Teaching Sign Language Through Music

M
any people may assume that sign language is exclusively for the hearing-impaired and those within that community, and therefore see no need to learn it, especially since the hand gestures used in communication can appear somewhat complex.
However, efforts by some local singers to include sign language in their music videos have, to a certain extent, succeeded in popularising it.
Among the trending music videos featuring sign language were those by local singer Mimifly, whose real name is Shamimi Amalina Norhisham. She featured hand gestures as part of the choreography for her songs 'Serumpun' and 'Angkat' released this year and last year respectively.
Both videos gained widespread attention, particularly on TikTok, as many users took on the challenge of dancing to the rhythm and lyrics, sharing their own videos on the social media platform.
Mimifly said her decision to feature sign language in her music videos was to connect with the hearing-impaired community.
Previously, Nur Nabila Mohd Razali, better known as Nabila Razali, also drew attention when she translated her festive song 'Raya Mana' into sign language. The singer revealed she learned sign language from YouTube.
EDUCATING THROUGH SONG
Educator Abdul Halim Mohd Nasa is also doing his part to raise awareness about sign language to foster a more inclusive environment for the deaf community.
This special education teacher for hearing-impaired students at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Ampuan Durah in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, has adopted a creative approach by translating song lyrics into sign language and sharing them on his TikTok account, @Alimzsensei, which quickly captured the attention of his followers.
Abdul Halim, who became active on TikTok in 2022, has been featuring popular and trending songs in his content, performing lip-syncs synchronised with hand gestures and facial expressions.
Among the songs he has covered are 'Salam Terakhir' (Sudirman), 'Hening Rindu' (Marsha Milan) and 'Angkat' (Mimifly). The videos he uploads regularly garner tens of thousands of views, earning a spot on the platform's For You Page (FYP).
'Most of the songs are requests from TikTok followers and I simply fulfill them to help people learn basic sign language through my video content,' said Abdul Halim, who now has over 27,000 followers on TikTok.
'I originally made TikTok videos about pastries, then one of my students asked me to do a singing video... then came (the idea of) teaching sign language through singing and songs.
'At the time, my only intention was to create awareness so that more people would learn and communicate in sign language. For me, this approach is easier because while entertaining, we are also educating.'
Abdul Halim said he is also happy to note that society is now more open and willing to learn sign language.
'As an educator for students with special needs (hearing impairment), I am pleased when individuals, including artistes, help elevate and empower sign language, which indirectly acknowledges the presence of the deaf community in society.
'This is also a positive sign as we are encouraging more people to learn sign language, which I believe is essential when interacting with the hearing-impaired,' he told Bernama.
Abdul Halim, who has been teaching students with special needs for the last 15 years, said at first, he only had a basic knowledge of sign language before taking the initiative to learn it himself from students and other teachers, as well as by joining short courses organised by various parties, including the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf.
ENHANCE INTERACTION
Meanwhile, head of the Special Education Programme at the Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Dr Mohd Norazmi Nordin said sign language is a visual language or form of communication that emphasises the use of hands, facial expressions and body movements to convey messages.
He said by understanding sign language, members of the public can communicate more effectively with the deaf and mute community, which in turn helps foster empathy and improve social interaction, thus making it easier for the hearing-impaired to carry out their daily tasks.
He also explained that the sign language used within the community is not just a set of ordinary 'gestures' but one with its own grammar structure, just like spoken languages.
In this country, Malaysian Sign Language (BIM) is recognised as the principal language of the deaf community and it was developed based on the structure of Bahasa Melayu, while also possessing its own unique visual and linguistic features.
'In the school education system, we also use the Bahasa Melayu Hand Code (KTBM), which is more structured in terms of syntax and morphology. Both structures play distinct and important roles in communication and the language learning process of students with hearing disabilities.
'An understanding of the linguistic aspects of sign language should also be emphasised so that society does not underestimate its use,' he said.
Mohd Norazmi said sign language should be more widely used across all official communication channels, including print and electronic media.
He added that the initiatives by RTM and Bernama TV to feature sign language interpreters in news broadcasts should be emulated by other television stations.
'The deaf community also has the right to access information just like everyone else. We need to move toward truly disability-friendly broadcasting.
'By expanding the use of sign language interpreters in mass media, we are not only granting access to the hearing-impaired community but also educating other viewers on the need for inclusive communication. This will raise general awareness that every citizen, regardless of ability, deserves equal opportunities to receive information and news,' he said.
ACCEPTANCE
Mohd Norazmi added that the presence of sign language interpreters on television also provides direct exposure to millions of viewers, allowing them to learn sign language as well.
This effort, he said, is a strategic step toward mainstreaming sign language, which should not be viewed solely as a communication tool but also as a valuable professional skill.
'There could be even more exciting initiatives in the future, such as having well-known sign language interpreters, possibly from among celebrities, which would not only create new career opportunities but also elevate the status of sign language itself,' he said.
Mohd Norazmi said although sign language has gained wider acceptance in society, many still do not truly understand it as appreciation of the language as well as its use as a medium of communication remain limited.
'There needs to be more exposure and training at various levels. Many parties have begun to take the initiative by organising workshops, courses and digital content to introduce sign language to the public.
'However, these efforts need to be supported more comprehensively, including through government policies, educational institutions and the media,' he said.
-- BERNAMA

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Star

3 hours ago

• The Star

'Criminally hot': Celebrities can't get enough of the bandage dress comeback

It was, well, bound to happen. Some 15 years after its last renaissance, the bandage dress, that item of clothing invented in the mid-1980s that makes the wearer look as if she has been sucked into a tube, shrink-wrapped and excreted back into the world, is once again resurgent – just as it is every time the twin forces of body culture and economic gloom combine. And with it comes the debate about whether the dress is ultimately about objectification or self-empowerment. The trend returned in earnest last September, when Kaia Gerber wore a white bandage dress recreated by Herve Leger to mimic the white bandage dress worn by her mother, Cindy Crawford, to the Oscars in 1993 with Richard Gere. In January, influencer Olivia Boblet posted a TikTok showing herself in a Herve Leger bandage dress, which now has 1.7 million views and more than 1,000 comments (most of them essentially reading 'finally!'). Then, in April, Hailey Bieber wore a Saint Laurent bandage dress to the Fashion Trust US awards, doubling down on the style in early June with a vintage Herve Leger number. 'Criminally hot,' Kim Russell, aka the Kimbino, wrote when she reposted a picture of Bieber on Instagram in the vintage look. Bieber responded, 'Herve bandage dresses are back I fear.' Hailey Bieber attends the Fashion Trust US Awards wearing a bandage dress. via AFP Read more: Fashion collections bring back iconic designs, proving nostalgia sells Part of this reemergence is down to the House of CB, a British brand that made its name by introducing the bandage dress to a new generation in 2010, and reintroduced it as part of its birthday celebrations last month. Part of it has to do with Herve Leger itself. The brand that popularised the look will celebrate its 40th anniversary in September and has gleefully embraced the bandage resurgence. 'So much of the new generation that's discovering the brand for the first time wants to get dressed up, yearns for connection and going out,' said Michelle Ochs, the Herve Leger creative director. And the bandage dress, which was first the supermodel dress and then the "it-girl dress", is also the ultimate clubbing dress. 'It's aspirational,' said Law Roach, the 'image architect' who is such a fan of the style he had his own collaboration with the house of Herve Leger a few years ago featuring (yes) bandage dresses. But as much as the return of the bandage dress is being framed in the language of fun or nostalgia, it is also all wrapped up in the Ozempic-inspired rise of a new form of body consciousness and diet culture. Not to mention a political climate in which cartoonish versions of femininity are the preferred paradigm. It is a way of dressing backward, at a time when it can seem as if society itself is going backward. Though often attributed to the Herve Leger label, the bandage dress was actually invented by Azzedine Alaia, who showed his first bandage dresses on the runway in the early 1980s as a riposte to the more exaggerated power dressing that was in vogue at the time. Unlike the battering ram shoulders and besuited armour of Thierry Mugler, Alaia's dress, which was inspired by Egyptian mummies, offered a different kind of physical assertion, one that celebrated the female figure while also protecting it. It was such a pivot that, in 1985, not long after the first bandage dresses were shown, Alaia was chosen as the 'creator of the year' at the Oscar De La Mode awards in France (a short-lived event created by Jack Lang, then the country's culture minister). He accepted his award with his date, Grace Jones, who wore a fuchsia version of the bandage dress. The New York Times christened it 'the sexy mummy look', which wasn't only about ancient funeral rites. The Herve Leger version was introduced in the early 1990s. While Alaia's bandage dresses, which were knit from a stretchy viscose, were relatively soft – they moulded the body and wrapped it, rather than constricting it – the Herve Leger version 'really did feel like an Ace bandage', Crawford said. For all that it celebrated the female form, the dress also moulded and constrained it – sometimes, Crawford acknowledged, pretty painfully. Nevertheless, she said, 'the models all gravitated to it'. Read more: Dungarees are back in style – here's how to wear them like a fashion pro Linda Evangelista, Iman, Naomi Campbell – they all wore bandage dresses. 'It was a chic way to show your body, but not trashy,' Crawford said. Aerobics was on the rise at the time, and the dress was a way to show the hard work that went into your body. And it was a way to differentiate your body from the bodies that couldn't get into the bandage dress. It may be worth noting that this time around, despite all the social media enthusiasm and the fact that, according to Katy Lubin, a spokesperson for the fashion search engine Lyst, the House of CB sold 15,000 units the first day of its bandage revival in May, actual data suggests that the dresses are not being consumed at the level they are being celebrated. 'Overall volume is still pretty low, although we have seen demand increase by 2% in the last three months,' Lubin said. 'Bandage dresses generate strong reactions, and content creators understand that divisive stories drive comments, shares and algorithmic reach in ways that universally beloved items simply don't.' In other words, when it comes to the bandage dress, it is possible, she said, that 'the controversy itself is the commodity'. – ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Daily Express

6 hours ago

• Daily Express

Gretchene bares heartbreak in soulful new single 'Aku Bodoh'

Published on: Monday, June 23, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jun 23, 2025 By: Ricardo Unto Text Size: KOTA KINABALU: Sabah-born singer Gretchene Quirina has released her latest single Aku Bodoh , a melancholic pop ballad about unreciprocated love, regret, and the quiet strength of letting go. The song traces the emotional arc of a young woman who once believed in the sincerity of love, only to realise that the affection she received was not genuine. Upon facing the painful truth, the protagonist chooses to walk away despite her emotional wounds, capturing the bittersweet process of release and renewal. Aku Bodoh resonates deeply with listeners who have been through heartbreak and betrayal, offering a voice to those quietly piecing their hearts back together. The emotionally charged lyrics and haunting melody reflect vulnerability and resilience, delivered with Gretchene's signature vocal style that blends power with fragility. The song was penned by lyricists Ryenald Guntabid, Melakaboy, and while the arrangement and musical production were handled by respected regional producer Irwan Simanjuntak. Advertisement The music video, directed by Elvin Romeo with assistance from Ivan Hiew and edited by Al Hanafi Juhar, presents intimate visual storytelling set in domestic spaces once filled with promise but now tinged with sorrow. Each scene visually conveys the emotional aftermath of broken trust, from bedrooms that once offered comfort to living rooms filled with echoes of forgotten promises. Adding star power to the music video is Indonesian TikTok influencer Juansen, who plays the male lead and brings over 7.5 million followers into Gretchene's expanding audience reach. The launch of Aku Bodoh was accompanied by a special performance during Malam Galau Kinabalu: Gretchene & Friends , held on June 14 here. She shared the stage with fellow Sabahan artists Elica Paujin and Ryenald, as well as Indonesian ballad singer Mytha Lestari. Gretchene is also set to perform at the Hologram Glenn Fredly Concert in Kuala Lumpur on 18 July and will open for the renowned Indonesian band Nidji during their concert here in October. Her latest release is now available on all major digital streaming platforms and is poised to attract listeners both in Malaysia and Indonesia. Known to her fans as Chene, Gretchene has been active in music since 2018, though her love for singing began long before her first official appearance. She brings a unique blend of Sabahan heritage and contemporary ballad-pop to the Malaysian music landscape, making her a distinctive voice in the industry. Among her achievements are winning the Sugandoi Inanam in 2018, Sugandoi DBKK in 2022, and Sugandoi Penampang in 2024, where she also placed third nationally. Balancing academic commitments with her artistic pursuits, Gretchene remains dedicated to her musical journey and to sharing stories through song. She is signed under XIOKK Entertainment, a Sabah-based label that operates as a subsidiary of XENO Entertainment and was launched in 2024. XIOKK aims to develop local talent without requiring artists to relocate to the peninsula, nurturing homegrown singers like Gretchene, Ryenald, and the girl group SMDX. Aside from music production, XIOKK also functions as a talent agency representing Sabah-based influencers such as Calby Floresa, Clerice Olvia, and Andrea Roulin. With Aku Bodoh , XIOKK continues to showcase its commitment to producing compelling local talent for regional and international audiences. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia

New Straits Times

10 hours ago

• New Straits Times

#SHOWBIZ: Netizens excited as BTS' J-Hope loves Malaysian snack

SEOUL: A short video clip has gone viral on TikTok, featuring BTS member J-Hope revealing that one of his favourite snacks is Super Ring, a popular cheese-flavoured treat made in Malaysia. In the video, the 31-year-old, whose real name is Jung Ho-seok, tells the programme host that the snack is "very tasty and full of cheesy flavour," even encouraging the host to try it. "It's so flavourful and delicious," he said. Although the K-pop star mistakenly thought the snack was from Singapore, Malaysian fans were still thrilled and proud that J-Hope had expressed his love for the much-loved local product. Comments on the posts included: "Someone please tell him Super Ring is from Malaysia!" "So proud that J-Hope loves Super Ring!" and "I screamed at my phone when I saw J-Hope enjoying Super Ring. So proud!"