Clipart for Language Acquisition

✍ Scribed by James A. Becker

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 72 KB
• Volume: 10
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1056-7941
• DOI: 10.1002/j.1949-3533.2001.tb00015.x

✦ Synopsis

On-line Option

This activity may also be conducted in a computer lab. The Magnetic Poetry Web site, at http://www.magneticpoetry.com, offers a Javascript application that allows users to arrange the words on-line. They simply point, click, and drag individual word strips around on the screen. Users also have the option of submitting their poems to the site to share with other poetry lovers. This setting might be more appealing to ESL students who prefer the anonymity of the electronic world to the personal interaction of the classroom.

Conclusion

Using magnetic poetry in an ESL classroom can spark ESL students' interest in creating poems. This activity makes poetry less personally challenging than some other poetry activities, yet it allows students to participate in meaningful creations while, at the same time, exposing them to broader vocabulary.