Kompetencje językowe Głuchych a różnorodność kulturowa

Our primary goal was to focus on activities aimed at developing the linguistic and social competences of Deaf people. Additionally, we planned to enhance the professional competences of educators ...

Our primary goal was to focus on activities aimed at developing the linguistic and social competences of Deaf people. Additionally, we planned to enhance the professional competences of educators and lecturers in the field of sign language teaching by incorporating regional cultural resources into sign language teaching methodology. A key goal for us was to establish lasting and multidimensional international cooperation between partner organizations and to capitalize on the opportunities for exchanging experiences, ideas, solutions, and cultural trends.

We completed all planned activities for our project. We began with a preparatory visit, during which all partners agreed on the planned activities, division of labor, planned assumptions, and ultimately, achieved goals. This was followed by two study visits, which resulted in a detailed analysis of the accessibility of several cultural institutions. The significant added value of the study visits was learning about the different areas of work of the partner organizations, the scope of their activities, the different styles and methods of work, and the implementation of services in the market. We also had the opportunity to meet institutions collaborating with our partners and vice versa, which is very valuable in the context of further developing international cooperation. Throughout the project, all partners worked intensively on creating practical and useful tools for increasing linguistic and cultural competences – a cultural phrasebook for the Deaf and a cultural guide for the Deaf in Greater Poland and Saxony. Sharing these two tools with a larger audience was correlated with workshops and visits by Deaf groups in Greater Poland and Saxony. We concluded the project with an evaluation meeting.

We achieved our goals through specific project outcomes. We surveyed the cultural resources of Saxony and Greater Poland through a survey to determine the level and quality of accessibility for people with special needs, including those with hearing impairments, in various cultural institutions. We created tools to facilitate international mobility for Deaf people and enhance cultural and linguistic competences – video guides to regions and cultural institutions in Greater Poland and Saxony, as well as Polish and German sign language phrasebooks, freely available online and in PDF format. We conducted language workshops for Deaf people in Poland and Germany, combined with lectures on the cultural richness of the regions. Polish and German sign language teachers, educators, and interpreters improved their professional skills during study visits, workshops, and work on the project's results. We established lasting and fruitful international contacts. All partners and Deaf participants of workshops and trips agreed that an unexpected result of the project was inspiring Deaf people to travel, learn foreign languages and get more involved in international activities.