Benefits of poetry: An argument for making poetry a required course for EFL literature majors

Abstract

Poetry can be a significant aspect of a person’s literacy experiences (Tomlinson & Lynch-Brown, 2002). It is an excellent genre for learning, but what are the best methods and should poetry be required for English as a foreign language (EFL) literature majors? The main purpose of this study is to determine how effective poetry can be in increasing EFL literature majors’ English reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, and examine if the learners can reach a higher level of higher order thinking. This study examines communicative language teaching (CLT) and how a CLT poetry course can impact EFL literature majors’ language and higher order thinking skills. This article introduces the benefits of such pedagogies and advocates for making poetry classes a requirement for all EFL literature majors. The results of the study indicate that the EFL participants improved all four English language skills, reached a higher level of critical thinking, and also improved their vocabulary knowledge. Therefore, the theory of making a poetry class a requirement for EFL literature majors is sound as long as the class is based on CLT approaches and methods. It is also recommended that more EFL teachers carry out CLT poetry teaching in their courses to benefit their EFL learners’ language and critical thinking skills.