As hurricane Sandy approached New York City, mayor Michael Bloomberg talked to New Yorkers -and everyone else- through televised press conferences. Lydia Callis stood beside him and translated his storm instructions into American Sign language. She quickly became an internet star for her animated signing and facial expressions. What most of us did not realize is that those expressions are part of the language. Read more about what they mean at mental_floss. Link
As a "hearing impaired" person, I rely on facial expressions and gestures to help me confirm what I thought my ears heard someone say. Even if I don't hear the words clearly, I can tell what the conversation's about in a general sense.
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