Teaching Amazigh Proverbs In Amazigh Language Class

Abstract

This article explores the integration of proverbs into language instruction. We present pedagogical applications aimed at effectively utilizing these expressions, demonstrating how learners respond positively to this support, thus reinforcing their understanding of linguistic expressions. Our focus lies particularly on the impact of teaching Algerian (Kabyle) proverbs on the acquisition of the Amazigh language within educational institutions. A preliminary observation reveals the scarcity of studies dedicated to the use of proverb instruction, especially within language classes. The Kabyle proverb, when integrated into the educational framework, emerges as a contributor to individual education, particularly among learners. Anchored in the constructivism of Jean Piaget (1964), our theoretical approach aims to offer innovative pedagogical strategies by integrating proverbs into the language teaching. A selection of proverbs covering various aspects of life is proposed, encouraging instructors to apply them in the classroom while evaluating the effectiveness of this teaching. The process is based on Mackey's (1972) guidelines, emphasizing that the instructor must understand that the teaching method determines what elements to teach, the quantity of elements to choose (selection), the order of teaching (gradation), the mode of content and form transmission (presentation), and the mechanisms to establish to transform language use into an unconscious process (repetition). To illustrate this application, our approach relies on a corpus comprising about a hundred proverbs addressing various themes, extracted from different collections such as: "Proverbes et dictons kabyles" (Kabyle proverbs and sayings) by Youssef NACIB, "Proverbes berbères de Kabylie" (Berber proverbs from Kabylia) by Tahar HAMADACHE and "Proverbes berbères de Kabylie" (Berber proverbs from Kabylia) by Kahina AIT-AHMED-SLIMANI.