SIGNS OF THE TIMES

I’VE always been intrigued by the sign language used to communicate with deaf people.

I watch the signer on the corner of my television screen with awe. The news reader burbles on about crime, junk status, road accidents and corrupt politicians, and the signer turns it all into a few deft gestures and a smile.

I sometimes wonder to myself, if a deaf viewer were to read that sign language and translate it back into speech, how close would that translation be to the original words the newsreader used?

Yes, I know, some people would say I have too little to occupy my mind, but questions like that pop up uninvited.

I understand, too, that sign language crosses spoken language barriers and I find this a particularly fascinating thought in a country like ours with a whole mélange of official languages.

The news reader uses expressions such as “junk status” and “equity” and “crimen injuria”, which I struggle to understand in English, but apparently it’s all as clear as daylight to a deaf Zulu or hard-ofhearing Khoisan.

I often feel I might understand this perplexing world around me if I learned to read sign language, which appears to simplify matters. Goodness knows, we could do with a little simplification around here.

I recently saw an advertisement on my Wotsit App (or whatever) for a pack of playing cards offered by the National Institute for the Deaf, designed to teach people the basics of sign language.

Each card shows a picture of a signer using a particular sign, and there are written translations of that sign in several South African languages around the edges of the card. It seems like a brilliant idea in a country like ours, where we struggle to understand each other even when we can hear perfectly well.

I often wonder which of our 11 official languages I’m hearing when I place a call to a local company.

The phone is answered with a rapid-fire series of noises that sound like: “Hyde Park potatoes and trumpet howl canine well-poo” (all one word).

I pause for a moment to let that sink in, then ask politely: “Could you say that in English, please?”

When it’s unravelled slowly, it turns into “High class caterers, how can I help you.”

And if that’s what we do with one of our official languages, imagine what people with hearing problems must hear.

Maybe we should consider getting packs of signing cards and communication with our hands. We might all end up understanding each other a lot better. I see you can order the sign language playing cards by sending a message to www.nid.org.za or phoning 023 342 5555.

At just R50 a pack, it seems like a bargain to me. We pay politicians millions and still can’t understand them.

Last Laugh

A politician announced: “I’m not biased at all. I’m going to attend this meeting with a completely open mind, prepared to listen to whatever stupid crap the members talk.”