Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 Introduction

Much has been written about the problems associated with teaching poetry. More than other genres, poetry seems to elicit the most groans from students. Language teachers often whine and complain their uncomfortable feeling in teaching poetry, either because they are not sure how to teach it effectively (owing to lack of pedagogical role models), or because they find it elusive themselves.

            Elting and Firkins (2006) argued that teaching and learning poetry should not only be reading, interpreting and presenting, but they came out with a creative and interesting method which ELL students can explore the aesthetic function of language and, more widely, develop confidence in using English as a communicative tool through the dramatization of poetry. Thus, they provided two examples of dramatizing poetry have been given and tried on the English Language Learners (ELL) students in Hong Kong. On the other hand, choosing the right and appropriate methods in teaching poetry is also important. As stated by Vodickova, M. (2009), she emphasized in her research done to the Faculty of Education undergraduate students of Palacky University, it is important to use methods which are pleasurable and non-threatening to be applied in the poetry classes. Thus, she highlighted that role-playing or drama provides more opportunities for students in using the language which lead them feel that dealing with poetry can be fun and serves them inspiration in their future career.

Poetry, as claimed by many, is one of the most sophisticated forms of literary expression and hence a difficult medium for language learners. Questions might be addressed, such as how poetry can be taught in ways that engage students, so that we can tap into its literacy-enhancing power.  How poems can effectively be used in English language classes in order to reinforce students' knowledge of the English language vocabulary? In answering those issues, Abraham Panavelil (2011) introduced an integrated and communicative approach for teachers in teaching poetry as language skills will not be taught in isolation but in an integrated way, incorporating a set of text- based, student centered activities. This approach involves 3 activities; Pre-Reading, While-Reading and Post-Reading Activities which. By using the discussed strategies, Abraham found out that the students have achieved the skills which make them able to understand poetry linguistically, conceptually, creatively and aesthetically.

According to Cockett and Fox (1999: 83) as cited by Vodickova (2009), they emphasize that the emotional character of poetry is frequently neglected in schools at the expense of its intellectual aspects. They suppose that the negative attitude of students towards poetry is caused by the way teachers deal with poetry in lessons in which they force students to analyze poetry without providing them with an opportunity to enjoy poems emotionally. In some poetry lessons, students are expected to passively accept the ideas and views of literary critics, which would never occur to them.

This problem can be solved with an acceptable approach to readers when they view or interpret the poems differently. Vodickova agrees with McManus (1998) statement in which the reader response theory of Louise Rosenblatt and Wolfgang Iser rejects the opinion that every literary text has only one fixed meaning and emphasizes the importance of the role of the reader as the interpreter of the text. This tolerant approach to the interpretation of poetry gives students a lot of freedom to express their own views, and it is especially important in foreign language lessons, when students feel inhibited not only by the difficulties that poetry can present, but also by expressing their thoughts in the foreign language. For this reason, it is important to use methods which make students enjoy lessons and select poems that deal with problems that young people encounter and understand. In particular, narrative poems which contain a conflict or a topic of loneliness, refusal, or a complicated relationship are very suitable because they enable students to appear in situations in which they must solve conflicts and think about relationships with people. And it is drama activities that enable them to identify with the characters and to act like them, which leads to some genuine communication.

There are various strategies and methods for teaching a poem in a language class room. Whatever strategies a teacher adopts in the class, the aim is that students gain a fuller understanding of the text. By performing a poem using drama, the student is entering into a new world, where things, events and people can be seen anew. It also encourages the student to infer meaning by both engaging with the language and interacting with the poet’s world through action. Thus, performing poetry using is an effective activity for breathing new life to the language classroom and an accessible way for ESL students to develop a response to the poem.

2.2 DEFINING POETRY

Why teach and learn poetry? Such question might be asked by many people. There are various definitions given by scholars in defining the meaning of poetry. Teidt (2002) writes about how to engage students with poetry effectively so that they will learn to enjoy it.  She sets the stage for using poetry in the classroom by describing the special attributes of poetry.  She begins with a quote from Kenneth Koch (2000). “Poetry is a mystery, but it is the mystery children can participate in and master.”  Teidt goes on to list and explain what else poetry is:

•  Poetry is special;

•  Poetry is elusive;

•  Poetry is personal;

•  Poetry is a form of communication.

Poetry is a great literacy genre for learners to learn about for many reasons. Poetry allows learners to express emotion and feelings in a way that other genres do not. It gives the writer freedom to say as little or as much as they want. Learners are also able to enjoy choosing topics that are of importance to them and their lives (Reilly, 2006). Poems are written to bring sense and perception to life and to widen and sharpen our contacts with what surrounds us. They are concerned with experience.  Poets create and combine a number of experiences, real or imagined so that the reader may gain a greater understanding of the world.

Learners should be familiar with some of the basic elements of poetry.  They need to become aware of the fact that the language of poetry is not as different as it appears to be as well as the fact that poetry is a part of their everyday lives.  This is especially important for learners at the secondary schools level.  It is, therefore, necessary for teachers to help them understand these concepts so that they can learn to appreciate poetry.  One way in which teachers can achieve this is by teaching poetry through the use drama.  This chapter will offer some insights into the value of teaching poetry creatively using drama.

2.3 DEFINING DRAMA

Drama has commonly been perceived as an activity with a group of participants reciting dialogues from a pre-written script.   In reality, however, drama can be defined in a number of ways. Drama activities can include plays performed in a theatre, role-playing, improvisation, simulation or even language games.  Holden (1982) defines drama as any activity which asks the participant to portray himself in an imaginary situation; or to portray another person in an imaginary situation. The focus of drama is related to the world of 'let's pretend'. Through drama a person can express himself through verbal expressions and gestures using his imagination and memory. In this study, drama activities will refer to classroom activities and the participants will be language learners not the actors. She summarizes the values of drama in education as given by educators and researchers in linguistics as follows:

• Drama releases imagination and energy and this could be considered as an educational objective. Drama also encourages students to exercise their sensitivity and imagination and thus makes learning more realistic and meaningful.
• As an educational tool, the use of drama fosters the social, intellectual and the linguistic development of the child. It centers around language development, personal awareness, group co-operation, sensory awareness, and imaginative growth.
• Drama increases motivation and provides the incentive to work hard. The activities using drama tend to be purposeful. The student sees the need to communicate and concentrates on how to go about a task since drama provides him with a meaningful context.
• Drama fosters a sense of responsibility and co-operation among the students. Drama activities normally take the form of group work and students cannot afford to stay passive for too long. There is a need to belong to the group and to complete the task. The students develop a sense of self-worth of themselves as they work together.
• Drama encourages students to exercise their sensitivity and imagination. Temporary suspension of the ego occurs when students participate in dramatic activities.
• It motivates the teacher to meet the needs of the student. The drama activities provide opportunities to understand the thoughts and feelings of the students as they express themselves in the drama activities. From the constant feedback provided by the activities, the teacher can plan better strategies for more effective learning and teaching.

2.4       USING DRAMA TO LEARN POETRY

Creating drama with poetry is an exciting language learning experience. The technique employs a multi-sensory approach to language acquisition by involving second language learners physically, emotionally, and cognitively in the language learning process. In their article, Elting and Firkins (2006) cited what has been written by Hassan (1996) that “introducing drama to embody the personal and creative response to the poem rather than privileging a particular authoritative ormonologic interpretation of the poem can extend this understanding.” They also support that performance in poetry predominately refers to reciting the poem, in essence an oral performance (Comeaux, 1994, p. 79). A good example of this is what is popularly known as slam poetry –a recognized form of performance poetry popular in America, which is gaining recognition all over the world. Slam poets follow strict guidelines and must perform their original poems individually in a designated timeframe. In slam competitions, winners are chosen by the audiences’ applause. However, in this study, the approach will be the performance in poetry which means dramatizing poetry – an embodied interpretation of the poem. By placing the emphasis on dramatizing the poem, the aim in the classroom is less about an understanding of the author’s exact meaning than on students’ personal and creative interpretation. It is to make use of the gaps in meaning left by the poet in the text. Hence, the student must take an active role in the “filling in” of meaning (Elster, 2000, p. 71). Elting and Firkins again support what has been said by Bauman (1986) that the interpretation of meaning in oral performance is placed, its form, meaning and functions are rooted in culturally defined scenes and events, so we need to expect diversity in the dramatic interpretations students develop. Some poems are mini-dramas, often written in dialogue form, and are suitable for dramatization because they are short and usually have one simple, but strong emotional theme. According to Tomlinson (1986), poems which express strong emotions, attitudes, feelings, opinions, or ideas are usually more 'productive' than those which are gentle, descriptive, or neutral. Students become engaged in free flowing conversations as they interact with one another prior to the drama. The students compare and contrast cultural behaviors and attitudes, analyze and explore the linguistic and conceptual differences between the written and spoken word, and interact cooperatively to orchestrate the drama.

The performance of poetry through action and voice, in this sense drama will make learners use their different body language, facial expressions, gestures, creative use of voice and movements in taking the poem from “the page to the stage”.

2.4.1 FROM THE PAGE TO THE STAGE

Whether it is the teacher reading a story to class, imaginary role-playing with peers, the traveling troupe of actors that visit the school or a show at the local cultural center, it has been proven that students of all ages and diverse cultural backgrounds have usually been exposed to various forms of drama. Whether actors or audience, drama intrinsically appeals to all because of the freedom that it affords to respond to words in action. Such a goal-oriented engagement with a poet’s words can deepen students’ interest in and understanding of poetry (Wolf, 1990, p. 3). Adapted from Elting and Firkins’ suggested drama approach in teaching poetry and Muhammad and Fadzliyati’s (2010) Reader’s Theatre Approach, the process of performance poetry in facilitating the students to take a poem from the page to the stage will involve four (4) key steps according to Kolb’s model; Forming Abstract Concepts, Active Experimentation, Concrete Experience and Reflective Observation.

Before letting the learners beginning the stages, the teachers have to consider the selection of the materials to be used in the class. In selecting a poem it is most important that teachers consider the level of English competency of their students. It is to the benefit of the learners that the teachers consider the environment in which they live and their students’ individual experiences. Selecting poems that deal with city life or other familiar problems would serve them much better. Having said this, selecting poems for learners, which deal with subject matter beyond their day-to-day experiences, can broaden their cultural and social horizons.

The aforesaid stages are as follow:

1) First Stage (Forming Abstract Concepts)

In the first stage that is forming abstract concepts, the activity will be the reading of the poem. This may transcend (in form and function) students’ usual reading experiences, so it is suggested that this should be a shared experience between the teacher and students. When the teacher reads poetry aloud, she helps to elaborate the world within the text and connect the word to their own personal experiences reading poetry. It is within this personal world that the student will progress from reading the poem into developing a sense of meaning of the poem based on their experiences. Hearing poetry aloud, when read individually, in small groups or by the teacher, facilitates reading and the learner moves towards making “connections between word and world” (Elster, 2000, p. 72). If a learner enjoys a poem based on its shape, the rhythm or music of the choice of words the poet has used, or if the meaning of a word triggers an emotional or personal reaction. After the poetry reading, the learners will be divided into cooperative learning groups consisting of three to four learners.  Working in small teams toward a “real-life” common goal (the performance) promotes positive interdependence, as each group member’s efforts are required for success. This face to-face interaction builds positive, interpersonal skills. It has been proven that groups of two to four students work best. In groups larger than this the effectiveness of individual involvement in the team is diminished. The final outcome of the performance is dependent on the collaboration of all team members. The learners will then be asked to prepare for their performance in which each group will be given a stanza to act out. This will include the script writing  (that  is, transforming  the poem  into  scripts that  are  made up  of  dialogue between  characters)  and  editing  their narration.

As  a starting  point  and  a  guideline  to  write  the  scripts  and  narration,  the  learners  will be asked  to  identify  and  use  key  scenes,  important  characters,  critical  moments  and underlying  and  fundamental  messages  and  values  that  they  can  find  in  the  poem they read. During this stage, the teacher will act as a facilitator who assisted the learners when they need help with the reading, writing and editing of scripts and narration. She will also contribute ideas and provided critical and constructive comments regarding their scripts and narration.

2) Second Stage (active experimentation)

In the second stage, that is, active experimentation, the learners will practice their performance. They will have to be coached in several aspects of presentation  such  as  delivering  the  narration,  facing  the  audience,  controlling  voice projection, reading from the script and maintaining eye contact with the audience. The other learners will also have to practice synchronizing their actions with the narration until each scene is satisfactory. One learner in the group will narrate, while the others will mime or speak to show action. The narrator  was  the  most  important  individual because  she  or  he  has  to  read  aloud  the  lines  and  ensure  the  story is clearly conveyed. Initially, there will be a need for the teacher’s input and comments during rehearsals to improve the learners’ performances. The teachers will video-record some of these rehearsals and shows to all the groups. Viewing and discussing the video recordings will greatly help the learners, as subsequent rehearsal sessions see marked improvements in terms of their overall performance. Once the learners show the signs of independence and are able to grasp the techniques well, the teacher slowly distance  herself,  giving  more  freedom  to  the  learners  to  explore  and  enjoy themselves  during  the  practices  as  they  begin  to  experience  the  learning  with  their peers more independently.

3) Third Stage (Concrete Experience)

The concrete experience will take place where the actual drama performance is staged.  Each group is given 5 minutes to present their poetry assigned stanza. The researcher will videotape their presentation for discussion and analysis purposes later on. The presentation sessions will last in a double-period class. Wolf (1990) suggests a multi-modal approach to the poetry performance that involves “read it”, “write it”, “speak it”, “hear it”, “repeat it” and “perform it”.

4) Fourth Stage (Reflective Observation)

After the drama performance, the reflective observation will be used as a debriefing and reflecting  session,  where  the  learners  will discuss  and  reflect on  the  poem  and  each group’s video-taped performance. There will be two (2) aspects in this stage; the first is personal  evaluation,  where  the  learners  reflect  on  their  own  characters  or  roles played,  and  how  they  now  understand  (or  misunderstand)  the  characters,  and  how they can now relate to the poem read. The second aspect is peer evaluation, where each group comments on each other’s performance.  But more importantly, they analyze, critique and comment on other groups’ interpretations of their assigned stanza, raising serious questions about their current or existing understanding of the text, how they arrived at their new understanding, and the extent to which they were valid (Hall & Piazza, 2008).

2.5       THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER

In this drama approach, students have more responsibility for their own learning. However, this does not diminish the importance of the teacher in the instructional process. It is the responsibility of the teacher to guide the language learning process by:

·         modeling pronunciation, intonation, stress, rhythm, and oral expression;

·         facilitating comprehension of vocabulary, idioms, cultural aspects, and plot;

·         stimulating interest and conversation, and interacting with the students;

·         establishing an acting workshop atmosphere;

·         creating a student-participatory language learning experience.

2.6 DRAMA ENHANCES LEARNERS’ UNDERSTANDING, INTEREST, AND MOTIVATION

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has its own reasons when incorporating literature in the secondary school syllabus. The objectives of the Malaysian English literature programme are that students should be able to develop,

…an ability to enjoy the experience of reading literature, understand and respond to literary texts in different periods and cultures through an exploration of areas of human concerns as depicted in the selection of short story, novel, poetry and drama.

(Ministry of Education, 2007, pp. 1-2)

By looking at the stated objectives above, the main aim is for the learners to have enjoyable and pleasant experience when dealing with literature (short stories, poems and novels). In this case, the teaching and learning poetry should not be made difficult and ‘dry’ in the classroom in order to achieve this objective. The use of poetry as drama in the English as a second language (ESL) classroom enables the students to explore the linguistic and conceptual aspects of the written text without concentrating on the mechanics of language. Students are able to develop a sense of awareness of self in the mainstream culture through the dramatic interpretations of the poems. Second language acquisition becomes internalized as a direct result of placing the learners in situations that seem real. The students use the target language for the specific purpose of communication. They experiment with non-verbal communicative aspects of language (body language, gestures, and facial expressions), as well as verbal aspects (intonation, rhythm, stress, slang, and idiomatic expressions), while interpreting the poems. The students begin to feel the language and gain the confidence to interact outside the classroom using the target language.

Zafeiriadou (2009) says that drama fosters and sustains learners' motivation as it is fun and entertaining and because it engages feelings it can provide a rich experience of language for the participants. Drama as a process is inevitably learner-centred because it can only operate through active cooperation. Susan Stern (in Sam 1990), who looks into drama in second language learning from a psycholinguistic point of view, emphasizes that drama heightens self-esteem, motivation, spontaneity, increases capacity for empathy, and lowers sensitivity to rejection. These tremendous benefits of drama facilitate communication and provide an appropriate psycholinguistic climate for language learning by addressing multiple intelligences of the students.

As Chauhan (2004) points out, using drama in teaching English as a foreign language classes gives a context for listening and meaningful language production, forcing the learners to use their language resources and, thus, enhancing their linguistic abilities. It provides situations for reading and writing. What makes drama activities and/or techniques valuable in foreign language classes is that they make learners experience language in operation and provide motivation to use language embedded in a context and a situation. The "acting- out" process makes the learners adopt a new position and this helps them being creatively involved (ibid). Role-play is one of the drama activities and it has a significance role in developing communicative competence and drama in EFL classes enables the use of role-play. Boudreault (2010) lists the positive aspects of role-play and says that it is important because it teaches cooperation, empathy for others, decision making skills, encourages an exchange of knowledge between students and with the teacher and students. It also encourages leadership, team work, compromise, authentic listening skills and practice with real life savior-faire.

CONCLUSION

The use of poetry in the ESL classroom enables students to explore the linguistic and conceptual aspects of the written text without concentrating on the mechanics of language. The dramatization of poetry is expected as a powerful tool in stimulating learning while acquiring a second language because the learners become intellectually, emotionally, and physically involved in the target language within the framework of the new culture. Poetry rich in dialogue provides students with a dramatic script in which drama places the learners in situations that seem real.