A man believed to be the sign language interpreter for Nelson Mandela’s memorial service is reportedly a “fake.” Bruno Druchen, national director of the Deaf Federation of South Africa, released a statement claiming the man, seen next to President Barack Obama and other dignitaries, is not a recognized South Sign Language Interpreter.
Druchen, in the statement posted on Facebook, describes the various errors made by the “fake interpreter” and claims the man is not known in the deaf community of South Africa. According to Druchen, “To the best of our knowledge he has not undergone any formal training in South African Sign Language or Interpreting offered by any recognized institution which offers these training courses.”
The statement details the various grammatical errors made by the interpreter, including the lack of facial expressions during his interpretation. Druchen said facial expressions are important as they help convey emotion and meaning of what is being signed. “Facial expressions are an example of a set of behaviors called "non-manual markers." Non-manual markers include facial expressions, head tilt, head nod, head shake, shoulder raising, mouth morphemes, and other non-signed signals that influence the meaning of your signs,” said Druchen. Sign language goes beyond just using one’s hands and must include body language to provide the most accurate meaning of the sign.
Perhaps the most glaring error is the fabricated nature of the signs, as the interpreter’s signs were made up and carried no meaning and are not used in South African sign language. Druchen called the signs used by the interpreter “a total mockery of the language.” Sign language, like any other language, has a grammatical system in place and is not just a visual translation of an established spoken language.
According to Druchen, there are established signs that represent South Africa, the current President of South Africa Jacob Zuma and former President Thabo Mbeki and the interpreter did not use any of these recognized signs during the ceremony.
Several Facebook comments confirmed Druchen’s statement. The individual has yet to be identified and it is unclear how the man received credentials for the event. According to the Associated Press, the South African government is planning to announce an official response.
A video of the sign language interpreter during Mandela’s ceremony, courtesy of the Telegraph, can be viewed below.
Mandela Ceremony Service Sign Language Interpreter Is A ‘Fake,’ Claims Deaf Federation of South Africa [VIDEO]
No comments:
Post a Comment