Make
the sign for "spoon" by forming the letter "h" with the right hand.
Place your left palm facing upward. Lift the right hand from your left
hand toward your mouth a few times. The difference between "spoon" and
"soup" depends on which person you ask. I personally differentiate
between the two by making the sign for spoon a little faster and keep my
right hand closer to the left hand. (The right doesn't travel as close to
the mouth when signing spoon as it does when sign soup). When signing
spoon I also tend to "drop" the bowl (left hand) after I ladle out of it
twice with the spoon. What I mean is I hold the left hand in a cupping
shape then I use the right index and middle finger (in a slightly curved "u"
or "h" shape) to represent the spoon. I scoop the "spoon" into
the palm of my left hand twice and then I immediately "drop/relax" my
left-hand while still holding the right hand for an extra moment or two.
By relaxing or dropping the left hand but continuing to keep the right hand
in the "spoon" shape it emphasizes that I'm talking about a spoon.
For the sign, "soup" I would keep the left hand involved
until the end of the sign and I would also bring the "spoonful of soup" to
within a couple inches of my mouth to emphasize the "soup" aspect of the
sign.
SPOON:
FORK:
Make the sign for "fork" by forming your
dominant hand into the letter "V." Your non-dominant palm
faces upward. Stab your "V" hand into your palm twice.
You can learn
American Sign Language (ASL) online at American Sign Language University ™
ASL resources by Lifeprint.com © Dr. William Vicars
