Poetry as a Meaning-making Tool for Second Language Learning : Pedagogical Implication of Pentagon Model of Poetry Writing

Abstract

Over several decades, the broad use of literature and arts in language education has led to a renewed interest in the aesthetic, literary, and creative potential of poetry as an ancillary tool for Second Language (L2) learning and development. Based on an in-depth review of why and how researchers and teachers in the field have used poetry in L2 classrooms, this paper highlights the rationale for the implication and adaptation of poetry-based learning for L2 learning and teaching. Specifically, it sheds new light on the holistic aspect of poetry writing that encompasses linguistic, cognitive, and sociocultural aspects of additional language learning. To accomplish this goal, in a move away from the traditional writing pedagogy within East Asian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) contexts where L2 writing instruction largely dwells in the memorization of vocabulary and/or grammatical rules, this paper proposes the model of Pentagon of Poetry Writing that includes five interconnected vertices of writing 1) from motivation, 2) out of experience, 3) as expression, 4) for performance, and 5) through revision process. Through this multidimensional understanding of poetry writing, this paper suggests that L2 learning should be a meaning-making process, engaging learners into the process of creative expression, critical exploration and reflection, sociocultural experiences, connecting them with others, and integrating them into the L2 community.