{"id":4706,"date":"2014-05-10T02:14:38","date_gmt":"2014-05-10T02:14:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eltweekly.com\/?p=4706"},"modified":"2014-05-10T02:14:38","modified_gmt":"2014-05-10T02:14:38","slug":"research-paper-folklore-as-a-multilingual-resource-using-proverbs-in-english-language-education-by-anand-mahanand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/?p=4706","title":{"rendered":"Research Paper: ‘Folklore as a Multilingual Resource: Using Proverbs in English Language Education’ by Anand Mahanand"},"content":{"rendered":"

[ELTWeekly Volume 6, Issue 12 |\u00a0May 12, 2014 | ISSN 0975-3036]<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

This paper is written and submitted by Dr.\u00a0Anand Mahanand, EFL University, Hyderabad.<\/em><\/p>\n

Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n

We understand folklore as wisdom of people transmitted from generation to generation. They are a repertoire of traditional\u00a0 knowledge and wisdom. They include songs, tales, chants, proverbs and riddles and so on. We can get information and knowledge about medicines, skills, culture, rituals and other historical\u00a0 facts\u00a0 from folklore. Many forms of folklore such as tales, songs, riddles, proverbs, chants and so on have been playing a significant role in educating people since time immemorial.\u00a0 Among these forms, songs, stories and proverbs\u00a0 perform pedagogic role more than other forms do. The pedagogical role of stories and songs \u00a0has been discussed \u00a0\u00a0elsewhere. Therefore, in this paper \u00a0I will focus on the role of proverbs in teaching English. I have used proverbs from both from Eastern and Western parts of Odisha\u00a0\u00a0 situated in Eastern India.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Before that, let us\u00a0 consider a few definitions of proverbs. A proverb is defined as \u201cshort , pregnant criticism\u00a0 of life based upon common experience.\u201d Shipley 19970: 258). As the definition says proverbs are drawn from experience. Though they are short, they can convey a world of meaning. (Mc Arthur 1998:474) defines proverbs as \u201cshort traditional saying of a didactic or advisory nature in which a generation is given a\u00a0 specific often metaphorical expression\u201d It is also defined \u00a0as \u201c a short, pithy, popular saying, long in use, embodying some familiar truth, practical precept, or usual thought in expressive and often picturesque language.\u201d\u00a0 Kuskovskaya defines them as \u00a0\u201cshort sentences expressing a well known truth or a common fact familiar to experience.\u201d (Kuskovskaya 1978: 3). The paper reports how learners draw \u00a0resources from their\u00a0 local knowledge reservoir when we use proverbs using multilingual approach to teach English.<\/p>\n

Key words: folklore, multilingual contexts, proverbs, pedagogy, traditional\u00a0 knowledge<\/p>\n

I.Proverbs and pedagogy:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Proverbs are known by different names. They are also called wisdom literature, \u201cadage\u201d, \u201dmaxim,\u201d \u201caphorism,\u201d \u00a0\u201ctruism,\u201d \u201cprecept,\u201d \u201c apothegm,\u201d \u201caxiom\u201d, and \u201cdictum.\u201d Each of them \u00a0has similar connotation as proverb and each\u00a0 of them refers to\u00a0 knowledge. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Proverbs have been performing the role of \u00a0disseminating knowledge to \u00a0people since time immemorial.\u00a0 There are many proverbs that\u00a0 instruct people the rules and time of cultivation, how to remain healthy, sane and happy. Many of them give hints as to how to cultivate good crops. \u00a0For instance the following proverb tells how to\u00a0 yield good quality\u00a0 brinjals in large quantity.<\/p>\n

Ath Kuda sohala bihuda<\/strong><\/p>\n

Baigan phale muda muda<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u00a0 plough the field eight times ( many times) before planting the brinjal seed\u00a0 and loosen the field for sixteen times, then\u00a0\u00a0 it will yield\u00a0 a lot.<\/p>\n

Proverbs also\u00a0 teach us general rule of nature .\u00a0 For instance, they tell us what should we do and when there are no indication of rain.<\/p>\n

Sravana Masara adya chauthi<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chariadu jadi megha na ghoti<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dakshina digaru bahai baa<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bhuga tupa dhari bidesha jaa<\/strong><\/p>\n

It means if\u00a0 there are no clouds seen in the sky on the first Chaturthi of Sravan month and if there is wind blowing from the South, take it that there will be no rain during that year. So don\u2019t depend on agriculture, but migrate\u00a0 to some other place and look for work elsewhere.<\/p>\n

We have numerous proverbs that educate people on health and medicine. For instance the following proverb tells us what precaution one has to take \u00a0\u00a0to avoid illness( \u00a0e.g.sunstroke):<\/p>\n

Mude pagdi pade tel<\/strong><\/p>\n

Baid sange karbu gel<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u00a0 put on a turban on your head and apply oil on your sole, you need not worry about any Vaid or doctor. Certain proverbs also tell us about food habit; how many times a healthy person should eat:<\/p>\n

Ek bel khae jugi<\/strong><\/p>\n

Duibel khae bhogi<\/strong><\/p>\n

Teen bel khae\u00a0 Bania Bahman<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chaer bel khae rogi<\/strong><\/p>\n

The proverb means\u00a0 a yogi eats once, a man of luxury eats twice, the Bania and Brahman eat three times and a sick\u00a0 person eats four times. Another proverb tells us about what should we do after taking food.<\/p>\n

Certain proverbs also warn people\u00a0 against certain diseases like T.B. which causes a lot of cough:<\/p>\n

Gaon\u00a0 bahara basa<\/strong><\/p>\n

Khun khun kasa<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ehanku naikarba asha<\/strong><\/p>\n

If\u00a0 you have a house at the outskirt of the village and if someone \u00a0has dry\u00a0 \u00a0dry cough, then you should\u00a0 not have\u00a0 high hopes. You should be extra careful in such cases.<\/p>\n

Khaiba Pita, Gaiba\u00a0 Gita<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tebese hoiba jagatajita<\/strong><\/p>\n

If\u00a0 one\u00a0 takes bitter food and reads the Gita<\/p>\n

He\/she will\u00a0\u00a0 conquer the world<\/p>\n

Apart from all these practical aspects of like, proverb teach morals and values<\/p>\n

The popular proverb\u00a0 teaches us not to be arrogant about our young age and not to condemn the aged as we will also become aged one day:<\/p>\n

Tal barda khasuschhe,<\/strong><\/p>\n

Upar barda hasuchhe<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rah rah\u00a0 re upar barda tor din kaal asuchhe<\/strong><\/p>\n

The lower leaf of the palm tree has become old and\u00a0 is about to fall down<\/p>\n

The upper leaf which is younger laughs at\u00a0 him<\/p>\n

The lower leaf says, \u201c Wait , wait you upper leaf<\/p>\n

Your time has been coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u00a0 when the young palm leaf laughs at the older one, the latter\u00a0 reminds him to wait and see as his own time is also approaching\u00a0 and\u00a0 he will also meet the same fate. The following proverb tells us what makes a good home a heaven:<\/p>\n

Baikuntha samana aha ate sei ghara<\/strong><\/p>\n

Paraspara sneha jahin thae nirantara. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The house where there is love and\u00a0 understanding\u00a0 among one another is like a heaven. It teaches\u00a0 us to have these attributes.<\/p>\n

II.Why Proverbs in English language teaching?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

These are only a few examples of how proverb teach people and communities. Now let us discuss what role can it play in the field of English language teaching. First let us consider\u00a0 the rationale behind\u00a0 using proverbs in the English classroom. Proverbs as we have noted earlier are rooted in the culture of the people. It is\u00a0 the wisdom\u00a0 tried and tested by many generations. That\u2019s the reason why it is called wisdom literature. Since\u00a0 they come from the learners\u2019 environment, learners understand them better as they\u00a0 are somewhat familiar with the context and meaning.<\/p>\n

Proverbs are also packed with meaning. \u00a0They can be decoded and interpreted in different ways. They have the potential s for different\u00a0 tasks\u00a0 decoding, interpretation, translation and so on. They are also suitable for thought formation and critical thinking. The can be used well for exhibition of language skills through a variety of exercises. Finally, as a body of wisdom literature, they can teach values and moral education.<\/p>\n

III.Selection Criteria<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Selecting proverbs for \u00a0learners is not an easy task. There are different kinds of proverbs. Some are exclusively meant for adults. Some are linguistically difficult, others are contextually difficult. One has to select proverbs which will be suitable for children\u2019s interest age group and easy to comprehend both linguistically and contextually. Proverbs meant for school children should not only be interesting but also be educative. There are certain proverbs already available in their first language syllabus. They could be\u00a0 utilized as the learners are already familiar with them and it will be easier for them to translate\u00a0 them into English and also transfer the\u00a0\u00a0 meta-linguistic\u00a0 abilities. Some example of them could be:<\/p>\n

1.Phampa\u00a0 maathiara sabada beshi<\/strong><\/p>\n

Empty vessel makes a lot of noise<\/p>\n

2.Alpa vidya bhayankari<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Little learning is a\u00a0 dangerous thing<\/p>\n

3.Gharjila megha barshe nain.\u00a0 Bhokila kukura kamude nahin<\/strong><\/p>\n

A barking dog hardly bites.<\/p>\n

4.Tulasi dui pataru base<\/strong><\/p>\n

Morning shows the day<\/p>\n

5.Ekata hin bala<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unity is strength<\/p>\n

Some proverbs are musically beautiful and rhyming.\u00a0 We should consider all these aspects while choosing them.<\/p>\n

IV.How to use proverbs in a multilingual class room?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Using proverbs in a multi lingual classroom\u00a0 requires adequate planning and\u00a0 imagination. It is\u00a0 more different\u00a0 from using English proverbs.<\/p>\n

We can give different kinds of tasks\u00a0 for this purpose. Some of them are given below:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Interpret and Explain <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The teacher asks a student to\u00a0 tell a proverb in his\/her first language. Asks another student to translate it into English and asks the class to interpret the\u00a0 proverb in English.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Find the English equivalence of the proverb<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      The teacher\u00a0\u00a0 asks\u00a0 a group of students to tell a proverb each in their first language then asks another group to supply the English equivalence of the ones given by the first group.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. \u00a0Match the part one with part two<\/strong><\/li>\n
      2. Where there is a will \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 a. is golden.<\/li>\n
      3. Silence \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 b.there is a way.<\/li>\n
      4. Birds of same feather\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 c.is not gold.<\/li>\n
      5. All that glitter \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 d. flock together.<\/li>\n
      6. Prevention is \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 e. better than cure.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n
        1. Fill in the blanks.<\/strong><\/li>\n
        2. All is well____________<\/li>\n
        3. To err is human, to ___________<\/li>\n
        4. It is no use crying over__________<\/li>\n
        5. It is better to give than to _______<\/li>\n
        6. Haste makes__________.<\/li>\n
        7. Faith will Move the ________.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            \n
          1. Find a story for your proverb.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            The teacher\u00a0 divides the class into two groups. Each one in the group tells a proverb in the their first language. Then translates it into English with the\u00a0 teacher\u2019s help and writes on the black board. Each one writes the proverb in their note book\u00a0 and find a story to explain the proverb. Each one tells a story to the class to explain the proverb. For instance for the proverb \u201c Truth always triumphs\u201d one can tell the story of King Harischandra. For \u201c Unity is Strength\u201d they can tell the story of the old man and his\u00a0 five sons.<\/p>\n

            \"ELTWeekly\"<\/p>\n

            V.Conclusion<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

            Many\u00a0 feel that there is a threat to our local languages and\u00a0 culture with the\u00a0 advent of globalization and with the intrusion of English. For instance, Robert Phillipson calls it a killer language. \u00a0Some scholars including Alastair Pennycook are concerned with the\u00a0 role of English in the globalized contexts. \u00a0Tove Skutnabb-Kangas argues for linguistic human rights and mother tongue education. On the other hand, \u00a0in India, scholars \u00a0and activitists like Kancha Illaiah, Chandrabhan Prasad, Meena Kandaswamy argue for English language education for the deprived children.\u00a0 When we cannot resist English as it is needed for empowerment and for inclusive growth, we also need to be aware of the concerns highlighted by the scholars who have\u00a0 pointed out the\u00a0 potential threat of English and also the merits of using mother tongue. Hence, we need to integrate the teaching of English to our local languages and traditions. This will help\u00a0 our local languages to\u00a0 survive. The \u00a0National Curriculum Framework<\/em> (2005) also asks for it. Needless to say,\u00a0\u00a0 this will facilitate better learning of English. \u00a0Infact, the author tried out\u00a0 using local proverbs to teach English in a\u00a0 High School in Balangir district of Odisha. Students\u00a0\u00a0 recollected proverbs and stories from their environment and\u00a0 engaged in group activities and writing. They also used proverbs and stories\u00a0 they had learned in their L1 text books. They were motivated and very happy\u00a0 that proverbs and stories from own culture are discussed in the classroom. It is need of the hour to utilize proverbs and other folk materials to teach English in multilingual contexts like ours.<\/p>\n

            References<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

            Dash, Sabeshwar. (1985).\u00a0 Prabada O Prabachana Sankalana (An Anthology of Folk Sayings and Proverbs<\/em>) Cuttack: Grantha Mandir.<\/p>\n

            Kuskovskaya, S (1987). English Proverbs and Sayings<\/em>. Minsk: Vysheushaya Shkola Publishers.<\/p>\n

            Saraswathi, V. Ed. (2004). Idioms and Proverb<\/em>s. Chennai: Emerald Publishers.<\/p>\n

            Shipley, Joseph. (1970). Dictionary of World Literary Terms<\/em>. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd.<\/p>\n

            Phillipson, R and Skutnabb-Kangas, T. (1996). English only world inside\u00a0 or language ecology? TESOL Quarterly<\/em> 30(3) 429-452.<\/p>\n

            The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Prove<\/em>rbs. 1982. Third Edition1998. Oxford: OUP.<\/p>\n

            About the Author<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

            Dr Anand Mahanand<\/strong> has been on the faculty of\u00a0 English at the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad for more than fifteen years. His areas of interest include English\u00a0 for\u00a0 Academic\u00a0 Purposes, Language through Literature\u00a0 and English in Multilingual (Indigenous) Contexts. He has conducted and supervised research projects and published books, materials and research papers in these areas. He has been working in\u00a0 the area of using local resources for English language education.\u00a0 He has prepared text books using riddles, folksongs, folktales and proverbs to teach English. \u00a0His major publications include Study Skill in English<\/em> (co-authored),\u00a0 Tribal Folktales from Orissa<\/em> (2009), English through Folktales<\/em> (2011),Representations of <\/em>\u00a0Tribal India in Fiction<\/em> (2011),Real English<\/em> (co-authored 2010) ,\u00a0 English for Academic and Professional Skills<\/em> (2012) and\u00a0 Riddles for the Classroom<\/em> (2014)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            [ELTWeekly Volume 6, Issue 12 |\u00a0May 12, 2014 | ISSN 0975-3036] This paper is written and submitted by Dr.\u00a0Anand Mahanand, EFL University, Hyderabad. Abstract We understand folklore as wisdom of people transmitted from generation to generation. They are a repertoire of traditional\u00a0 knowledge and wisdom. They include songs, tales, chants, proverbs and riddles and so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","omw_enable_modal_window":"enable","ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,466,53,324,391],"tags":[534,535],"class_list":["post-4706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-elt-newsletter","category-elt-research-papers","category-eltweekly","category-eltweekly-volume-6-eltweekly","category-volume-6-issue-13","tag-anand-mahanand","tag-anand-mahanand-research-papers","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4706","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4706"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4706\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}