How to sign
"zoo" in ASL?
The concept of "zoo" tends to be fingerspelled.
Notes:
OO in "zoo":
Topic: Double letters in fingerspelling
Sub-topic: The
partial-truth of "double letters are slid when they occur at the end of a word."
The problem: Telling students rigid rules about ASL as if the rule were a "fact"
or the one absolutely right way of doing something.
Goal: Help ASL teachers be a
little less sure of ourselves when announcing rules about ASL.
Observing, considering, and reflecting on the real world signing of the
concept of "zoo" can help us unpack the myth of
the (so called) "rule" that "double letters slide at the end of words" -- and
point out that it is only a partial-truth. Yes, yes, yes, -- the (observable)
reality seems to be that "most of the time" double letters slide at the end of
words. "Most of the time" is not the same as "always." OO in the word ZOO: Is
often done with a slide but examples of native Deaf and other very-skilled
signers can (sometimes) be seen doing the OO in zoo via reforming.
For an
example of reforming see the 2:32 mark of this video: https://youtu.be/MsjPxUtLF7E?t=150
also see the 3:43 mark of this video: https://youtu.be/LSqUH7KpWnk?t=223
and see
the 3:42 mark of this video: https://youtu.be/unwt5EtPY4k?t=221
See the 2:52
mark of this video: https://youtu.be/IfdEkeldBe4?t=172 for yet another example of a
reformed OO.
At the 5:06 mark of this video: https://youtu.be/3pKwGJ55kYM?t=306
(note that the signer (Renca) does a very fast but observable reforming of the
"O" (specifically O open/slide O). Then three seconds later does ZOO using
"only" the slide (without reforming the "O"). That is an example of the same
concept being shown in two different ways (reforming vs just sliding) within 3
seconds of each other. Also note that in that same video (in which Renca is
discussing zookeeping) she spells zookeeper and in the word zookeeper the OO is
slid (not reformed).
The point here is that when an ASL teacher tells you that
double letters at the end of a word are "slid" the thought in your mind could be
"Okay, if I take a test from you I'll make sure to do that but I just recently
watched videos of half a dozen Deaf "not" doing that (in at least one example).
So, yah, well sometimes double letters are slid at the end of words and
sometimes they aren't -- but thanks for the authoritative seeming advice."
Again, yes -- the concept of zoo is (observably) most often spelled using the
slide method (especially on second and later usage during the same conversation)
and you should generally do the slide method (for double letters at the end of a
word) when taking a test at school (unless your teacher prefers otherwise) but
it is a myth (or simple error) to claim that sliding double letters at the end
of a word the "one right way."
The truth however is more complex than that.
Stay flexible
folks.
You'll trigger a lot less often.
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