Poetry in Language TeachingDr Nicholas Roberts

Pre-amblePablo Neruda

‘Oscuros cauces donde la sed eterna sigue,y la fatiga sigue, y el dolor infinito.’

[‘Dark riverbeds where eternal thirst follows,and weariness follows, and infinite pain.’]

Why Poetry?High quality language: a modelSimple language to convey complex ideasChallengingEssence of human experience: crossing

boundaries of language and cultureMore specific cultural engagementsPoetry embodies ‘a marvellous potential if

one wants to bridge the gap between teaching language and teaching literature’ (Cariboni Killander, 2011)

See:Hestnes 2011; Cariboni Killander, 2011; Reilly 2012: Paran 2008

What skills does poetry in FLT help develop?Linguistic skills (see: Melin 2010; Hanauer 2001, 2012; Tin

2011)Accuracy of pronunciation (Melin 2010)Development of L2 complex syntax and vocabularyDevelopment of understanding of semantics and pragmaticsDeepens L2 learners’ ways of expressing themselves

Critical thinking (Hanauer 1997, Melin 2010, Hall 2005)Forces learner to evaluate his/her current linguistic levelEncourages a more analytical engagement with languageEncourages critical thinking about ‘big’ issuesEnriches emotional life and empathic attitude

Cultural awareness and understanding (Hanauer 2001; Melin 2010)Ability to understand other culturesEncourages L2 learners to imagine other ways of life

How to Use PoetryReading (Akyel 1995; Hanauer 2001; Lazar 1996, Melin 2010)

Focuses students’ attention on the form of a language Pronunciation Cultural awareness

‘the activity of reading poetry, which focuses students’ attention on linguistic forms as well as on the target culture, is a distinctive tool in teaching and learning a second language, and this tool should not be ignored’ (Reilly 2012)

Writing (Hanauer 2012; Tin 2011)

Can be adapted to different levels Short, simple vocabulary Focus on audio and visual images Confidence in self-expression Acrostics (high formal constraint poetry) is generally better (Tin

2001)

ReadingChoosing the poem

Hanauer 1997: should be chosen for relevance to the students, not dictated by concepts of cultural value

This has been questioned (Cariboni Killander 2011)

A blend: Accessible vocabulary Themes that may interest the students A poem that tells a story Importance of cultural value If possible, where a translation is available

Possible activitiesReading aloudIdentifying certain linguistic

structures/grammatical forms/pronouns/etc.Interpreting meaning

Reading Aloud (Hestes, 2011)

• You can divide them into several groups and help each group form a tight knot. Tell them to form a circle facing inwards and then make them move forward until everyone's shoulders are touching. Reading choirs sometimes work better if there is physical contact between the students.

• Try out different methods for going through the poem. The first reading and vocabulary check is often best dealt with while they are still sitting at their desks, since they may want to take notes. But you might also get them up and into groups before they are given the poem, they can always take notes afterwards.

• Make sure each student has a copy of the poem.

• Read it aloud in unison a few times. Divide them into groups of three to four students and let each group read a few lines, or let the students read one line each. Tell them to concentrate so that the lines flow nicely and with good rhythm.

• Let them whisper parts of the poem and shout other parts, or let them begin on a whisper and increase the volume as they go, ending with a shout.

• Teach them rhythm-reading: Clap or beat the rhythm with two or four beats to the line.

An example…An Gulinck (2012), ‘Using poetry in the

French classroom: workbook’, on the TES site, ‘Teaching Resources’ section.

Writing

Catalogue Patterns

Poem 1

Poem 2

One presentparticipleper line,

with each onedescribingthe nouns

in the last line of the poem.Noun, noun,

noun.

ChewingPlaying

Throwing toys in the airChasingEating

SleepingSniffing

Catching a ball

Waving a tailSwimming

BarkingDogs, dogs,

dogs.

Honkingspeeding

GoingTurningBraking

ScreechingCrashingJumpingStoppingSquealing

Cars, cars,cars!

The Catalogue Poem (See: Moulton and Holmes 1997)• essentially a vocabulary lesson• works well with beginning L2 students

The Comparison Poem (See: Gulinck 2012)• Practising adjectives and comparitives• works well with intermediate L2 students

Mon frère

marrant

fort

intelligent

fou

Now try to find creative comparisons for each adjective. Follow the example.Fort comme.......un lion..............................Intelligent comme........................................Bavard comme.............................................Fou comme.................................................

You could then use comparatives or superlatives:Il est plus fort que…Il est moins fort que…

More Complex Pattern Poem • To develop more complex grammar constructions• works well with more advanced L2 students

Example:Rudyard Kipling once wrote the famous poem

called ‘If’. So, why not use his idea and compose a French poem with the title ‘Si’.

In order to write the following poem, you need to have a firm grasp of the imperfect and the conditional tenses. Do you remember how to use these tenses?

Now think of some things you are not, have not, rule not etc. Think of which infinitive you will need to use in French and then find the imperfect tense verb form for each of those verbs. This part of the poem is all about you and the situation you are not in. (eg If I were rich (but I am not))

Infinitive Imperfect tense form                  

Then think of what you would do in case you were in the situation mentioned by the si- (or if-) clause. Write the French infinitives in the left column and then change the infinitives to the conditional verb forms in the right column. This part of the poem is all about what you would do, if only things were different (Eg. I would buy a new car).

Infinitive Conditional form                  

Cultural Knowledge and UnderstandingReadingWritingResearch Projects

Ideal for more advanced students

Example: ‘Café’, Eugenio MontejoVocabulary

Grammatical constructions Al + infinitive Subjunctive Freedom of word order in Spanish

Poem’s meaning Personal (poet) Target culture Human

Questions:What do you think this poem might be about? Jot down some

initial ideas. What words stick out? What does the poem evoke? With what different things is coffee associated?

The poet says he is interested in bringing the coffee out between the lines (‘entre líneas’) and behind his words (‘detrás de mis palabras’). In this regard, what words invoke the senses? How many of the senses are involved in the images that the poem gives us?

Can you identify where the poet links coffee to ‘homely’ scenes that we might think come from his own personal past?

Can you identify any lines where the poet links coffee to wider settings beyond his own home?

What has changed between ll. 3-5 and ll. 31-33? What does this imply Montejo thinks he has done in the course of the poem?

TASKS

A. Investigate the place and importance of coffee in Venezuela. How much does it produce? How much is consumed? Can you find any accounts of its role and place in everyday life?

B. What food, drink, or other element of everyday life do you consider to be important in your own culture. Can you write a poem about it? Follow Montejo’s cue and start each stanza with the thing in question, then let your imagination run riot.

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