TEACHING PROVERBS AS COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE - AN APPROACH TO TEACHING STUDENTS IN A HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTION

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Putri

Proverbs used in the communicative approach to language teaching must deliver authentic, real, credible meaning in classroom utterances. Student tasks should mirror genuine communication situations faced beyond the classroom and align with learners’ interests. The paper investigates Setswana proverbs focused on upbringing, emphasizing uplifting, inspiring guidance and virtuous spirit formation. A descriptive and quantitative design with 26 first-year Setswana students used a questionnaire to evaluate significance for effective Setswana education.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Proverbs

Upbringing

Uplifting and Inspiring

TEACHING PROVERBS AS COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE: AN APPROACH TO TEACHING STUDENTS IN A HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTION Bridget Mangwegape Dr. , Central University of Technology, SOUTH AFRICA, [bmangwegape@cut.ac.za](bmangwegape@cut.ac.za) Abstract The most crucial requirement for proverbs used during the communicative approach to language teaching is that they must bring authentic, real, and credible meaning to language utterances. The students' tasks must resemble, as far as possible, the actual communication situation that students are confronted with and would be confronted with outside the classroom. It is also crucial that the proverbs material used falls within the students' fields of interest. This paper focuses on proverbs in Setswana that deal with upbringing, that tend to be uplifting and inspiring, that share the practical wisdom of African people with the world, and that inculcate a virtuous spirit in younger generations. Descriptive and quantitative approaches were used, and 26 first-year Setswana students answered a questionnaire. The reasons for considering the significance of proverbs are to learn in the classroom, how proverbs help to communicate effectively and most importantly, to focus on learning Setswana proverbs for Setswana language education and effective communication outside the classroom. Keywords: Classroom, communicative language, proverbs, material, teaching Setswana 1 INTRODUCTION African proverbs are highly effective in exercising social control as they express the group's morals or ethics, particularly Setswana. They are ideally suited for commenting on the behaviour of others. As an aspect of culture, African proverbs are valued and conserved in the Setswana language in which they are expressed. Proverbs' moral and didactive implications make them useful for teaching expressly Setswana language at any level of education. According to Oba (2012), the proverb has been. It remains a most powerful and effective instrument for transmitting culture, social morality, manners, and ideas of people from one generation to another. The purpose behind the value of the proverb is that it is an aphorism, a wise saying based upon people's experience, and it reflects the social value and sensibility of the people. The proverb, if well taught, with the proper knowledge and skills, should add moral and academic value in the students and improve their writing skills and life performance. This means in either the context, it is presented in or out of the class. 1.1 Proverbs Proverbs are generally defined as short and pithy expressions of truism used in Setswana cultures. They are born of observation of phenomena and experience in people's environment. They are commonly known in a group and are passed on from generation to generation (Wolgang Mieder, 2004) . Setswana proverbs are highly effective in exercising social control as they express the morals or ethics of the group; they are convenient standards for appraising behaviour in terms of the approved norms. According to Bascom (1965:295), African proverbs were orally transmitted to the following generations. They are used to enlighten generation after generation about the principles of living a decent, worthy and productive life in society. They also remind people of the values that a linguistic and cultural group holds dear. They teach values such as love, respect, diligence, honesty and good citizenship. Although they are also meant for educating children, with their metaphorical nature, proverbs are more abstract and more suitable for older children and adults. African people in the olden days observed the behaviour of things in their environment. Therefore, it makes sense why other living organisms' way of life is metaphorically used in advice and teachings in the form of proverbs. This is one of the many ways African societies used to sustain their existence and their way of life. Many of these Setswana proverbs also directly affect the peopl

FAQs

What requirement makes proverbs suitable for communicative language teaching?

They must convey authentic, real, credible meaning in learners’ language utterances. Activities should also resemble actual communication situations outside the classroom.

What does the study focus on regarding Setswana proverbs?

It focuses on Setswana proverbs about upbringing that are uplifting and inspiring. The paper also highlights their role in transferring practical African wisdom and cultivating a virtuous spirit in younger generations.

How was the research conducted?

The study used descriptive and quantitative approaches. A questionnaire was answered by 26 first-year Setswana students.

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Putri