A língua de sinais como segunda língua na Austrália: uma entrevista com Louisa Willoughby

Due to Law nº 10.436 (BRASIL, 2002), since 2002 there have been important language policies being developed to include deaf people in Brazil. An example is the pedagogical aspect of teaching Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) as a second language (L2) for hearing students. Despite its incipient theoretical-methodological framework, this area has brought substantial contributions to pedagogical practice. However, the same does not apply to Australia, where technological development (and the expressive use of cochlear implants) and the oral approach have prevailed to the detriment of bilingual education for the deaf. It is in this context that Professor Louisa Willoughby — Monash University, in Melbourne — has been developing studies on Australian Sign Language (Auslan) as L2 for hearing individuals. Our aim is to present the interview that was carried out in 2021 with her so that the statements can be compared to the state of art of Libras as L2. Thus, we hope that readers can observe similarities and differences according to what is already known and shared by the area.