Teaching English through poems and short stories Why is it absent from so many efl classrooms?

Teaching English through poems and short stories

Why is it absent from so many EFL classrooms?

Why I enjoy teaching poetry

Versatility

Language

Culture

Personalisation

Benefits

• More opportunities for reading, writing, listening and speaking practices
• Expand vocabulary knowledge
• Play with the language
• Work with different rhythms and rhyme patterns
• Increase motivation

How to get started?

• Do you know poems in your native language?
• Is there a particular poem from your country that you like?
• Who are the famous poets from your country?
• Have you written poems before?
• Was it in English or your native language?
• Did you enjoy writing poetry?

Using Poetry in Reading Classes

• Start with poems that are manageable
• Talk about the differences between stories and poems
• Give students a chance to illustrate poems
• Read a variety of poems out loud
• Give students a chance to read poems out loud
• Act out the poem
• Discuss the vocabulary used in different poems (“Poetic Word” Wall)
• Encourage students to share their personal interpretations
• Be sure to include some poems written for children