Sign language interpreter goes viral
By Manja van Kesteren
Sign language interpreter Irma Sluis from The Hague went viral after signing at yesterday’s corona press conference. Her sign for the Dutch word “hamsteren” (roughly translated as hoarding) in particular was very well-received.
Yesterday was the first time the Dutch government used sign language interpreters at a cabinet press conference. Previous conferences were subtitled, but for many hearing-impaired people, Dutch is their second language, as Dutch sign language is a completely different language with different grammar and words.
Irma Sluis told AD: “Honestly? I didn’t even know whether the word had a sign”. She had to ask the Dutch Sign Language Centre (Nederlands Gebarencentrum) via FaceTime.
Haha!! Niet hamsteren!
— Erik Mouthaan (@erikmouthaanRTL) March 15, 2020
Via @Darch en @apjvalk pic.twitter.com/T3CinDVmrv
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Managing Editor at IamExpat Media. Manja studied English and Creative & Professional Writing at the University of Wolverhampton in the UK. She has been working as a content editor and SEO copywriter since 2007, in both the English and Dutch language. As any writer should, she is VERY passionate about books, as well as arts and crafts, Netflix, metal music, cheese, and her silly guinea pigs.Read more