Teaching English Poetry through Modality

Author: Chih-chiao Joseph Yang (Department of English, National Dong Hwa University)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 59, No. 1
Date：March 2014
Pages：159-179
DOI：10.6210/JNTNULL.2014.59(1).07

Abstract：

This paper demonstrates how a teacher can guide students to explore English modals to accentuate their interpretation of English poetry. Taiwanese students generally consider English poetry to be complex; however, the difficulty can be lessened, or even eliminated, if a poem is approached using accessible methods. Learning English has become characteristic of the zeitgeist of contemporary Taiwan, and it is imperative for students to cultivate an advanced proficiency in the language. Traditional training in the four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, is insufficient to improve language skills; a fifth skill, thinking, must be incorporated into the curriculum. The teaching of English poetry can fulfill this purpose, enabling students to learn the workings of the language and explore the meanings of the text. In other words, teaching English poetry can lead students to think and provide students with improved access to poetic texts. Because English modals have no counterparts in Chinese, using them as an apparatus for interpreting English poetry can enhance the language awareness of students and elevate this to a textual awareness. This approach should encourage students to determine how English modals can create diverse meanings in a poetic text and to use modals in their use of English. Thus, integrating the analysis of English modals into the interpreting English poetry highlights the creative and enjoyable aspects of the lingua franca of our times.

Keywords：creativity, language awareness, modality, poetry, text awareness

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