Feliz Navidad! Hearing this phrase recently has inspired this quarter’s language lesson. (It has also caused me to have an almost constant earworm, but I’m good with it!)
At any rate, this lesson will cover several foreign phrases that should be a part of everyone’s vocabulary.
Many years ago the state added a list of foreign phrases to our high school ELA standards. At first, I privately objected to this list because many of them were foreign to me personally. ☺
I thought my students would rarely hear or see these phrases in use.
However, as I began to study the list in preparation to teach it, I was amazed at how often these expressions appeared out of nowhere in books, on television, in conversation, and in the world around me. It’s funny what a little focus will do, huh!
Even though I remember a little French from my elementary days in Davidson County and Latin from my high school years, I am not fluent in any language other than English. Nonetheless, many foreign expressions are commonly used today, and everyone should understand their meaning.
How many of the following expressions can you identify?
- ad nauseam
- alma mater
- alpha and omega
- avant-garde
- bon voyage
- bona fide
- carte blanche
- caveat emptor
- cum laude
- déjà vu
- du jour
- e pluribus unum
- enfant terrible
- esprit de corps
- faux pas
- femme fatale
- hoi polloi
- joie de vivre
- prima donna
- status quo
- tabula rasa
- tempus fugit
- terra firma
- verbatim
- vox populi
Take a look at the terms and definitions chart to check your answers.
For those of you interested in a little further challenge, take the Foreign Phrases Quiz and complete the Foreign Phrases Crossword Puzzle. You are welcome to use these resources with your homeschooled students as well.
I hope you enjoy this review of foreign phrases, and may your knowledge be rooted in the Word.
While José Feliciano popularized the expression and the song “Feliz Navidad” fifty years ago, I still want to wish you all a “Merry Christmas” from the bottom of my heart!
“The man who speaks two languages is worth two.”–French proverb
Revelation 21:6
Hey Joyce….this is very cool. Almost as neat as the crossword puzzle.
Good job.
Sent from my iPhone
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Did you know all the answers??