Poetry as a Tool for Language Acquisition

Neil Bessette

Why Use Poetry?It represents everything you hope to achieve!

“Poetry is the language of the imagination, of feelings, of emotional self-expression, of high art... Poetry is by its nature musical and how the poem sounds is as important as what it says.” Poetry uses language acquisition techniques like rhyme, sound patterns, and rhythm to create vivid images in the mind of the reader.

In a FSL classroom using a multidimensional approach, poetry can address all 4 levels (Communicative/experiential, Culture, Language and General Language Acquisition )

Russell, David. (2009). Literature for children: a short introduction; 6th edition. Boston, USA : Pearson Education Ltd.

Victor Hugo

Example of how Poetry can be used in a Basic French ContextL'amitié

L'amitié c'est partagerL'amitié c'est le plaisir de donnerL'amitié c'est se confier des secretsL'amitié c'est aussi rigolerL'amitié c'est savoir pardonnerL'amitié c'est de la complicitéL'amitié c'est de la solidaritéMais l'amitié c'est aussi pleurerL'amitié c'est parfois se détesterL'amitié c'est savoir oublier les mauvais moments passésL'amitié c'est pouvoir discuter sans arrêtMais l'amitié c'est avant tout aimerUne chose est sûre :"L'amitié, on ne peut pas s'en passer"!!!

-Myriam Barry

ResourcesWhere to find good poetry resources?

•La DREF•Print Resources•Internet Websites•Write Your Own!

La DREFWhat do they have to offer?

La DREF sent me everything that they felt was appropriate for a Basic French class.

“Premiers poèmes pour tous les jous” was one of the more useful books. This book features great art that helps the ideas and messages in the poems come alive.

The visual cues help form a students understanding while the poems themselves will reinforce articulation and vocabulary.

La DREFWhat do they have to offer?

The majority of what La DREF sent were books that had poems which could quickly be found on the web.

What was sent? La DREF sent several books of poetry that revolve around major holidays throughout the year.

La Saint-Valentin

La Saint-ValentinLe quatorze février,Un jour où on va s’amuser.

C’est la f de l’amour.On montre la gentillesse ce jour.

Je porte le rouge aujourd’hui.Je donne des cartes à mes amis.

A ma mère je donne des fleurs.Pour mon père je fais un cœur.

J’aime beaucoup la Saint-Valentin.Mais la gentillesse n’a pas de fin.

Mes amis, montrez toujours,La gentillesse et l’amour.

Print MaterialsSometimes if you want something done right...

It is important to know of some sources where you might find good materials. With the example of “Ragoût de crocodile”, The Canadian Children`s Book Centre in partnership with TD Canada Trust have translated Dennis Lee`s infamous book of Canadian inspired poetry Alligator Soup.

I received multiple copies of “Ragoût de crocodile” from an APPELS Encore Professional Development Session. Networking your resources with professional colleagues will help you sort through the chaff.

Ragoût de Crocodile

How many outcomes can a single poem achieve? A poem like “À Bouctouche” can be used to teach:

•The verb manger•Possessive pronouns•Body parts•French Canadian cities

Websites as Resources

They are out there... But where? This first thing when looking for language specific resources is to ensure that you are using a French search engine.

When using Google, make sure that you change the search engine’s language from English to French first!

There are lots of sites that have poetry on them. I will focus on the sites that I found the most

useful for educators.

Taka’ reciterhttp://www.takatrouver.net/poesie/index.php

This site has arranged its selection of poems into themes.

This makes finding an appropriate poem to include in your lesson plans easier to find and topic specific.

Poésie francaisehttp://poesie.webnet.fr/vospoemes/

Exceptional resource provides links to a variety of poems for every occasion. Poésie francaise covers all skill levels of readers. Poems can be searched by topic and age band to ensure that the material is appropriate.

You also have the option to search by country of origin which allows for an exploration of cultural identity.

A must have resource in your tool box!

Writing Your Own PoetryPlaying with language

The greatest joy that poetry can provide is the excitement of creating your own verses and rhymes. It is the play and creativity with language that poetry provides which makes it the ultimate addition to a second language class.

Have students create their own simple poems that make use of the vocabulary that they have learned. It represents a great risk / reward opportunity.

Club des poèteshttp://www.poesie.net/index.php

This website provides a number of creative suggestion on how to publish your creative writing.

A number of famous poems from Victor Hugo, Robert Desnos and Henri de Réginer are animated which allow for easier access for students.

Knowing where you are going on this site is important. Teachers are recommended to familiarize themselves with this site before leaving students to do so.

SeulNeil Bessette

SeulC’étais noirLe soirQue je voulais te voir Mais je me suis trompéJe pas pu te trouverTu n’étais pas dans les corridorsT’étais nullparts.Où es tu?

- Neil Bessette

ConclusionWhat does poetry offer your class?

Poetry is a fantastic medium to use for language acquisition. Why?

Poetry is the best format for students to feel the rhythm of language. Poetry can be, and should be, read aloud and discussed. The vocabulary can be targeted and learned. Studying French poetry adds to the appreciation of French culture and perspectives, and finally, poetry offers students to examine their own understanding of learning.

What has poetry described? It is the essence of the Multidimensional / experiential approach.

Pourquoi détester...Pourquoi détesterUne chose inconnueQue l'on ne sait apprécierQue l'on a jamais vue.Pourquoi ne pas aimerUne chose qu'on ne saitEt que l'on n'a pas essayéeEssayer de l'aimer.- Matthieu Denoux