The next image shows the picture Nancy and I called up in our minds when we thought of Kadoorie and Class 2010

Proverbs & Quotables:

Using Very Short Texts for Language Learning

Kevin McCaughey

Regional English Language Officer

Office of English Language Programs

Washington, DC

http://americanenglish.state.gov

Do you have some

favorite proverbs?

very short texts in language learning

What’s your

definition of a

proverb?

very short texts in language learning

Why proverbs?

very short texts in language learning

Why

proverbs?

* Have stood the test of time

* Wise or witty, or both

* Often universal; sometimes

reveal specifics of culture

* Adjustable: we can change

the language

very short texts in language learning

Why

proverbs?

* All over the internet!

* They are searchable

* Great for comparisons or focus:

grammar, vocabulary, or theme

* Metaphoric: train critical

thinking and interpretative

skills

very short texts in language learning

Why

proverbs?

* Make great writing frames

But the best

reason to use

proverbs...

(Drum roll

please...)

very short texts in language learning

Why

proverbs?

Short

complete

texts!

Applause

please

very short texts in language learning

What’s the

big

deal?

very short texts in language learning

What’s the

big

deal?

* Complete. Need nothing more

* Little or no prep time

* Little risk in time investment

* Easy fit in class hour

* Easy fit in lesson/syllabus

* Easy to extended

Fun Stuff

Surprises

very short texts in language learning

Surprises!

1. At some point you’ll see

this smiley face:

very short texts in language learning

Surprises!

At some point, you’ll hear the

call to our Brain Break...

Activities

very short texts in language learning

Meaning /

Interpretation

very short texts in language learning

Activities

Some are

simple;

very short texts in language learning

Meaning

You can’t judge a

book by its cover.

some not

so simple;

very short texts in language learning

Meaning

The stomach has no

windows.

some are

downright

strange.

very short texts in language learning

Meaning

A frog’s mucus has a healing

effect on the sea.

Dictation

very short texts in language learning

Activities

Loop

Dictation

Listen to the

audio called

“Your Head”

very short texts in language learning

Activities

Matching

very short texts in language learning

Activities

Scramble

very short texts in language learning

Activities

very short texts in language learning

Scramble

the

little

grow

bananas.

Little

Scramble

soup,

to rain

were

have

only

would

the poor

forks.

Proverbs & Quotables

dictum

aphorism

saying

maxim

adage

definition

Redefinition

truism

witticism

epigram

quotations

moral

Gap Fills

very short texts in language learning

Activities

Adlai

Stevenson

very short texts in language learning

Gap Fills

“A _____ is a ______ you

notice; a _______ is a woman

who _______ you.”

beauty

charmer

woman

notices

Adlai

Stevenson

very short texts in language learning

Gap Fills

“A _____ is a ______ you

notice; a _______ is a woman

who _______ you.”

beauty

charmer

woman

notices

very short texts in language learning

Create

your

own

“A _____(noun) is animal you ______

(verb); a _______ is a animal who

_______ (verb) you.”

Agree or Disagree

very short texts in language learning

Activities

Arrange by

Theme

Grammar

Country of Origin

Source (person)

very short texts in language learning

Activities

Put the verb

in the correct

form

very short texts in language learning

Crocodile

Grammar

A chicken that ____(hatch)

a crocodile’s egg _____

(look) for trouble.

Put the verb

in the correct

form

very short texts in language learning

Crocodile

Grammar

If you _____ (escape) the

jaws of the crocodile

while bathing in the

river, you _____ (meet) a

leopard on the way home.

very short texts in language learning

Grammar:

Modals

“Could” or “Should”

1. He who takes a light to

find a snake ______ start

at his own feet.

2. If a child washes his

hands he ______ eat with

kings..

very short texts in language learning

Grammar:

Modals

“Could” or “Should”

1. He who takes a light to

find a snake should start

at his own feet.

2. If a child washes his

hands he could eat with

kings..

Give a man a fish and you feed

him for day.

Teach a man to fish and you

feed him for a lifetime.

Except if…

But what if…

Not necessarily…

very short texts in language learning

Challenge

Challenge the Proverb

very short texts in language learning

Activities

Yogi Berra

Photo: wikipedia commons

Activities

American Baseball Player

Born 1925

very short texts in language learning

Yogi-isms

“Baseball is 90 percent

mental. The other half

is physical.”

very short texts in language learning

Should

Could?

“When you come to a fork

in the road, take it.”

very short texts in language learning

Yogi-isms

[Speaking about a restaurant]

“Nobody goes there anymore

because it’s too crowded.”

very short texts in language learning

Writing Frames

“My students

can’t write.”

very short texts in language learning

Activities

A writing frame

is a model

or pattern

very short texts in language learning

Writing

Frames

Brothers love each other when

they are equally rich.

Model:

complete

form

very short texts in language learning

Writing

Frames

Brothers love each other

when…

Partial

proverb

very short texts in language learning

Writing

Frames

Mice love each other when….

Partial

Proverb

very short texts in language learning

Writing

Frames

Brothers love each other

except when…

Partial

proverb

very short texts in language learning

Writing

Frames

Children get jealous of each

other when…

Partial

proverb

very short texts in language learning

Writing

Frames

Woman love men who….

Partial

Proverb

very short texts in language learning

Writing

Frames

Partial Proverbs

very short texts in language learning

Activities

1. Students get the first half of

proverbs.

2.They complete them in pairs or

groups. They should be creative.

There’s not a correct answer.

3.They receive the actual complete

proverb.

4.They compare and discuss.

very short texts in language learning

Finish

the

proverb

A bird doesn’t sing

because he’s got the

answer.

A bird sings because...

very short texts in language learning

Finish

the

proverb

A bird doesn’t sing

because he’s got the

answer.

A bird sings because

he’s got a song

very short texts in language learning

Finish

the

quote

“Give me six hours to

chop down a tree and I

will spend the first four...

very short texts in language learning

Finish

the

quote

“Give me six hours to chop

down a tree and I will

spend the first four

sharpening the ax.”

Don’t buy a house, buy…

very short texts in language learning

Partial

Proverbs

Don’t buy a house, buy

a neighbor.

very short texts in language learning

Partial

Proverbs



Listen to

The audio:

“Kiss”

very short texts in language learning

Writing

Frames



very short texts in language learning

Writing

Frames

Cause 1: The ______ one

wouldn’t…

Cause 2: The ____ one

wouldn’t….

Effect: And …

Illustration by Arthur Rackham - Wikipedia Commons

The Lion in Love

There was once a lion who fell in a love with a girl in the village. The

lion was desperately in love, so in love that he went to her home, and

asked the girl’s parents permission to marry her. That was a

frightening idea to the parents, but they did not want to offend the

King of the Beasts.

“Well,” the mother said, “first off let me say how very honored we

are. But because you are so strong, we are afraid that in showing

affection you might accidentally hurt our daughter. If you agree to

have your teeth and claws removed, we will give your proposal of

marriage very serious consideration.”

The lovestruck lion was overjoyed, and rushed off to have his teeth

and claws removed. When he returned to claim his bride, the girl’s

parents only laughed at him.

Wise Likenings

Activities

very short texts in language learning

with a semicolon

Model

very short texts in language learning

Scandal is like an egg; when it is

hatched, it has wings.

simile

clarification

semi-

colon

very short texts in language learning

Opinions are like nails;

the more often you hit them the

deeper they penetrate.

very short texts in language learning

Love

Money

Time

Your health

The future

Greed

shark

lake

basket of eggs

dragon

candle

a broken chair

Dice Alternatives

very short texts in language learning

• Make from paper

• Use a number 2 pencil

• Use coins

• Have students devise a

method

By the way...

Extending

very short texts in language learning

Proverb

Into

Poem

When God made time,

He made plenty of it.

very short texts in language learning

Proverb

Into

Poem

When God made time,

he made plenty of it.

He left it lying around,

A little more in the country

than in the town.

Remember...

very short texts in language learning

Short Complete Texts are super useful

Writing frames help students writing:

both language and ideas

Nedelandischer Proverben - Peter Breughel

http://americanenglish.state.gov

Proverbs & Quotables:

Using Very Short Texts for Language Learning