Encouraging Creativity

and Improving
Pronunciation with
English Haiku Poetry
Darren Elliott
Sugiyama Jogakuen University, Nagoya, Japan
20th Annual NELTA Conference, Lalitpur, Nepal
February 2015

What is a haiku? Rules of form / rules of

feeling

Why use haiku? Accuracy or creativity?

How do we use haiku? Classroom

activities

Conclusions

What is a haiku?
Rules of form

5 syllables
7 syllables
5 syllables

 (kireji)
cutting word

What is a haiku?
Rules of feeling

 (kigo)
seasonal words
a connection to nature

personal experience
a strong visual image

furu ike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto
(Matsuo Bash,
1686)

an old pond
a frog jumps
the sound of water

furu ike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto
(Matsuo Bash,
1686)

Whitecaps on the bay:

A broken signboard banging
In the April wind.

(Richard Wright, 1998)

Why use haiku?

Accuracy

phonology

What is a syllable?

cup
onset /k/
nucleus
//
coda/p/

 (ko)
onset /k/ nucleus //

Speakers of
languages which
lack consonant
clusters can benefit
from the tight focus
on phonology
required for English
haiku writing.

grammar

prepositions
articles

In long form essays,

there may be too
many error corrections
for the students to
deal with. Haiku allows
for a narrow focus.

Why use haiku?

Creativity

saijiki
lexical sets

SPRIN
G
Cherry
Blossoms
Festival
Graduation
Ceremony
Entrance
Ceremony

SUMME
R

Watermelon

Ocean

Shaved Ice

Fireworks

Barbecue

Swimming

Flowers

Mosquito

Strawberry

Beetle

AUTUM
N

WINTE
R

Christmas

New Year

Rice Cake

Crab

Halloween

Gloves

Pumpkin

Snowman

Maple

Skiing

Santa Claus

Leaves
Chestnut
Sweet
Potato

from haiku to
pictures
or from pictures to haiku

hot sand and no

shoes
pounding, sweating,
screaming feet
cross the finish line

In which season does

this haiku take place?
Who is it about?
What can you see?
Where does it take
place?
What sounds and smells
can you imagine?

| f nd tps f lnt |
wnd wps drzl l n
ma fes |
nd bnm p |

fish and chips for lunch

wind whips drizzle in my
face
under bournemouth pier

| teri blsmz da |
bt brz n btl l |
vatlti |

Cherry blossoms die

but the brothers in
battle
show vitality

Now its your turn.

SPRIN
G
Cherry
Blossoms
Festival
Graduation
Ceremony
Entrance
Ceremony

SUMME
R

Watermelon

Ocean

Shaved Ice

Fireworks

Barbecue

Swimming

Flowers

Mosquito

Strawberry

Beetle

AUTUM
N

WINTE
R

Christmas

New Year

Rice Cake

Crab

Halloween

Gloves

Pumpkin

Snowman

Maple

Skiing

Santa Claus

Leaves
Chestnut
Sweet
Potato

free writing
choose
choose
choose
choose

a
a
a
a

season
day
picture
moment

Many couples love

and date, and cicada
chirp
to applaud their love
(Konoka)

tears of graduates
our cheeks are blushing
bright pink
like cherry blossoms
(Rina)

ultraviolet rays
a powerful enemy
for many women
(Shiori)

Conclusions

1.Rules are made to be

broken
Allow students to be
expressive.
Give students time and
support to produce their
first haiku.
Take the time to exploit
what students produce.

Thank you for listening

darrenrelliott@gmail.com
www.livesofteachers.com