The Voice of Identity: The Power of Mindfulness-Based Approach in EFL Poetry Classroom

Abstract

Mindfulness-based approach has been widely used in English language learning. It is highly promoted to stimulate and build peace of mind, well-being, and creativity. In EFL poetry writing, a mindfulness-based approach stimulates novelty, new perspective, context awareness, and productivity. The process of how the mindfulness-based approach is implemented is gained through the narrative inquiry of the learning. This study aims to identify the voice of identity revealed through mindfulness-based poetry writing. The researchers focused on the voice of identity because it is a crucial aspect of poetry that can help the reader to understand and feel the message of the poetry. Study data were collected from three respondents that were selected using purposive sampling. Those respondents were the 6th-semester students who were taking Poetry Course. The researchers used mindful journals and interviews to collect the study data and analyzed them using cross-case analysis. The results showed that through narrative inquiry, language learning through poetry writing could be understood as a series of experiences, the journeys of feelings and emotions. From the narratives' data, the poets' voice is revealed. The poetry reveals some voices, such as trauma, sadness, loneliness, and self-validation. Besides, this study also found that mindfulness has a significant role in helping students to frame their voices. Thus, considering the study's results, it is recommended that students find a way to improve their mindfulness, and teachers should find a teaching strategy to support it.