Weather Folklore

Why is this a subject in ESL (English as a Second Language) texts? It makes no sense. This is the exercise. “Read the following statements about the weather. Decide whether they are true or false. Discuss your answers.” Number 1. Bees stay close to their hives when it’s going to rain. Seems simple enough. Key words to explain. Bees. Hives. Near. Rain. All very easy to draw on the white board. No one had better try to take me on at Pictionary after this year. I have drawn so many pictures; my talent even astounds me at times.

Next one. More difficult. You can count the chirps on a cricket to tell the temperature. Have you ever tried to draw a cricket? They’ve not heard of Pinnochio, so the Jimminy Cricket reference is null and void. And have you ever seen a cricket up close? And how do you explain “chirp?”

Okay, let’s try the Groundhog Day phenomenon. Explaining everyone watches as a groundhog comes out of his hole and whether or not he sees his shadow will determine whether or not we have 6 more weeks of winter. Sounds pretty silly when you take a step back. And looks even sillier when an amateur artist tries to capture it in pictures (and charades). All I can say is by the end of the class, we were all laughing hysterically.