beginners

Teacher(s)

Moubayed Fatima (coordinator);

Language

French Belgian Sign Language

Prerequisites

Understand written explanations in French

Main themes

Communication topics are given only as examples. They will be approached only superficially, in relation with the targeted language level.
Communication topics : personal data, family, work, time, the weather, food, personal relationships and contacts with other people, means of transport, itineraries, leisure, Deaf culture.
Grammar : different categories of transfers (according to C. Cuxac's theory (2000)), affirmation, negation, open questions, closed questions, sign order in a simple sentence, introduction to timelines and classic multidirectional verbs, fingerspelling.  

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	Understanding To understand familiar and daily expressions as well as very basic sentences regarding oneself, one's family, one's immediate needs, one's immediate and concrete environment.
2	Interacting To introduce oneself or introduce someone else, ask and answer simple questions about familiar topics (about one's house, one's relationships or possessions) or about immediate needs.
3	Producing To use expressions and basic sentences to introduce oneself or other people, talk about home, talk about what one's doing.

Content

At the beginning of the course, students listen and sign in LSFB and are encouraged to communicate exclusively in LSFB to interact with the teacher and their peers.
The teacher gives his explanations both in LSFB and written French.
In addition to the course, students continue to learn LSFB and Deaf culture through activities organized in Louvain-la-Neuve and French-speaking Belgium. Conversation tables with native signers as well as conferences will be organized by KAP-Signes during the academic year. Students are strongly encouraged to participate.

Evaluation methods

Continuous assessment (during the year) = 40%

• Attendance and involvement in the course as well as participation to extracurricular activities : 10%
• Signed exercises during the quadrimester : 10%
• Test at the end of the first quadrimester  : 20%

Final exam = 60 %

• Written exam : 30%
  Translation of short sentences from LSFB into French
  Understand a short story told in LSFB
• Oral exam : 30%
  > Translation of very simple French sentences into LSFB
  > Tell a story in LSFB on the basis of a visual support
  > Talk about oneself and/or a familiar subject (interaction with the teacher)

Other information

Open to the students enrolled at UCL as well as to the members of staff.
This course corresponds to A1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference
Equivalent course given in other curricula: Institut Libre Marie Haps, langue des signes A1 ; Université de Liège LANG0936-1
Training staff

• A group of 15 students approximately
• The teacher can be contacted by email and can be met in Brussels on appointment.

Online resources

• http://www.lsfb.be : reliable source regarding LSFB vocabulary
• http://www.ffsb.be : activities of the French-speaking Deaf community of Belgium.

Bibliography

Lectures non obligatoires :
Linguistique (ouvrages assez pointus, uniquement pour ceux qui sont intéressés):

• Christian Cuxac (2000), La langue des signes française (LSF). Les voies de l'iconicité, Paris : Ophrys
• Laurence Meurant (2006), Le regard en langue des signes. Anaphore en langue des signes française de Belgique (LSFB) : morphologie, syntaxe, énonciation, Namur : Presses Universitaires de Namur

Langue des signes et culture sourde  :

• Yves Delaporte (2002), Les sourds, c'est comme ça, Paris : Editions de la Maison des Sciences de l'Homme
• Paddy Ladd (2003), Understanding Deaf Culture. In search of Deafhood, Clevedon: Multilingual Matters LTD

Faculty or entity

ILV