Chess As Content

Dear teacher,
Focusing solely on structure and form
Brings no good but a storm
That drowns learners' motivation
Suffocates any source of inspiration
Increases inhibition and frustration
Impedes language learning progress
Causes failure to perform and express
Oneself in target language with success

Dear teacher,
Think of first language acquisition
Its environment and conditions
Create similar situations and context
To enable learners acquire at best
Integrate language and content instruction
Prompt interaction and meaning construction
Develop interpersonal language competency
Along with cognitive academic proficiency

Dear teacher,
Apart from academic subjects as content
Recreation is an area of interest
Among learners' hobbies I made my quest
As leisure activities incite them to do best
Hey! The most optimal I can suggest
Promote target language through chess
As it is fun and free from stress
So rich that vouches for learning progress

Dear teacher,
Chess is an optimal tool
For the effective learning goal
Gives learners mastery and control
To learn the language as a whole
Through integration and experience
Total physical response and graphics
Cooperative and task-based learning
A journey from low to high order thinking

Dear teacher,
Nothing to fear, just give it a go
Here are some tips you may follow
Through L1 teach them how
Get your ducks in a row
Then switch to L2 and start the show
Enhance what they already saw
Introduce what they didn't know
And use inference when doing so