Share how folk wisdom perceives the value and meaning of speech in life.

Topic: Folk wisdom has the saying: 'Words wrapped in gold,' alongside another saying: 'Words cost nothing to buy, Choose words that speak to each other's satisfaction.' Discuss how folk wisdom interprets the value and meaning of speech in life through these two sayings.

I. Outline: Explore how folk wisdom understands the value and meaning of speech in life
 

1. Introduction

- Introduce the topic for discussion.
 

2. Body

a. Definition of Speech:

- Human speech is the most common form of language expression. Through speech, individuals can convey desired information, express emotions, share desires, exchange information, knowledge, and experiences.
- Human speech seems like a magical auditory symbol, enabling us to distinguish ourselves from other species. It is also one of the first tools that humans use to step into society.

b. Explanation of Proverbial Expressions:

- The proverbial expression 'Words wrapped in gold':
+ Represents the profound view of ancestors on the importance of speech, reminding each person to be cautious and thoughtful before speaking about anything.
+ Valuable words are like gold and silver, precious and should be treasured, protected, and not easily given away.
- 'Words cost nothing to buy':
+ Speech, language is an inherent asset of humans, a wealth that flows endlessly throughout our lives, abundant and requiring no material exchange.
+ 'Choose words that speak to each other's satisfaction' is sincere advice on intelligent and clever communication to achieve personal goals.

c. Discussion:

- Despite the apparent contrast in the two proverbial expressions, they complement each other, forming a deeply insightful lesson derived from ancestral wisdom on communication in life.
- 'Words wrapped in gold,' representing valuable assets, suggests that although language is inherent, humans should not use it wastefully, thoughtlessly, or for the wrong purposes. Instead, careful consideration and selection are necessary. (Provide examples).
- The judicious and reasonable use of language assets will make us beloved, trusted, and desired for closeness and friendship.
- Speech is the means of expressing intelligence, emotional intelligence, cultural literacy, character, and personality.

d. Lesson:

- Each of us must learn and improve our language style and communication skills daily.
- Individuals must be conscious of what constitutes civilized politeness in communication. In any communicative context, one should be polite, courteous, speak appropriately, and avoid vulgar language or offending others.

3. Conclusion

Share personal thoughts.
 

II. Sample Essay: How Folk Wisdom Perceives the Value and Meaning of Speech in Life

Vietnam is a country with profound and beautiful folk cultural values, especially in the creation of proverbs and sayings containing spiritual values and experiences distilled from ancient times to pass on to descendants. They are not recorded but mainly transmitted orally, from generation to generation, and despite the countless years that have passed, they still preserve their values. According to the ancients, there is much to learn, including 'Learning to eat, learning to speak, learning to wrap, learning to open.' Eating and speaking have become essential conditions for human survival and development in society. Our ancestors left behind many wise proverbs to advise future generations on speech and behavior in life, exemplified by 'Words wrapped in gold' and 'Words cost nothing to buy/Choose words that speak to each other's satisfaction.'

The advancement of the human world beyond other species is due to human intelligence and language. Human speech is the most common form of language expression, allowing the transmission of desired information, emotions, wishes, exchange of knowledge, and experiences. Language, spoken words, are the foundation for the flourishing of human civilization over millions of years. Human speech seems like a miraculous sound sign, helping us distinguish from other species, and it is one of the first tools for humans to enter society. Therefore, it's understandable why the words and speech of ancestors have always been valued. Even in ancient cultures, speech had strict rules, distinguishing class and status through intonation, addressing methods, and more. Today, human speech has become more versatile and less rigid due to the impact of free speech rights. However, we are still bound by certain social standards. What we say and how we say it correctly remains a top priority in human interactions.

The proverb 'Words wrapped in gold' expresses the profound importance of speech, where every word someone chooses to express holds unique values and meanings, even if it's a simple phrase. These valuable meanings force the listener to listen attentively to explore the hidden content and understand each other in communication. This proverb also reminds everyone to be cautious, reflecting before speaking, as valuable words, like gold and silver, must be treated with respect, protected, and not given away easily. In contrast, the saying 'Words cost nothing to buy/Choose words that speak to each other's satisfaction' implies that spoken words, language, are an inherent asset of humans. This asset is a continuous flow throughout our lives, rich and abundant, without the need for any material exchange. Therefore, our ancestors were profound in advising, 'Choose words that speak to each other's satisfaction,' emphasizing that wise and well-chosen words make communication more comfortable and intriguing compared to clumsy or rude expressions. Clever and selective use of language helps us easily achieve communication goals, build good relationships, gain trust, and be more successful in our work. In conclusion, the ancient teachings still hold true.

These two proverbs may seem contradictory in appearance, but in terms of content, they complement each other, forming a profound lesson from our ancestors about communication in life. 'Words wrapped in gold,' precious as gold and silver, are extremely valuable assets, and people should not use them wastefully, innocently, or even for the wrong purpose. Instead, careful consideration and thoughtful choices are needed, similar to financial planning, spending on what, investing for efficiency. For example, in business relationships, using business-related language may be harsh, but it does not mean compromising, but rather behaving cleverly based on the principle of mutual benefit to reach a final agreement. Therefore, it is clear that the words chosen reflect the importance and value through precise language selection, satisfying the other party. Similarly, in emotional relationships, one should use caring and gentle words to express feelings, making the other person feel warm and happy, thereby strengthening the relationship. When communicating with superiors, one must be careful, choose golden words and meaningful phrases to show respect, courtesy, and appreciation, so that everyone is pleased and understands. However, not all straightforward words are valuable; they are only valuable when communicated cleverly, making the listener comfortable. Otherwise, if the listener reacts negatively, it is considered a waste of our assets and a failure in communication.

Understanding the two proverbs enhances our communication, and using language assets wisely and reasonably makes us beloved, trusted, and desired. Communication abilities also reflect intelligence, emotional intelligence, cultural level, character, and personality. Therefore, we must learn and improve our language style and communication skills every day, guided by the above proverbs. Each person must be aware of what is civilized in communication, demonstrated in many aspects, from posture, gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, etc. Importantly, in any communication situation, we need politeness, refinement, proper speech, avoiding vulgar language, and not offending others. Simply put, when an inappropriate statement comes out of our mouths, it reflects our character and morality. This goes against what our ancestors have taught for generations.

In conclusion, both proverbs are sincere teachings from our ancestors to future generations about one of the most important aspects of human life. As the next generation inheriting the valuable experiences of our ancestors, we must learn to cultivate our daily words and speech properly, cleverly, and intelligently, cherishing our words as our souls.

Words play a crucial role in human communication and daily life. Alongside the essay 'How Folk Understand the Value and Meaning of Speech in Life', students can explore additional prompts for Exercise 6, Grade 7 Literature, such as: 'Spring is the season to plant trees/Making the country more prosperous every day.' What advice does Uncle Ho want to convey through these two lines of poetry? Why does planting trees in the spring contribute to the prosperity of the country?' 'Disorder covers the price of mirrors/People in one country must love each other.' What message do the ancient people want to convey in that folk saying? 'Failure is the mother of success.' Explain the meaning of this proverb. 'Learn, learn again, learn forever.' Explain the advice of Lenin: 'Learn, learn again, learn forever.'