Abigail Britton/FacebookAt just four years old, Gabriel Toseland is able to use sign language to interpret full TV shows and movies for his deaf parents.
He began learning when he was just four months old – now, he’s able to sign through movies and shows for his mum Abigail Britton and partner Conor, who are both completely deaf.
As the family sat next to the Christmas tree in their home in Cheshire, Abigail caught the amazing moment that Gabriel interprets the film on the TV on camera – and the internet loves him.
Check out the brilliant clip below:
My little interpreter 😂
Posted by Abigail Britton on Sunday, December 22, 2019
As a helicopter arrives into the scene on the television, Gabriel leaps up ‘out of the blue’ and begins interpreting – since being posted on Sunday, December 22, the video has been viewed tens of thousands of times.
The 26-year-old mum told Metro:
He first started to learn to sign with baby sign, saying things such as milk, bath and nappy. He has picked up more and more sign language over time and he has become very natural.
We felt that it’s important to teach him so he can communicate with us without any frustration or communication barrier. As both parents faced a lot of barriers growing up, we want him to be able to use both languages. He’s a CODA (child of deaf adults) and his bilingualism are fantastic.
Abigail Britton/FacebookGabriel has naturally learned sign language throughout his life, with Abigail teaching him words as he needs them. ‘I teach him by speaking as I sign so he picks it up. For example, I would sign milk before giving it to him. He’s a fantastic fast learner. He signed before he spoke,’ she explained.
However, it’s not just the added advantage of having someone there to interpret TV shows and movies – Gabriel’s sign language abilities have improved family life.
Abigail Britton/FacebookAbigail added:
We have an absolutely fantastic bond between us. He makes sure to make me aware that there somebody at door. He loves to help me if there is an announcement stating that a shop is closing or that the tram us ready to leave.
He is able to bond with children who have learning difficulties or other disabilities very well as he be able to gesture and relate to them very much because his parents are deaf.
Gabriel is also helping to teach Abigail’s daughter – who is just 19 months old – to speak and sign too.
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After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.