Teaching of Poetry to Saudi ESL Learners: Stylistics Approach

Abstract

Poetry can offer a wide range of language learning opportunities to ESL learners if it’s taught interactively and linguistically. Poetry is embellished with rhythm, beautiful diction and elevated grammatical features. These features can serve as a powerful stimulus to ESL students in learning grammar, vocabulary and integrated language skills. Some of the researchers pointed out that Poetry was taught in literature class but it was predominantly a teacher centered and nothing more than a dramatic monologue, so it failed to improve students’ language skills and creative analysis. The present study aims to explore how stylistics approach can be used as a powerful teaching resource to enrich grammar, vocabulary and integrated language skills of Saudi ESL learners. Four statistical surveys were conducted such as to elicit the impression of teachers and the impression & performance of Saudi students at Saudi universities. Statements pertinent to different aspects of poetry were used for major data collection. The findings marked a significant difference between the performance of stylistics based learners and traditional based learners in vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and integrated language skills. Unlike traditional method, the stylistics approach for teaching poetry was found very exciting, because it was learners centered and based on repertoire of interactive language exercises. As per the findings of the four surveys conducted in this study, the stylistics approach for teaching poetry in ESL classroom was perceived by both Saudi teachers and students as an enjoyable means to enrich and energize the learning environment of an ESL classroom.