Using Songs and Poetry in ESL primary Classroom

Language is always fun to learn but children these days are afraid to enter language

classes especially the English class due to poor command or formality basis. Teachers

should be creative enough to attract young learners to learn language by providing a non-

threatening atmosphere, likewise said by Lo and Fai Li (1998). Language arts through songs

and poetry are a dynamic platform to learn language as it helps children to express

themselves by not only moving their body and clapping hands but by learning English as an

entertainment rather than fleeing away from the class. Choosing the correct songs and

poems can be challenging but when a teacher focuses on the correct pedagogical principle

and purposes, there is no option for diverting form the path. Different genres and types allow

a teacher to be talented to use songs and poems in English classrooms.

Based on the Malaysian Curriculum Specifications of English for Year 3, one of the

most important aspects that a teacher should consider is integrations. The song entitled The

Family Song (Youtube.com, 2012) allows a teacher to integrate daily life happenings with the

children. The content of the song reveals the world of self, family and friends which is one of

the themes in the curriculum, whereby it allows the young learners to differentiate members

by relating to their own family. Even though being a blues genre song, the word choices in

the lyrics like mother, father, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, grandma and grandpa repetitively,

allows the learner to develop intra-personal qualities. As they would know the people around

them, like in the song which consists of the family tree, it helps them to realise the

relationships among family members and coherently develops inter personal traits for

instance respect to their elders. By all means, this song allows the children’s intra and inters

personal development contently. R&B songs are very catchy as it is the combination of

rhythm and blues. Groups like the High School Musical, S Club 7, Glee and not forgetting

the Asia’s Best Musical Show, The Kitchen Musical, creates and uses R&B songs for their

show but teachers can use the songs to teach high level proficiency level students like Year

5 and Year 6.

Using poem in an ESL Classroom

As teachers, we cannot rigid ourselves with one kind of materials only while teaching

a language like only use songs during class, but we have different options when it comes to

language arts integration in classrooms and undoubtedly using poems from different genres

and types definitely can be done. Limerick is one of the most popular poems among

children. The fun of the limerick lies in its rhythm and its broad humour which are the main

reasons we decided to use in the primary ESL classroom with the student. we hope that this

type of poem is suitable for Malaysian primary school students and it will attract children’s

interest in learning English and can build a reading culture among them. The limerick entitle

Parrot named Jack can really help children in language learning potential whereby, we as

an ESL teacher have to teach them all the word that they do not understand, then they will

understand the fun which is inserted in the poem itself. This will help them to add their

vocabulary and knowledge.

Limerick

A parrot named Jack

There once was a parrot named Jack,

Who suffered a coronary attack,

The man from the vet,

With little regret,

Said , “Toasted he’ll make a nice snack”.

(Copyright Stuart Macfarlane)

From narrative poetry, we have discovered a poem which it really attract students by

the arrangement of words. The aesthetic values which is integrated in the poem that is from

the word by word we can imagined the beauty of a butterfly in a poem title Birth of a

Butterfly. This poem allows us to make sure the aesthetic development of an art is nurtured

in students‟ mind. Of course, the students by aged 7 to 10 would be touched by this poem

which is the butterfly is actually a something near to their interest. So they would give more

attention to the lesson and with the help of the teacher, they maybe want to memorize it and

tell others about the butterfly by using the Birth of a Butterfly poem.

Narrative Poetry

Birth of a Butterfly

A mama butterfly lays all her eggs,

Out pops a caterpillar, crawling on its legs.

The caterpillar first is rather thin,

But then it eats till it bursts through its skin.

After growing nice and big,

The caterpillar climbs on a leaf or twig.

It makes a shell where it hangs insiede.

The shell then cracks, and teh parts divide.

Inside the shell, a change was going on,

The form of the caterpillar now is gone.

When the shell opens, what comes out?

A beautiful butterfly fluttering about!

Meish Goldish

Coherently, poem selections are easy for a teacher, but a haiku truly helps a teacher

to use it in the English language classroom. For instance, a haiku by Paul Brown (Poem,

appendix) about cherry, apple and rose is a simple poem which reveal the characteristics of

a haiku itself, where it is short and develops language arts skill. In our new Malaysian

Curriculum, KSSR, language art is very vital not only in the sense of choosing materials to

teach but in the purpose of developing aesthetic values among children. Haiku is not only

appropriate for young kids and suitable for their age due to its length, but haiku encourages

the value of appreciating art by itself. Since it is a very famous Japanese poem, favouritism,

beauty, realism, expressiveness, style and form and even the anatomy of the poem itself

spell bounds a child to value and appreciate it.

Haiku

Cherry, apple, rose,blossoms in countless colours--each one of them pink.~ Paul Brown

The lines like “blossoms in countless colours” describe the aesthetic element of

appreciating the cherry, apple and rose.(fourth poem)Young learners are like a cube of

sponge, where they absorb everything when a teacher teachers them. In coherent with that

songs and poetry can be very essential in teaching and learning a language as children

loves to move around, clap their hands and even induce themselves in the world of

imaginations. Therefore, teachers should use language art in their lessons to make it

interesting and help plus encourage young learners to use the English language as fully as

possible so that they would be proficient in the language not only when they are young but

for the future benefits too.

Lyric Poetry

Ode to Joy

I've had cabbage, lettuce, blackberries

Pasta, oats and strawberries

Bagels, beans and hot dogs

Eggplant, ham and cheese logs

I've had pumpkin and potato

Truffles and tomato

Diced, sliced, cubed and riced

Boiled and fried

Soaked and dried

Burgers, tacos, ice cream too

Radishes red and berries blue

Despite all this, I'm feeling thinner...

Still, that was lunch, now what's for dinner?

by Buster Baxter

Lyric poetry is a poem that expresses the thoughts and feelings of the poet. Lyric

poems are usually about your feelings and mood. It is consists of a poem, such as a sonnet

or an ode, that expresses the thoughts and feeling of the poet. The term lyric is now

commonly referred to as the words to a song. Lyric poetry does not tell a story which

portrays characters and actions. The lyric poetry addresses the readers directly, portraying

his or her own feeling, state of mind and perceptions. T.S Elliot is one of the prominent

names in lyric poetry. Lyric poems do not have to rhyme, and today do not need to be set to

music or a beat. The lyric poem, dating from the Romantic era, does have some thematic

antecedents in ancient Greek and Roman verse, but the ancient definition was based on

metrical criteria, and in archaic and classical Greek culture presupposed live performance

accompanied by a stringed instrument.

Ode is used as the title of a long poem which is serious in nature and written to a set

structure; often a tribute to a person, place, thing, or sentiment. The words used is suitable

to primary level as they are listed in the vocabulary list that they should have master by the

time they have reached Year 6, such as cabbage, lettuce, blackberries, Pasta, oats and

strawberries, bagels, beans and hot dogs, eggplant, ham and cheese logs. This can be a

good set of guidance for the children to construct their own poem using other topics such as

clothes, animals, plants, and other suitable topics.