LGA 3102: SONGS AND POETRY

INDEPENDENCE SELF LEARNING

WEEK 1

Poetry in the Language Classroom to Assist in Development of Speaking Skill

By Salma Ainy, Ph.D.
July 29, 2008
Introduction
One foremost reason for introducing and using literature in the language classroom is to
encourage expand students" creativity and the faculty of imagination. However, deciding
an appropriate text for the class is a crucial issue mainly because, when choosing a text,
language difficulty has to be considered, so that access is not restricted and the learners
can attain a basic level of comprehension.
McKay (1986) however, cautions against simplification of text, since this may result in
diluting information and reducing cohesion and readability. Students also need to be able
to identify with the experience, the thoughts and situations depicted in the text, in order
"to make connection to personal or social significance outside the text" (Brumfit, 1985:
108).
Therefore, as McRae (1991:126) suggests, a good choice would be any text that
encourages or invites interaction with the world of ideas, a text that "affirms, confirms
and expands the indispensable human capacity to read the world".
Assessing Usefulness
How can one assess the Usefulness of poetry as a text in the classroom enhancing
learner"s language ability, especially speaking?
It is important that texts should provide good potential for a variety of classroom
activities, in order to give students more chance to gain true familiarity with any work as
a whole. Most importantly, the texts should have the capacity to engage the interest of
the student. For example, as noted by Collie and Slater (1987), short stories offer
greater variety than longer texts, offering greater chance of finding something to appeal
to each individual"s tastes and interests, whilst poems offer a rich, varied range and are
a source of much enjoyment. A poem is a piece of writing in which the words are
chosen for their beauty and sound and are carefully arranged, often in short lines which
rhyme (Collin Cobuild, 2001). This definition, which contains no reference to
comprehension of difficult metaphorical, cultural, or ethical allusions, and nothing about
grammatical correctness, metrical structure, sentence structure or logical sequencing of
ideas, opens the doors to pop-songs, haiku, pattern poems, picture poems, nursery
rhymes and folk-songs, all of which can be viewed as poetry. A focus on the beauty of
the words of the target language and on their student-directed use in non-grammatical
as well as in grammatical contexts, can promote meaningful and relevant expression of
personal meanings, in addition to focusing on particular aspects of structure and syntax.
However, a poem may not always be a favoured item in the classroom mainly because
of its deviant and densely metaphorical use of language. Teaching poetry becomes
especially difficult when the emphasis is put on correctness in grammatical form. In the
EFL teaching scenario, there was little place for literature, poetry in particular, with its

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deviations and deviant image uses, since "it [poetry] is a misleading as a model [in
teaching approach] that insists on the gradual accumulation of correct forms"
(Widdowson, 1984:162).
However, use of poetry in teaching language has been seen as a road to learning
making by ESL practitioners from both philosophical and practical perspectives (Bakhtin
1986; Carter and Long 1990; Widdowson, 197 5). As pointed out by Hess
(2003:20):poetry, seems to bring out emotions and entering a literary text, under the
guidance of appropriate teaching, brings about the kind of participation almost no other
text can produce. When we read, understand and interpret a poem we learn language
through the expansion of our experience with a larger human reality. The use of poetry in
the writing class can provide an effective and collaborative means of language learning
and of personal expression.
According to Holten (1997) literature is quintessential language content and Collie and
Slater (1989), in their practical approach to literature in language teaching, promote
literature as authentic material that deals with universal human concerns, and invites
personal involvement. They add that the brilliant concision and strong imagery of poetry
enable the learner to experience the power of language outside the straightjacket of
more standard written structure and lexis. Poems often explore themes of universal
concern and embody life experiences, and thus initiate strong response from the reader.
There is also the initial advantage of lengt h as many poems are appropriate to a single
classroom lesson. Provided that learners are given help with the personal and linguistic
resources they will need, they are expected to attain the fuller enjoyment of a poem that
comes from a sense of sharing the poet"s created world and becoming, as reader, a new
creator of meaning.
Widdowson (1989) also argues that poetry has characteristics as a use of language
which make it especially well qualified to assist to develop in learners the ability to use
language, to put linguistic forms to the service of meaning. He adds that in the
interpretation of poetry, there is a necessary interdependence between the
understanding of formal structure and the recognition of a communicative effect.
Meaning is a function of a focus on form and an increased awareness of the subtleties of
poetic representation inevitably entails an increased awareness of the signifying
potential of grammar. Although, poetry and grammar, linguistic analysis and literary
interpretation, have by tradition been seen as distinct polarities and in opposition,
according to Widdowson (1989) however, they can be combined for mutual benefit, and
can initiate practical pedagogy with a broader educational perspective.
According to Hess (2003) through its drama, intensity, and tightly controlled emotional
context, a good poem is suitable for a close reading, with much language unfolding and,
as a result much good language practice. In dealing with a poem in the classroom, she
suggests a nine step technique that includes, trigger; vocabulary preview; bridge; listen,
react, and share; language; picture; more language; meaning and spin-off and provides
a description of each step and demonstrates how they should work to initiate the best
output. Hess claims that she had applied the formula to any number of poems, and
always found it enjoyable, linguistically rich, and communicatively satisfying.
Moreover, Maley and Duff (1989) point out that although, for many years now, literature,
in particular poetry has not been regarded as "proper" material for foreign language
learning, the rhythm and cadence of poetic language that we have had taste of during

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childhood, continues to flow as a deep undercurrent through our lives. The whole thrust
of the structuralist approach tended to exclude literature, and the utilitarian favouritism
towards the communicative approach deflected attention away from anything which did
not seem to have a practical purpose. When literature is included in language
programmes, the emphasis remains on the use of texts for commentary and analysis or
merely for illustration. In the case of poetry, for teachers, it is simply an optional extra
rather than an integral part of the language programme. However, Maley and Duff
(1989:7) suggest:
Poetry offers a rich resource for input to language learning. As such it is at least as
relevant as the more commonly accepted types of input (e.g. contrived dialogues,
isolated texts for reading comprehension, simulations, etc.). So, it should be given at
least equal weight.
They claim that the use of a poem as the centrepiece of a unit of material does not
prevent the use of other types of language in relation to it. For example, they illustrate
that the language used to agree and disagree about "meaning" in a poem will not be
essentially different from the language of discussion central to any interactional activity.
Therefore, if poetry is integrated with other forms of language, and thus demystified
through a direct approach, students will come to an understanding of what is special
about poetry as a mode of language use. And to the further understanding that it is no
more "special" than any other forms of language (e.g. sports report, advertisements,
labels, etc.).
Maley and Duff also consider the many advantages which poetry seems to offer. Poetry
as a form of language use is universal among all human beings. The themes (e.g. love,
death, nature, religious belief, despair, etc.) of poetry are common to all cultures, and the
conventions (for example, rhythm, rhyme, metre, alliteration, repetition, etc.) governing
the language of poetry are likewise familiar, which are readily recognisable to foreign
language learners from their mother tongue experience.
Therefore, the only unfamiliarity would be the foreign language which they may not
know, but will know the conventions. Although at first sight, poetry in the foreign
language may appear impenetrable, however, the familiarity with the conventions of
poetry in the students" mother tongue would make it more readily accessible to him or
her. Moreover, the realisation that, though they may be relatively inexpert in the
language, they can still appreciate (to a degree) what is thought to be a "difficult" use of
language, would work as an added advantage. The opportunity to play with language
also helps the learner learning it and poetry is per excellence the medium as all poets
stretch the language by coining new words, creating new collocations, experimenting
with sound, using old words in new ways, and so on. The ambiguity of a poem evokes
individual interpretations which are not necessarily shared by all readers, thus opens up
opportunity for discussion.
Moreover, poetry deals with important experiences and heightens the readers"
perception not only of such experiences, but also of the seemingly trivial or unimportant
ones. Poetry thus provides a content which will appeal to learners because they are able
to respond to it in their own way, adding to the motivating factor in learning. The
possibility of having multifarious interpretation will also let each individual student feel
that he or she has a valid contribution to make while discussing a poem. The suggestive,
colourful and associative quality of poems suggests that each learner"s personal

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interpretation has validity and because each person"s perception is different, it initiates
an almost infinite fund of interactive discussion and creates the necessary atmosphere
for a genuine exchange of ideas. The development of a personalised reaction to texts
engaging the intellect as well as the feelings is a very important part of the language
learning process.
Moreover, the memorability feature of a poem offers the natural ability to unconsciously
absorb language that enables the learner to retrieve grammatical and lexical information
he or she did not know they had. In language teaching, stress and rhythm are often
taught through the imitation of model sentences. According to Brown (cited in Maley and
Duff, 1989:11), rhythm "is not something extra; it is the guide to the structure of
information in the spoken message", and therefore, even though poetry may not focus
expressly on rhythm, it can help develop a sensitivity towards it. Moreover, some of the
essential features of fluent speech, such as clarity of diction, phrasing, stress and
rhythm, control and variation of pace etc. flow naturally from the reading of poetry aloud.
Poems also offer a complete context in compact form and the meanings conveyed in
poems are usually expressed very economically. In order to retrieve these meanings and
talk about them, it is necessary to expand and extend the words on the page, thus, from
a small language input a large and varied output can be generated.
However, there may still remain some doubts about the value and practicability of using
poetry as a major element in language teaching because of the conception that "poetry"
is equivalent to a special register which is characterised by archaisms, peculiar
inversions, heightened vocabulary, and so on. Nevertheless, in the classroom, there is
no need to choose poetry with these features, rather choose the ones which are closer
to "normal" language. Moreover, modern poetry does not necessarily use special
language features and choosing this kind of poetry minimises the problem of the
language that is "too special". When the teacher comes to select poems he or she will
need to take into account which poems are suited to the learners" interests, language
and maturity levels. Therefore, as far as possible, the level of difficulty of the poem
should approximate the level of competence of the learners. Learners should be offered
access to poems through carefully chosen activities and tasks that are designed to help
them appreciate the lyrical and melodic qualities of poetry as well as its metaphorical
richness in order to facilitate comprehension.
McRae and Vethamani (1999) observe that the growth of strong local literatures in
English has triggered a corresponding interest in incorporating such texts into language
teaching materials. Vethamani (1996) argues that new literatures are unjustly overlooked
in many teaching contexts, whereas their inclusion in the classroom can broaden
students" perception of the use of English in wider cultural contexts, thus will continue to
fuel interest in using literary texts for cross-cultural exploration. As such, literature lends
itself well to investigating similarities and differences between self and others, and to an
awareness and understanding of "the other" (Kramsch 1993).
Poetry: Realm of Intuited Truth
According to Kermode (1957: 128) poetry is "concerned with intuited truth, not with what
is discursively explicable by the reason". This section of the article will try to expand the
idea of "intuitive truth" and will demonstrate how a poem can be effectively used in the
language classroom.

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The imaginative space which poetry allows the reader is exactly in the realm of "intuited
truth", and that is what gives the reader the widest range of intuitive possibilities. Many
poems rich in language and imagery represent aspects of human experience in direct
but intuitive and concise but rich terms. Although poetic diction and the concept of the
poet as a kind of seer contribute to the distancing of poetry from day-to-day reality, in the
"average" mind, nevertheless, there are texts that can be approached as a simple
functional message. The poem titled "This is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams is a
fine example of use of such daily language. The poem can be presented in a message
form and when it is done as presented below, it gives the reader a very simple every day
message, may be written on a piece of scrap paper, left on the tea-table for the host to
read.
"This is just to say I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox and which you were
probably saving for breakfast. Forgive me, they were delicious, so sweet and so cold."
A whole range of ideas will emerge if questions are set on the poem such as, where the
message could be found, what its function might be, etc. The text, as presented above,
is both a simple message and an open text: a note of apology, and a description of
feelings of enjoyment. The text does not look like a poem, however, if it is now presented
as it was originally written as presented below, the pertinent question arises whether it
does suddenly change from being "not a poem" to being a poem.
This is Just to Say
I have eaten
The plums
That were in
The icebox
And which
You were probably
Saving
For breakfast
Forgive me
They were delicious
So sweet
And so cold
- William Carlos Williams
This original presentation will certainly promote further discussion. In order to keep the
discussion going, the learners have to make use of their "experience" and "knowledge of
the world". In this particular case, the intensity of longing and the after effect of the event
when the reality takes the apologetic turn. Experience can also initiate questions like:
Have you ever felt tempted before about eating/doing something? What did you do
then?
Do you think it is okay to behave this way?
Was the person your friend whom you have done something similar before?
What was his/her reaction to the incident before?
What might be the reaction of the host after reading the note?
Do you think you should replace the fruit next time you turn up? Why/why not?

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How would you have felt if someone had done the same to you?
Knowledge of the world may initiate questions such as:
What is a "plum"? Is there any fruit that grows in your country, which resembles "plum"?
Why do you have to apologise if you could eat the fruit without permission, when the
host is your friend or someone very close to you?
What age group do you think the person belongs to? Was it is very mature thing to eat
the plums without permission?
There are also poems written in the form of dramatic monologue. We quite often talk to
ourselves while alone. We talk about tit-bits of life and also sometimes create imaginary
situations and build up imaginary conversations on those. There are many poems written
in the form of a dramatic monologue which form a very rich resource for developing
spoken skills, for example by many classic poets such as John Donne, Robert Browning,
Samuel Coleridge, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, and many others, from different times.
These poems can be used to compare and contrast human nature and what goes on
inside their mind at a given point of time or situation.
Poems that relate universal personal experiences and focus on memory and the passing
of time are all obvious advantages and show that a theme can be a very good source on
which to base a discussion. Thus a theme-based approach to poetry can help students
to relate the situation to their own experience and talk about it in order to develop their
interpretative and conversational skills. They can also be asked to imagine situations
made complicated by chance and then initiate solutions through negotiation.
Moreover, songs can also be an impetus as resource materials within the category of
poetry. According to McRae, (1991) songs belong to the very best motivational texts to
be found. They contain a basic element of "story", or of a character clash, a point of view
or an engagement with a social or other issue, all of which can be very useful in initiating
interpretation and discussion. Universal subjects such as love, relationships, freedom,
political repression, and minority views are of worldwide interest and can stimulate
students" imagination and thoughts. The entertaining element of a popular song is an
added advantage in motivating the learner in the classroom.
To add further, as pointed out by Halliday (1985), the distinction between speaking and
writing is that they give two complementary perspectives - the synoptic and the dynamic.
The written language presents a synoptic view of the world, defining it as "product rather
than process", whereas the spoken language presents a dynamic view, defining "its
universe primarily as process". Carter and Long (1991) add that it can often be useful to
relate songs with this dynamic quality to other more static, more synoptic texts. Songs
can also be used as part of a theme-based set of texts or can be related to visual stimuli,
to advertisements or to other songs.
Conclusion
In many EFL contexts there are constraints/restraints on the teachers part in terms of
availability of books, or the set curriculum they are to follow. If the texts are imposed and
used year after year, it becomes more and more difficult to maintain ones originality and
enthusiasm, both on the parts of teachers and students. Goodwyn and Findlay (1999)
point out that teachers teach best when they are enthused about a text/topic they are

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teaching. Nevertheless, it has already been observed that the available texts and
materials including poems and songs suitable for the target group can be successfully
used to achieve objectives if used properly and systematically.

Songs in the classroom: a useful tool

Songs are part of daily life for most people. Who doesnt enjoy music at home, while
travelling or studying, or even at work? Language teachers can use songs to open or
close their lessons, to illustrate themes and topics, to add variety or a change of pace,
present new vocabulary or recycle known language. But how do songs actually benefit
your students? In the first part of this article we look at the theoretical background to
these questions; in the second half we look at what we can do with songs in the
classroom.
There is strong practical evidence supporting the use of music in the English language
classroom; there is also a growing body of research confirming that songs are a useful
tool in language acquisition. In fact musical and language processing occur in the same
area of the brain. (Medina, 1993)
Types of songs
There are many types of songs which can be used in the classroom, ranging from
nursery rhymes to contemporary pop music. There is also a lot of music written
specifically for English language teaching. A criticism of the latter is that they often lack
originality and musical appeal but there are good examples to be found of stimulating,
modern, cool music, appealing to the real tastes of language learners. Real music that
the children hear and play every day can be extremely motivating in the classroom, too.
However, the lyrics may not always be suitable: they may, for instance, contain slang or
offensive words, there may be grammatical mistakes and they may only marginally teach
the language points you want to focus on.
Which learners like songs?
Howard Gardner once said: Its not how intelligent you are, but how you are intelligent.
No two students learn in exactly the same way. In any classroom there will be a mix of
learning styles, and one student may use more than one style, depending on what the
task or topic is. To appeal to these differences is a huge teaching challenge. Gardner
distinguished eight styles of learning, and students in his aural/musical category will

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have a lot of benefit from learning through songs. They are strong in singing, picking up
sounds, remembering melodies and rhythms; they like to sing, hum, play instruments
and listen to music.
This is not to say that learners with other learning styles cannot benefit from songs. Of
course they can, because in the activities we develop with songs we can dance and act
(physical learning style), read, draw and do puzzles (spatial intelligence) tell stories, and
write (verbal learning styles).
Why are songs so suitable?
We cant generalise, but research has found that pop songs have characteristics that
help learning a second language: they often contain common, short words; they are
written at about 5th grade level (US); the language is conversational, time and place are
usually imprecise; the lyrics are often sung at a slower rate than spoken words and there
is repetition of words and grammar. (Murhpy, 1992). Furthermore, songs are also known
to lower the affective filter or, in other words, to motivate learners to learn. So, what
positive contributions to language learning can songs make?
Socio-emotional growth
Youll often find learners of any age singing together socially when they are visiting
friends, at a party or in karaoke bars. Teenagers and young adults seem to know an
endless number of songs by heart and share them continuously through the Internet and
portable music players. Even though its not always easy to copy this spontaneous love
of music in the classroom, singing songs in and with a class is a social act which allows
learners to participate in a group and express their feelings, no matter what their English
is like.
Physical development
Songs provide a great opportunity for young learners to move around. Clapping, dancing
and playing instruments stimulate memory, which makes it possible for learners to hear
chunks of language as they sing and use them in different situations later. Older learners
can also benefit from clapping, dancing, rocking, tapping, and snapping their fingers to
music and songs.
Cognitive training
We all know the phenomenon of the song-that-is-stuck-in-my-head. With the right kind of
song it is easy to simulate that in the classroom. Interacting with songs again and again
is as important to language learners as repeatedly practicing a tennis technique is for a

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tennis player. The skill which develops from this is called automaticity. Learners get to
know what to say and to produce language rapidly without pausing.
Cultural literacy
Now that most music is accessible to almost anyone anywhere, either through radio,
CDs, DVDs and downloads from the Internet, learners can enjoy songs from all corners
of the globe. Songs used in English classes can, in that way, shed light on interesting
musical traditions in countries, but can also teach teens, young adults and adults to
appreciate other cultures. For adult learners they can be a rich mine of information
about human relations, ethics, customs, history, humor, and regional and cultural
differences (Lems, 2001).
Language learning
In a world where non-native speakers of English are likely to produce the majority of
songs in English, learners have the opportunity to listen to pronunciation in a wide range
of varieties of the language. Songs will help learners become familiar with word stress
and intonation, and the rhythm with which words are spoken or sung also helps
memorization. Again, this will enable learners to remember chunks of language which
they can then use in conversations or in writing. Young learners pick up vocabulary,
grammatical structures, and the rhythm of the language simply by singing a song. As
language teachers, we can use songs to practice listening, speaking, reading and
writing.
- Popular song scripts can also facilitate awareness of pronunciation, intonation and
sentence flow, in addition to containing contemporary cultural commentary.
What can you do with songs in the classroom?
The sky is the limit! There are a few things to keep in mind: simple, repetitive songs
often contain a recurrent grammatical pattern which is useful to teach (especially with
younger children). More difficult songs often contain interesting vocabulary and idioms.
Also there is often a message, a theme, or a story underlying a song which students can
discuss, explain, debate, and write about at almost any level.
Practical tips and tasks for using songs
Focus it
Start with a focusing activity: anything that will get students thinking about the subject of
the song. Have them think about the title of the song, in groups of pairs. Find a picture
that relates to the subject of the song and have students make guesses about it.

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Highlight it
Put a selection of important words from the song on your board. Have students ask each
other what the words mean. Then, have students in groups write or tell a quick story that
uses the words. You can also get students to circle, underline or highlight specific words
or word categories.
Stop it
Again, write a selection of words on the board. Students must shout STOP any time they
hear one of the new words. You could also stop the song before a word you want them
to guess.
Lip sync it
Have students lip sync the song before a team of judges in a Class Idol show. This
allows them to become familiar with the words, rhythm, stress and intonation before
actually singing the words out loud.
Strip it
Cut the song into strips. Give each student one strip to memorize. Students put the strips
in their pockets. They get up and tell each other their part of the song, without looking at
their part or showing their part to anyone else. Students then organize themselves in the
right order, speak the song and then listen and check. You can also have students put
the strips on a table in order.
Question it
Have students ask each other questions about the song (about the words, about the
topics or about characters in the song). For more advanced students you could choose
two songs of a similar theme, and split the class into two teams. Have each group listen
to their song and draw up a list of (open or True/False) questions. Pair each student with
a member of the opposite team and have them take turns asking their questions.
Gap it
You can prepare a gapped version of the lyrics and let students complete them before
listening and then check afterwards.
Write it

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Have students write a letter to the main character or the singer, send an answer to a
person referred to in the song, rewrite the song as a story, write a story which began
before the story in the song and led to it, or write a story which will continue after the
song.
Change it
Change words (adjectives, adverbs, nouns -names, places or feelings), and invent new
lyrics for the melody. If you have karaoke versions of the songs you can then let students
sing their own versions.
Draw it
Get students to draw or collage the song and compare the visualisations in class.
The possibilities are endless. Music and songs are fun, and most people enjoy them.
Make songs a regular feature in your lessons!