How can we optimize access to lexicon and oral expression through the proverb ritual?

"He who has planted a tree before dying has not lived in vain".

This African proverb betrays the thoughts I've had about my Spanish teacher since he passed away in November 2025. Indeed, the nominal group "Proverbio del dia" (Proverb about the day), like a slogan, marked my passage through high school. Thanks to Mr. Mvilongo Lewonapaul Sixter, I learned over 200 proverbs and famous quotations in Spanish in the 4th, 2nd, 1st and 12th grades. This ritual took place at the end of each class.

Not only did it allow me to discover new words, but also to delve into the wisdom of the "Spanish empire", especially since, "Proverbs are the wisdom of nations" (MERABET, 2011).

Once a teacher, I didn't hesitate to copy this good example, and the result is still satisfying and existing. Since then, I've used it at university, high school and even elementary school. In fact, it was following an exchange with trainers on experience sharing in the Stains district of the Créteil Academy in France that I thought it would be useful to share this approach through a post. It's not just about the benefits of using proverbs in learning, but also about a simple, effective approach to implementing them.

In an article dedicated to the use of proverbs in learning, particularly in its application to the Spanish language, Mame Couna Mbaye speaks of their teaching in these terms:

"Teaching proverbs involves three phases: - understanding them, - making the most of the "treasure" they contain, and - their correct use by learners. The comprehension phase concerns the meaning of a proverb's message. We believe it's possible to grasp this meaning through lexical, morphosyntactic and semantic analysis".

I'm not against these phases, however, I'm proposing an approach to optimizing access to the lexicon based on my experience and geared towards the smallest; who need simplified approaches.

1 - Identify your audience and adapt your proverbs

First of all, teachers need to identify their audience. Proverbs are profound thoughts at different levels of understanding.

A beau mentir qui vient de loin" ("A fine lie comes from far away")

would be less obvious to second graders than

"Union is strength".

So, if you know your class and the age of your pupils, the first thing to do at the start of the year or term is to identify the proverbs best suited to your audience. This audience can be multicultural. At least one proverb should be found in each student's background.

Experience has shown that in a class of mixed origins, tackling a proverb from each country helps each student to feel part of a group, and proud of it. It also enables learners to appreciate differences, as proverbs convey the culture and wisdom of different peoples (Mbaye). This choice also makes it possible to approach geography as a journey through different countries.

2 - Introduce the ritual "a proverb a day" or "proverb of the day".

Ritualization facilitates comprehension and retention. As the saying goes, "repetition is the mother of teaching". Ritualization in the form of repetition can be observed on two levels. It involves repeating a daily practice, that of proverbs, and recalling before the next proverb the proverb covered the day before or during the last lesson.

Every morning, students write their proverb in the appropriate notebook. When the exercise becomes a ritual, it's usually the learners who chant the "proverb of the day".

3 - Procedure

The exercise always begins with a reminder of the previous proverb. Above all, ask the students in what situations they have used it. Of course, not all of them will have done so, but those who have will give you an opportunity to check in a specific situation whether they've understood the explanation given in class. Then, after reviewing the previous proverb, the new proverb is written on the board. Since the words in proverbs are generally polysemous, the first step is to explain them.

Difficult words are commented on first by the students and then by the teacher, if the students don't give the right explanation. After all, it's important to let students explore the links between new words and previous ones. In this regard, Constance Lavoie (2015), citing Aitchison (2012), states.

"according to psycholinguistic data about vocabulary learning mechanisms, the acquisition of new lexical items and their retention in active memory would be conditioned by the creation of associative links."

Once the key words have been explained, depending on whether you're dealing with Cycle 2 or Cycle 3 pupils, you need to use concrete situations to explain the proverb. The example should be as close to the learners as possible. For example, you could ask your students: "Do you know why we form work groups in class?" In addition to the students' answers, you can add: "There's strength in numbers", "A group is equal to several intelligences, so it's strong".

It's important to make it clear from day one, especially if you're in Cycle 2, that the proverbial sentence may not follow the classic order when it comes to grammar rules. It's also worth mentioning that omissions can be made. For example, "Pierre qui roule n'amasse de mousse" ("A rolling stone gathers no moss") can be confusing, as students are used to seeing nouns preceded by determiners. In the context of the proverb, they'll know that these are the exceptions, that in principle, the sentence should have been " Une pierre qui roule n'amasse pas de mousse" (" A rolling stone doesn't gather moss"). Always recommend that students reuse the proverb in discussion situations. The teacher should also use them when necessary in conversations with students in class.

Another approach is to choose the proverb according to the lesson being addressed. For example, if a lesson is about the environment, the proverb of the day might be "He who has planted a tree before dying has not lived uselessly". While this proverb refers to human reproduction, it can also be used to explain the wisdom of planting trees.

An integrative approach

In conclusion, by the end of the year you'll have tackled some 150 proverbs. Thanks to this approach, your students will have discovered a number of words in the lexicon, and enriched their vocabulary and polysemy. They'll have traveled the world, as proverbs often carry the mantle of their origins. This practice enhances the students' vocabulary and makes them more eloquent. The debate that follows each proverb allows students to gain different perspectives on proverbs.

If at the end of the year, only a quarter of these proverbs are reused by your learners, you've won the bet. Understanding and exchanging proverbs with other people will be much easier. Suggest one proverb a day to your learners, and you'll be amazed by their oral expression.

"C'est en forgeant que l'on devient forgeron".

Illustration, Copilote, "Generate an image with the text proverb of the day".

References

Aitchison, Jean,(2012), Words in the mind: An introduction to the mental lexicon, Hoboken.

Lavoie, Constance, (2015), "Trois stratégies efficaces pour enseigner le vocabulaire: une expérience en contexte scolaire innu", Revue canadienne de linguistique appliquée, NO 18, 1, pp. 1-20.

Mbaye, Mame Couna (2020), "Pour une pratique d'enseignement-apprentissage des proverbes en classe de langue : l'exemple de la langue espagnole avec des étudiants francophones", in Denis Vigneron, Déborah Vandewoude and Carmen Pineira-Tresmontant L'enseignement-apprentissage des langues étrangères à l'heure du CECRL, Enjeux, motivation, implication, Artois Presses Université, pp. 105-113.

MERABET Makhlouf, (2011), " La phrase proverbiale et l'enseignement/ apprentissage du FLE", Dissertation prepared for the Master's degree at Université Mohamed Kheider ـــ Biskra.