Spoken word art integration with language teaching

Short Note

Spoken word art is a type of poetry that focuses on performance, emphasizing emotions, rhythm, expressive body language, and vocal delivery to connect with audiences and convey a message.

To perform spoken word effectively, you need to master voice modulation, which includes training to get the right pitch, volume, and speed, as well as using poetic devices like metaphors and alliteration.

Important techniques include creating narrative-driven, conversational, or abstract pieces that are easy to understand after just one listen. This should be complemented by hand gestures, facial expressions, and speaking with the right voice modulation. It takes hours of practice to deliver a great performance.

Here’s a short narrative free verse poem for spoken word performance that explores the abstract concept of self-purification.

An Example ( for myself as an educator)

Clean your thoughts,

first job, foremost job

Push out the bad stuff,

like shadows fading.

Want nothing for yourself.

Do good things,

just to do them

for their own worth

Help others,

not for thanks.

Quiet your head,

to be clean and calm.

Look inside,

know yourself.

Find truth

to live meaningfully

End note

Class teachers must recognize that verbal-linguistic intelligence is the essential skill for effectively handling spoken language. Additionally, engaging in spoken word performance art can enhance this intelligence by turning it into an experiential activity. It fuels the crafting of vivid metaphors, rhythmic flow, and impactful messages, enabling artists to convert written text into dynamic and evocative auditory experiential activity.