There is a longstanding stigma attached to the use of poetry in English Language Teaching (ELT). Poetry is
considered difficult and peripheral to ELT curricula and L2 teacher education. Until recently, there was little scholarly interest
in studying the effectiveness of poetry in second language teaching. This article aims to advance the research on the use of
poetry in ELT. Using a systematic literature review approach covering the years 2008–2020, the present study investigates whether
poetry remains underused and undervalued. It is structured around the questions: Is poetry a difficult subject to teach to ESL/EFL
learners and learn by L2 students? What value is there to teaching poetry in ELT? Of the 199 peer reviewed journal articles
retrieved, 43 met the inclusion criteria for this study and were examined in-depth. Two themes emerged from the analysis: the
perception of poetry and using poetry as a research tool in ELT. The majority of evidence was qualitative research, which included
19 case studies; whereas, the most used quantitative research designs were Random Control Trials. We attest to the need for more
rigorous scholarship on the part of researchers. Results show that poetry is a valuable tool for ESL/EFL students and teachers,
and not difficult for L2 learners. This study concludes with a call for including poetry in teaching practices.
Open educational resources (OER), now in their 15th year of existence, consists of, in principle, fully open educational content, available for free to all and are adaptable to serve the needs of the user. They were created as a response to the high cost of textbooks and as a means of leveling the playing field in terms of ensuring equal access to education for disadvantaged populations. The selected resources below attest to the fact that a concerted effort is well underway to address and overcome these challenges. Institutions are increasingly investing in OER as research has demonstrated that they have a positive role to play in student learning. Libraries, already champions of copyright and open access initiatives, have the expertise to advocate for and collaborate on efforts to further the growth and impact of open educational resources both within their institutions and beyond.
One may reach a point in a long academic career where workplace conversations around the proverbial water cooler become somewhat incomprehensible. It is easy to lose oneself amongst all of the latest terminology and concepts behind the innovative technologies that accompany change in libraries. This column is intended to provide some relief to this perception by first listing and defining some of the trending terminologies and concepts and demonstrating why and how and where these technologies are being implemented. This column also attempts to illustrate the changing professional roles and responsibilities of librarians. [...]
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