Lesson Topics: proverbs, nuggets of wisdom
Skill Focus: Listening, Reading, Speaking, Vocabulary
Approximate Class Time: 2.25 hours
Lesson Plan Download: african-proverbs-advanced-lesson-052026.docx
Lesson Overview:
- Students first warm up with proverbs and the wisdom of the older generation.
- This lesson's input is a 3:13-minute video on Sub-Saharan African proverbs. The video lists 18 proverbs, which are also listed in print form on the first page. After watching the video, students are asked to explain the underlying meaning of each proverb and whether they agree with it. This section is designed for reading and speaking practice.
- Next, students review phrases from the video and match key vocabulary to definitions. Once complete, students use some of the new vocabulary to complete discussion questions.
- As a language focus, the next activity reviews the parallel structure found in several of the proverbs and asks students to try to write their own proverbs in similar structures.
- Because the proverbs touch on a variety of topics, it's difficult to focus a particular roleplay scenario on them. Instead, as the main speaking activity, students play a game in which they hear scenarios from their teacher (provided on page 4), and then decide if certain proverbs apply to that situation. The game can be repeated for three rounds to cover all proverbs.
- As a final speaking activity, students look at six proverbs and decide which version is fake or real.
- Next, to practice the lesson's vocabulary, students create a story (or stories) using five images designed to elicit some of the vocabulary.
- Afterward, students review vocabulary and the lesson's collocations.
- Finally, the lesson ends with a few final discussion questions.
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ADVANCED (C1/C2) Lesson on African Proverbs
Warm-up Questions
- What is a proverb? How does it differ from an idiom?
- Do you have favorite proverbs or ones that you use often?
- What would you say are some ideas about life that the older generation from your culture tries to pass down?
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This lesson plan was created by Matthew Barton of EnglishCurrent.com (copyright). Site members may photocopy and edit the file for their classes. Permission is not given to rebrand the lesson, redistribute it on another platform, or sell it as part of commercial course curriculum. Claude was used to generate answer keys and some famous quotations. For questions, contact the author.
Comprehension Question Answer Key:
1) The narrator argues that "look before you leap" has been weakened by overexposure — it has been repeated so often that its truth no longer feels effective or surprising.
2) The narrator believes African proverbs have power not because they present new ideas, but because they lend fresh life to essential ones — reminding us of what we already know but have become too worn down to remember.
Proverb Situations (for game)
- A small country protests against the human rights violations of a powerful nation, but nobody listens.
- Sarah trained for a marathon in perfect weather conditions every day. On race day, it rained heavily and she struggled significantly.
- A politician who grew up in poverty becomes wealthy and powerful, and then cuts benefits for low-income families.
- A company executive makes a terrible decision that costs hundreds of employees their jobs, but faces no consequences himself.
- A legendary boxer who stayed in the sport too long is finally showing his age. Younger, hungrier fighters are speaking disrespectfully about him and lining up to fight him.
- A couple argues every day, making life at home miserable for their children. Still, they stay together because divorce goes against their beliefs.
- A child who is bullied at school for years becomes an adult with deep anger and trust issues. He is going to his high school reunion next week.
- History textbooks in India were written entirely by the British. The books glorify many aspects of colonialism.
- A parent cannot accept that their child does not want an arranged marriage, which is tradition in their country. The child runs away at the age of eighteen.
- A cook gets angry at a restaurant manager, causing a huge scene. The cook is fired. Other restaurants are unwilling to hire him after hearing about it.
- A government that has oppressed its people for decades is beginning to lose control. Small protest groups are emerging across the country.
- A man spends twenty years building a successful restaurant from scratch. His son inherits it, makes a series of poor decisions, and it closes within a year.
- Two colleagues who have worked closely together for a decade fall into a bitter disagreement over credit for a project. Their manager is shocked.
- (add your own)
Vocabulary answer key: 1-l, 2-h, 3-i, 4-g, 5-c, 6-k, 7-a, 8-d, 9-b, 10-j, 11-f, 12-e
Collocations: 1-d, 2-e, 3-a, 4-c, 5-b