Authors: Flevina Jimmy Tuscano, Pyarelal Singh
Abstract: The paper will consider the use of Indian poetry in English-language teaching (ELT) in a structured manner to improve vocabulary, reading comprehension, speaking fluency, pronunciation awareness, and motivation of the learners. Poetry is also being viewed as a resource that is language-rich, culturally significant and can support focus-on-form reading, interpretive reading and communicative reading. The research is in the form of a quasi-experimental design conducted in a classroom setting involving two groups whereby an experimental group would be taught using poetry in the form of Indian poems (Indian English poetry and translated Indian poems used in English) and a control group would be taught using prose instruction. The success of learners was assessed in the form of a vocabulary test, a reading comprehension test, a speaking rubric, and a motivation questionnaire during the pre-test and the post-test. Findings (representative classroom data) indicate that poetry-based instruction enhanced better vocabulary memory, interpretive reading, oral confidence, and student motivation as compared to the traditional instruction. The result indicates that Indian poetry, in terms of rhythm, imagery, and cultural applicability, and usage of a concise language, can be used as an effective pedagogical tool in building linguistic competence as well as interest to learn the language among the learners in the ESL/EFL setting of India. The discussion is made on implications to curriculum design, teacher training and assessment.
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