Using Poetry for Vocabulary Acquisition among Malaysian Secondary Students

Abstract

Vocabulary is a fundamental aspect in language learning since its use is important for language skills (namely reading, speaking, listening, and writing). However, students often find these language skills to be difficult due to their limited vocabulary. Although poetry was once included in the Language Arts as an effort to instil reading habits, its role to enrich vocabulary was not quite looked into in the past. Hence, this research investigated the use of poetry at enriching lower secondary school students’ vocabulary. An experimental research design was conducted where a paired-sample T-test was used to analyse the pre and post-intervention vocabulary scores among 34 Form 3 students selected through purposive sampling. A vocabulary test in the form of a crossword puzzle was administered before and after the poetry-based intervention. The results revealed that poetry is able to improve the students’ vocabulary. Thus, the outcome of this study would inform educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers in Malaysia about the efficacy of incorporating literary texts as a pedagogical strategy in teaching vocabulary. On the other hand, future research can compare the effectiveness of poetry with other instructional methods or materials, such as non-literary texts, multimedia resources, or digital tools, in enhancing vocabulary acquisition.