Reconceptualizing Poetry as a Way to Expressive Pedagogy

This study examines the educational significance of poetry composition within the context of second language learning, particularly its contribution to fostering expressive pedagogy. Through a qualitative research framework, this investigation employs a case study approach, gathering data via the poetic works of a participating twelve-year old ESL student writer and semi-structured, in-depth interviews with the student. The results reveal that, first, poetry writing facilitates emotional engagement for the young writer in that the participant was allowed to choose what to write about and to express thoughts in her voice. Second, poetry writing provides the participant with a receptive audience that enhances enjoyment of the writing process. Third, poetry writing augments the participant’s linguistic awareness in their second language. The study includes thorough textual analyses alongside the findings and proposes pedagogical implications based on the themes identified, namely “Emotional engagement: My story and my voice,” “Audience: I am a writer,” and “Language development.” Ultimately, the study helps the field have a better understanding of the pedagogical significance of expressive pedagogy by illustrating how it engages learners emotionally and linguistically in second language writing.