Rihanna's Sign Language Interpreter

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Justina Miles from Philly, the deaf interpreter who performed at 
Rihanna's Super Bowl half time. Photo Credit: online pic.

It’s possible to learn sign language. Justina Miles’ performance signing for Sheryl Lee Ralph and Rihanna at the Super Bowl, is proof of that.

It also reminds me of the YouTube Channel Signing With Omar. Omar stresses the importance of what he calls the 5 parameters of sign language. We won’t get into all of them here but Justina Miles made some of them brilliantly clear to me.

Let’s take Rihanna’s song Work. Justina Miles knocked on her fists, the sign for work. Omar’s videos also stress facial expressions. Justina Miles drove the audience crazy with that. I find them the easiest part of learning sign language because people who speak, do it all the time.

1. What’s wrong? It is prompted by what others see on your face. The sign is the same.

2. Shh! The baby is asleep. The sign for baby is how we hold babies because they are very delicate. There’s also a sign for how we sleep.

3. She is crazy.  East, west, north, south, the sign for crazy is the same.

4. I’m sorry. It’s supposed to come from the heart. You sign it with a closed fist on your heart.

5. Finish. I’m done. You shake both hands when you finish doing the dishes. Sign language has the same sign.

If you find time, you can revisit Justina Miles’ performance on Apple Music and you’ll be surprised how you understand her hand gestures, where they are on the body and her facial expressions.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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