In Their Own Words: Amplifying Critical Literacy and Social Justice Pedagogy through Spoken Word Poetry

Drawn from an ethnographic study of spoken word poetry in Australia, this article offers case studies of two youth poets and follows their journeys with spoken word over three years as they performed in community-based slams, engaged with the New South Wales English Extension 2 curriculum, and served as mentor poets in culturally and linguistically diverse schools. Situated in western Sydney, this article considers how spoken word poetry can be integrated into the secondary English curriculum in order to enhance critical literacy and promote social justice pedagogy. As the first study that explores the intersection of spoken word poetry with high-stakes assessment, it offers insight into how social justice shapes young people's creative practices that interrogate and celebrate their intersectional identities.