| Teaching English? Use Proverbs to Provide | | | | of other tongues and times. "The sky is blue |
| Perspective and Create a Global Classroom | | | | everywhere" and "birds return to old nests." |
| " I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do | | | | 4. Sharing proverbs shows a respect for tradition |
| and I understand." Chinese proverb | | | | and the past while students expand their |
| "Well begun is half done." Greek proverb. | | | | vocabulary in a new, modern language. Many adult |
| "Persistence pays." Latin proverb | | | | immigrants, particularly older ones, have very |
| English teachers and many English students will | | | | mixed feelings about their new lives in an English |
| immediately recognize these traditional sayings or | | | | speaking nation. Even refugees who fled war, |
| proverbs. They convey a way of looking at the | | | | economic crisis, religious persecution, or political |
| world in a few short, vivid words. English language | | | | oppression will often maintain an extreme in the |
| learners , often struggling with a limited | | | | "authentic" culture of their native country. The |
| vocabulary, find these memorable proverbs easy | | | | proverb "old habits die hard" acknowledges this |
| to learn and fun to use. | | | | tendency. Yet another proverb, "you're never too |
| Proverbs add familiarity and comfort to an often | | | | old to learn", gives hope to English language |
| strange and stressful situation for older English | | | | learners. |
| learners. Proverbs can capture a point of view in | | | | For instance, an older immigrant from rural Korea |
| vivid words. We learn proverbs our entire lives - | | | | learning English in Los Angeles might find |
| from our relatives, our teachers, our friends, the | | | | themselves also learning to live in modern, |
| media, and our literature. These classic sayings | | | | culturally diverse city for the first time. While the |
| contain folk wisdom gathered through time and | | | | formal subject may be English, immigrants are |
| experience. They often capture a common | | | | also discovering new ways of living and thinking in |
| human experience across cultures and languages. | | | | the school. Proverbs seem to affirm the concept |
| Yet I like teaching proverbs in English as a Second | | | | that "the more things change, the more they |
| Language (ESL) classes for four other distinct | | | | remain the same" and "the unexpected always |
| reasons. | | | | happens." |
| 1. Students can share proverbs from their own | | | | When I taught an advanced ESL conversation |
| countries. In ESL classes where you have | | | | class to immigrants and international students |
| students from many different countries and | | | | from many different countries at Santa Monica |
| numerous first languages, proverbs allow students | | | | Community College, I usually introduced |
| to affirm the insights and experiences of their | | | | conversation topics with a classic American or |
| native culture. "Home is where the heart is." | | | | English proverb. Students would soon be paired up |
| 2. English language learners can easily memorize | | | | to interview each other and share experiences. |
| proverbs. Using the right proverb at the right | | | | When we returned together for a group |
| moment gives students a tremendous sense of | | | | discussion, I noticed that students often explained |
| competency and fluency in English - something | | | | their answers using proverbs. I decided to "go |
| that immigrants often struggle to achieve. | | | | with the flow" and build proverbs into course |
| Repeating proverbs, in a new tongue, displays | | | | materials. I've used the same technique ever since |
| their intelligence to their English listeners. "Words | | | | while teaching in other English language programs |
| count." | | | | for both college students and international |
| 3. Studying proverbs from around the world helps | | | | graduate students. Compelling Conversations |
| create a more global education, and counters the | | | | comes out of those classroom experiences. |
| fears of English displacing the insights and words | | | | After all, "everybody is a student of life. |