THE ROLE OF FOLK PROVERBS IN DEVELOPING THE SPEECH OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS

This thesis examines the pedagogical role of folk proverbs in developing the oral and written speech of primary school pupils. Proverbs represent compact, expressive and culturally meaningful language units that combine lexical richness, figurative meaning, rhythm and moral experience. Their systematic use in mother-tongue and reading-literacy lessons can help pupils enlarge vocabulary, improve pronunciation, construct grammatically correct sentences, understand figurative language and express ideas in a concise and coherent manner. The paper discusses the didactic potential of proverbs, age-appropriate methods of working with them, and practical classroom activities such as interpretation, completion, comparison, situational use, storytelling and creative writing. It is argued that proverb-based instruction is most effective when it is connected with pupils’ everyday experience and organized through communicative, interactive and reflective tasks. Such activities not only strengthen speech skills but also contribute to cultural awareness, moral education and independent thinking.