EDUCATIONAL GAMES IN TEACHING PORTUGUESE TO DEAF STUDENTS: A BILINGUAL APPROACH AND EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES

Abstract

This study investigates the contributions of using educational games in teaching Portuguese to deaf students, within a bilingual approach that uses Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) as the language of instruction and written Portuguese as a second language. The objective was to analyze pedagogical practices that integrate educational games as teaching-learning strategies, evaluating their impact on the development of reading, writing, and text comprehension skills. The research was conducted through a literature review, comparing positive results with challenges and limitations found in the literature. The results indicate that educational games, when used in a bilingual approach, promote a motivating and inclusive learning environment, facilitating the mediation of knowledge between Libras and written Portuguese. However, limitations were identified related to superficiality in textual and grammatical comprehension, the scarcity of adapted bilingual games, and the complexity of bilingual mediation, which requires specialized teacher training. Despite these challenges, the study concludes that educational games represent a significant advance in the inclusive education of deaf students, providing contextualized and meaningful learning. To maximize the benefits of this practice, careful lesson planning, investment in the training of bilingual teachers, and continuous development of inclusive educational games are necessary. This research contributes to the field of bilingual education for deaf students, highlighting the importance of contextualized and culturally appropriate pedagogical strategies.