Using Poetry As a Model for Creating English Poems

This article describes how poems can effectively be used in English language classesto reinforce students’ knowledge of the English language - vocabulary and grammar- andfoster their creative writing. A careful selection of poems appropriate to students’ languagerequirements was incorporated into the curriculum of English Language Teaching. Employingthe Writing-using models technique, a three-step guided writing was developed to consolidatestudents’ language knowledge and creative writing skills. Feedback obtained from thestudents through student journals and interviews demonstrated that the use of poetry hascontributed to students’ practicing effectively and meaningfully their knowledge of grammar;it offered them opportunities for vocabulary enrichment; it broadened their imagination, andfreed them from the routine procedures in the classroom. Sample writings of poems producedby learners are included in the article to demonstrate how the efficient exploitation of thisliterary genre can maximize learner involvement and creativity.