Speaking Hands: Taylor’s Chinese New Year Film Celebrates Inclusion Through Technology

Taylor’s Education Group unveils an inspiring short film that celebrates how real-world, collaborative learning can turn empathy and innovation into opportunities for all.

Titled Speaking Hands, the film centres on Hong Wei, a hearing-impaired student presenting at a student innovation showcase. What begins as a familiar public-speaking moment soon takes an unexpected turn. Instead of speaking, Hong Wei communicates through sign language. His gestures are translated instantly into text on screen via a mobile application, demonstrating how technology can break down barriers and expand access to self-expression.

Through his presentation, Hong Wei challenges common misconceptions about the deaf and hearing-impaired community. He shares that while he enjoys expressing himself, being understood is often the greatest hurdle. The solution, he reveals, is deeply personal. A sign language–to–text application that was developed by his sister and her friends, illustrating how learning grounded in real-world challenges can lead to meaningful, human-centred solutions.

While the story is fictional, the technology is not. The film is inspired by TALKBIM, a real mobile application developed by students from Taylor’s University School of Computer Science. Powered by AI, TALKBIM enables real-time translation of Bahasa Isyarat Malaysia (BIM), supporting more inclusive communication.

Associate Professor Dr Afizan Azman, who leads the project, said, “While many sign-language applications exist globally, TALKBIM is unique in enabling live, two-way interaction. Working closely with the hearing-impaired community has also shown us how transformative technology can be in allowing people to communicate and connect more freely in classrooms, workplaces, and everyday life. That impact is what drives this project.”

TALKBIM is being developed in phases. The first phase of real-time translation of sign language into text has been completed. The team is now working on the next phase, using avatar to convert the spoken words into sign language. The project reflects the University’s commitment to translating innovation into practical solutions that advance accessibility and inclusion.

At the time of writing, the film garnered 3,473,848 collective views across Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn. Watch Speaking Hands at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdF9F_FU-IE.