Prof. P. Lorusso, Dott.ssa S. Facchinutti

LIS
Italian Sign Language

Workshop / DILL

La forza del segno e dell’espressione

The ALA LIS Workshop opens the door to an extraordinary form of communication, where hands, face, and body become architects of complex and emotional messages. In this module, students discover that silence is not the absence of voice, but a different space for expression.

Learning Italian Sign Language (LIS) does not only mean acquiring a new linguistic code, but developing a visual-gestural sensitivity that enhances attention, empathy, and the ability to relate to others. It is a pathway that breaks down communication barriers, where inclusion becomes a concrete and tangible gesture.

Learning Goals

The workshop focuses on developing visual skills and mastering the fundamental elements of sign language:

Fingerspelling and Basic Signs: Learning the manual alphabet and signs related to everyday life (greetings, family, emotions, colors).

Facial and Bodily Expression: Understanding and using the non-manual component of the language, which is essential for giving intonation and meaning to signs.

Visual Grammar: Acquiring the basics of the spatial structure of Italian Sign Language (LIS), learning to place concepts within the surrounding space.

Deaf Culture: Promoting knowledge of the Deaf community and its history, fostering social awareness that goes beyond purely linguistic skills.

Methodologies

  • Integrated visual approach, prioritizing the visual channel as the main vehicle for learning.

  • Mirror learning, supporting sign acquisition through direct imitation and reproduction of observed movements.
  • Global communication, integrating signs, facial expression, body posture, gestures, and visual supports.
  • Modeling, in which the teacher acts as a visual reference model.
  • Role-playing, using communicative simulations to practice Italian Sign Language (LIS) in realistic and meaningful contexts.
  • Pair-based cooperative learning, simulating dialogues, building mutual trust, and enhancing the ability to observe and respond to others.

Educational materials

  • LIS sign cards (flashcards), with clear images of signs, keywords, and indications of movement and orientation.

  • Educational videos in Italian Sign Language (LIS), featuring sign models, phrases, and dialogues for observation, imitation, and revision.
  • Tablets or interactive whiteboards (LIM), for slow-motion viewing of signs and visual comparison.
  • Simplified teaching sheets, with visual sequences, keywords, symbols, and progressively adapted content.
  • Visual LIS–Italian glossaries, useful for vocabulary consolidation.
  • Recording tools, such as video cameras or smartphones, to record short LIS productions.