Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h0EKgRP12420; Tue, 14 Jan 2003 15:42:27 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 15:42:27 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <se242cd6.072@lgccapp1.laguardia.cc> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Hillary Gardner" <hgardner@lagcc.cuny.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:8467] RE: using poetry in the adult ed EL/Civics X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise Internet Agent 5.5.3.1 Status: O Content-Length: 7618 Lines: 263 Thank you all for your contributions to this discussion. I became interested in this topic when my students read the poem "Good Morning" by Langston Hughes and I suggested they write a poem about their homeland, father, or childhood in response. I encouraged students to "copy" Hughes's structure, but one student wrote a poem of his own (which his nephew helped him translate into English) and another just brought in a poem that she had read and liked. I was very moved by what they wrote (see below) and decided I wanted to do more. I think poetry provides a meaningful context for students to learn new words and a way to connect to issues more immediately than by reading about them in a newspaper or grammar book. I'm trying to use more poems to inspire in-class discussion and writing exercises. Some of my students seemed to really enjoy the freedom of form that writing a poem gave them, since a paragraph can be really intimidating when they are first learning to write in English. Many of my students are factory workers who never completed high school in their home countries, but some of them jumped right into the assignment and they got a big kick out of reading their poems to each other in class. I hope to have some more resources to share later on. Hillary *** "Good Morning" by Rosie Cruz Good morning smiles, Papi, I miss Puerto Rico, he said. I watched us grow until there was no room left for us from the Bronx to Staten Island Brooklyn, Queens and all of Manhattan out of Spanish Harlem to the Lower East Side. But all come chasing a dream, a better life in America it seemed to my unbelief eyes wide open innocent unknowing. Winter ends all promises, the wind in time destroys all possibilities, nothing better than the sun to me. What shelters us here? Back to Puerto Rico, Papi said, our dreams are chasing me back here. *** "Good Morning" by Elizabeth Tello I was born here, she said It's a beautiful day I remember my childhood the most magnificent days the greatest days of my life games, games, games, food and sleep without responsibilities Oh! guess what day it is? Vacation! Let's go to the forest! The greatest gift in the world animals, flowers, how wonderful it is to feel the fresh air the birds singing the river going through the most darkest night than any other night Oh! Daddy, look a star! (Daddy) It's not a star, it's the shining moon that gives life to the whole world. *** "Good Morning" by Orlando Tello Good Morning my "Friend," I was born in Ecuador. That is a beautiful country, and I grew up in the capital. >From the north to the South and the East to the West, I like to walk and to think. *** "Good Morning" by Miguel Dinarte Good Morning, "Daddy," I was born in El Salvador. Some people call it the Pulgarsito of America and some call it the guanacos country. I remember when I played soccer with my Dad every weekend. We walked to the park every evening. We went swimming in the pool, played guitar, talked about our problems. Now, I am here in New York City, The Big City, The Big Apple. I miss you "Daddy," I love you so much, I don't forget you. I live in New York, but my mind is in my country with my "Dad." *** "Good Morning" by Raisa Good morning, Daddy. I was born in the Dominican Republic. My name is Raisa. Some people call me Laiza. In New York everybody calls me different names. I remember when I played with my Dad every weekend different games. We walked to the theater Sunday afternoons to see movies and talk about our problems. Now, I am in New York City, the Big Apple. I miss you Daddy because some day I would like to go back to my country and I want to remember all my life when you and me lived together. I live in New York, but my heart is in my country with my Dad. I'll love my Dad forever. You're very important in my life. *** "A Bleeding Country: Colombia" Colombia is full of people who want to sing again, who want to forget their sadness, people tired of so much fighting. It doesn't want to suffer more pain, it wants to be good with humanity, with good people who want to stop fighting. To live like their credo commands, the only thing we want in Colombia is peace. Colombia is full of people who want to see each other laugh and sing again. To see a united Colombia, and all tribes united in peace. To live like the Lord commands, in peace and happiness without so much fighting. By Henry Castillo *** My Bed by Franz Brandenburg I am the king in my castle. I am a mole in a hole. I am an explorer in a cave. I am a lion tamer in a circus tent. I am a train in a tunnel. I am a pirate in a den. I am a bear sleeping in my lair. Goodnight. --from Gilma Pincay >>> susanefl@hotmail.com 01/14/03 11:46AM >>> I am surprised at using poetry in ESL. Poetry is so difficult to translate. Would this be a college level class? Susan >From: "Miriam Burt" <miriam@cal.org> >Reply-To: nifl-esl@nifl.gov >To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> >Subject: [NIFL-ESL:8456] RE: using poetry in the adult ed EL/Civics >classroom >Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 16:49:04 -0500 (EST) > >Hillary: > >In 1999, NCLE published a digest by Joy Peyton and Pat Rigg about using >poetry in the adult ESL class. It offers suggestions/activities on how to >read a poem in class and how to write one. It even has a lesson plan for >one poem included there. The poem is about working, so the content is >directly related to adult ESL. > >Check it out online at http://www.cal.org/ncle/digests/Poetry.htm > >Miriam >********* >Miriam Burt >Associate Director, National Center for ESL Literacy Education (NCLE) >Center for Applied Linguistics >4646 40th Street NW >Washington, DC 20015 >(202) 362-0700 (phone) >(202) 363-7204 (fax) >miriam@cal.org >***************************************** >Visit NCLE's Web site at www.cal.org/ncle >***************************************** >We're the only national center devoted exclusively to providing technical >assistance to those working with adults learning English as a second >language. > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Hillary Gardner [mailto:hgardner@lagcc.cuny.edu] >Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 4:31 PM >To: Multiple recipients of list >Subject: [NIFL-ESL:8455] using poetry in the adult ed EL/Civics >classroom > > >Hello, > >I am preparing a brief conference session for EL/civics teachers on using >poetry in the EL/Civics classroom. I am looking for sample lesson plans or >suggestions of poems to use with adult ed students in the ESL/Civics >classroom. Specifically, I am looking for poems that touch on civics themes >(civil rights, community involvement, famous Americans), and especially >poems suitable for beginners in the ESL adult ed classroom. > >I have a large selection of poems by Langston Hughes, some from Carl >Sandburg, and many Native American poems. I have also had luck with poems >from the "Poetry in Motion" program and resources available from Teachers & >Writers Collaborative. However, most of the articles I have found online >discuss using poetry in the academic ESL classroom. I'd appreciate any >suggestions for good poems or good poetry writing exercises for low-level >adult learners. Has anyone had any successful experiences that they can >share? > >Thanks, >Hillary Gardner > >EL/Civics Instructor >Center for Immigrant Education and Training >LaGuardia Community College >Long Island City, New York _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus
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