Audiodescrição especializada no ensino superior: o caso do bacharelado em sistemas de informação

Abstract

This doctoral thesis has as its research object the specialized audio descriptions of still images (ADE) produced for a blind student of the Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems, at the Federal University of São Carlos (BSI-UFSCar), offered in the distance modality. For the development of the research, we followed two hypotheses. The first is that the ADE, in educational contexts, activates four semantic Categories – under subjective principles inherent to the audio description and in varying degrees and occurrences – namely, Structural, Directional, Terminological and Lexical. The second is related to the fact that the most representative linguistic signs of these four Categories have a high frequency in the corpus. In this sense, our objective was to build the ADE Linguistic Corpus, according to the methodological assumptions of Corpus Linguistics, and to analyze it in the lights of the Bakhtinian Theory of Language and the Communicative Theory of Terminology (TCT), seeking to identify the four Semantic Categories in question and to classify them according to the conceptual traits concerning their use. As for the justification, we can find support in the originality of the research, that is, in the fact that no works that deal with the theme have been found in the queries we made in the following databases: Eric (Institute of Education Sciences); Scopus; Google Scholar; Capes Theses and Dissertations Catalog; SciELO (The Scientific Electronic Library Online). In addition to this research, we surveyed 18 definitions of audio description, and only in 4 of them did we find some kind of reference to the educational context, none of which had an emphasis on such context. In methodological terms, we first chose the most appropriate linguistic corpus construction methodology, followed by the choice of the corpus analysis linguistic tool. With the ADE Linguistic Corpus built for manipulation, we defined the theoretical basis, essentially divided into the theories of the Bakhtinian circle and the TCT. Next, we proposed a selection of linguistic signs for analysis, based on the frequency of use. Finally, we analyzed the selection of linguistic signs from the ADE Linguistic Corpus, extracting a series of data about each Category, which led to the conclusion that the Categories can be considered universal because they are intrinsic characteristics of the images themselves and of the discursive role they perform within areas of expertise. Describing them, however, is another matter, related to the enunciative place of the audio describer. And to become an enunciator of this genre of discourse called ADE, whether in a context of face-to-face or distance higher education, of AEE, or in an editorial context (in the production of accessible resources), the audio describer must take into account seven discursive elements, extracted from the analyses of the four Categories, which are: the Terminological Facet of the image, the Pedagogical Intentions, the Recipient, the Theoretical Affiliation, the Prototypicality of the Structure, the Structural Directionality and the Style. It is understood, therefore, that we should move away from a systematization of the audio description practice, because new contours are demanded in each context, as well as other voices, and certain language activations to the detriment of others.