Getting to grips with a  new area of Kiwi English can be a slightly creepy experience – when the area involves learning about New Zealand’s native bugs and insects.

Palmerston North’s learners  were inspired by the ‘Bugs are amazing’ message in a local Te Manawa museum brochure and went along to investigate. And the display of bugs certainly is great!

They got stuck into a few useful language tasks too – learning to use the word ‘amazing’ and choosing three facts to speak on about their chosen bug from the display. While the concept of a ‘sustainable world with insects’ was not covered extensively, learners grasped the important role insects and spiders play.

Several people from the ESOL Literacy class want to return to the museum with their families, and most made comments about their personal experience of bugs in their home country.

Learners shared

“We roast and grind cockroaches into powder and feed it to babies for medicine!”

“Crickets are very delicious!”

“We got these insects in Myanmar.”

“Centipedes and tarantula spiders are good medicine.  They make you strong!”

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