You will learn
- Name community languages.
- Use greetings and sayings.
- Say how language holds culture.
- Respect all speakers.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Our community has many languages.
- Expressions and proverbs hold wisdom.
- Language holds culture.
- We respect all languages.
Words to know
words and sounds used to communicate
a way of saying something
a puzzle in words
able to use more than one language
1. Discover: A market full of languages
At the market, Abu hears Krio, Mende, Temne and English. A seller says a proverb in Mende. A buyer laughs and replies in Krio. Abu’s mother greets another seller in Temne. “Many people here are multilingual,” says Abu’s mother. “They use different languages for different people.”
Think: Which languages do you hear around you?
2. Understand: Languages
Idea 1: Many languages
A language is words and sounds used to communicate. Sierra Leone has many languages, including Krio, Mende, Temne, Limba, Kono and English, the official language. Many people are multilingual.
Idea 2: Expressions
An expression is a way of saying something, such as a greeting, a proverb or a riddle. Every language has its own sayings that carry wisdom, humour and history.
Idea 3: Language and culture
Language holds a community’s culture: songs, stories, jokes and ways of showing respect. When a language is lost, a part of culture can be lost too. We respect and protect all languages by using, teaching and learning them.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Greet
Greet two ways.
- Think.
- Say.
- Smile.
Answer: Hello and Kushe.
Example 2 (We do it together): Riddle
Make a riddle.
- Think.
- Write.
- Ask.
Answer: What has hands but cannot clap? A clock.
Example 3 (You try): Respect
How to respect?
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Do.
Answer: Listen and learn.
Did you know?
Krio is the most widely spoken language in Sierra Leone as a shared language between groups, and it grew from English mixed with African languages.
Why this matters
Respecting languages helps people feel welcome and keeps culture alive.
4. Explore: Language board
Make a classroom language board with greetings, thank-yous and counting words in different languages. Add a riddle or proverb in each if you can.
- Collect words.
- Write them.
- Decorate.
- Share.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Our class knew many languages together.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A language is ___.
- An expression is ___.
- A riddle is ___.
- Multilingual means ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a language?
Words used to communicate.
Question 2. What is an expression?
A way of saying something.
Question 3. What is a riddle?
A word puzzle.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a language?
- What is an expression?
- What is a riddle?
- What is multilingual?
- Name a language of Sierra Leone.
Level 2: Grow
- Why respect all languages?
- Why keep languages alive?
- Why learn greetings?
Level 3: Stretch
- Make a language board.
- Write a riddle.
- Teach a word.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Name three languages you hear around you.
Show a sample answer
Answers vary.
Another one. Learn a greeting from a family member.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: All languages matter.
Fix: Accents are normal.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can name community languages.
- I can use greetings and sayings.
- I can say how language holds culture.
- I can respect all speakers.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Our community has many languages.
- Expressions and proverbs hold wisdom.
- Language holds culture.
- We respect all languages.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Traditional foods. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Name three languages used in Sierra Leone. [3 marks]
- Say what a riddle is and give one. [3 marks]
- Say how language holds culture. [2 marks]
- Say one way to respect languages. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Three [3]
- Meaning [1]; riddle [1]; answer [1]
- Songs/stories [1]; respect [1]
- Way [1]; reason [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is a language?
- What is an expression?
- What is a riddle?
- What is multilingual?
- Name a language of Sierra Leone.
- Why respect all languages?
- Why keep languages alive?
- Why learn greetings?
- Make a language board.
- Write a riddle.
Homework
Learn a greeting or riddle from a family member and teach it to the class.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a language? | Words used to communicate. | 1 |
| 2. What is an expression? | A way of saying something. | 1 |
| 3. What is a riddle? | A word puzzle. | 1 |
| 4. What is multilingual? | Using many languages. | 1 |
| 5. Name a language of Sierra Leone. | Krio. | 1 |
| 6. Why respect all languages? | All matter. | 1 |
| 7. Why keep languages alive? | Culture. | 1 |
| 8. Why learn greetings? | Be kind. | 1 |
| 9. Make a language board. | Board. | 1 |
| 10. Write a riddle. | Riddle. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Words used to communicate.; 2 A way of saying something.; 3 A word puzzle.; 4 Using many languages.; 5 Krio.. Level 2: 1 All matter.; 2 Culture.; 3 Be kind.. Level 3: 1 Board.; 2 Riddle.; 3 Word..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Name community languages | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Use greetings and sayings | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Say how language holds culture | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Respect all speakers | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Only English matters.” All languages matter.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a mini language chart at home.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns about languages and expressions. Please teach a greeting or saying from your home language. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Speak home languages.
- Teach sayings.
- Value all languages.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: name community languages; use greetings and sayings; say how language holds culture; respect all speakers.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 2 ideas: families, communities and respecting diversity.
Materials. Chart paper, markers. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Prepare a language board frame.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the market languages story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach.
Guided activity (10 min). Make a board.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What languages do we have? How do they hold culture?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Only English matters.” All languages matter.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Make a mini language chart at home. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 2 Unit 2, topic 5; NCSS C3 Framework, culture and diversity; Cambridge Primary Humanities, people and cultures; IB Primary Years Programme, who we are. These sources informed the lesson.