AI-generated picture by Prof.
Jonathan Acuña Solano
Introductory Note to the Reader
I was introduced to Marcel Duchamp by my friend, art curator, and cultural leader, Juan Diego Roldán
of the Centro Cultural Costarricense-Norteamericano’s art gallery. Since that first encounter, I have been
toying with Duchamp’s radical framing of what art is and what it is not supposed to be.
His provocations unsettled my assumptions, inviting me to see creativity not as the exclusive domain
of the artist, but as an open-ended interaction between maker, object, and viewer. Then it dawned on
me: what if Duchamp’s subversive aesthetic could find expression in language teaching? What if the
classroom, like the gallery, could become a space for invention, ambiguity, and co-creation?
This essay is the result of that imaginative exploration.
From Readymades to Riddles: Applying Duchamp’s
Artistic Philosophy to Language Learning
Abstract
This essay explores how Marcel Duchamp’s artistic philosophy can inspire innovation
in English Language Teaching (ELT). Drawing from Duchamp’s concepts—such as
the viewer’s role in completing the artwork, the redefinition of everyday objects, and
the creative power of irony and play—the paper proposes a shift toward a more
participatory, interpretive, and dynamic approach to language instruction. Each
section draws parallels between Duchamp’s legacy and key pedagogical strategies:
embracing ambiguity, promoting linguistic risk-taking, decentralizing authority, and
using authentic, multimodal materials. The essay argues that Duchampian thinking
can reinvigorate language classrooms by fostering learner agency, creativity, and
critical reflection.
Resumen
Este ensayo explora cómo la filosofía artística de Marcel Duchamp puede inspirar
una renovación en la enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera (ELT). A partir de
conceptos clave de Duchamp—como el papel del espectador en la creación de la
obra, la resignificación de objetos cotidianos y el uso del humor y la ironía—se
propone un enfoque más participativo, interpretativo y dinámico para la enseñanza
de idiomas. Cada sección establece paralelismos entre el legado de Duchamp y
estrategias pedagógicas como el fomento de la ambigüedad, el riesgo lingüístico, la
descentralización de la autoridad y el uso de materiales auténticos y multimodales.
El ensayo sostiene que el pensamiento duchampiano puede revitalizar las aulas de
idiomas mediante la promoción de la agencia del estudiante, la creatividad y la
reflexión crítica.
Resumo
Este ensaio investiga como a filosofia artística de Marcel Duchamp pode inspirar
inovações no ensino de inglês como língua estrangeira (ELT). Baseando-se em
ideias centrais de Duchamp—como o papel do espectador na conclusão da obra, a
ressignificação de objetos cotidianos e o uso do humor e da ironia—propõe-se uma
abordagem mais participativa, interpretativa e dinâmica no ensino de línguas. Cada
seção estabelece paralelos entre o legado de Duchamp e estratégias pedagógicas
fundamentais: valorização da ambiguidade, incentivo ao risco linguístico,
descentralização da autoridade e uso de materiais autênticos e multimodais. O
ensaio argumenta que o pensamento duchampiano pode revigorar as salas de aula
ao promover a autonomia do aprendiz, a criatividade e a reflexão crítica.
Marcel Duchamp, a towering and revolutionary figure in 20th-century art,
defied traditional boundaries by asserting that art lies not in its craftsmanship, but
in the concept it communicates. His approach to creativity, centered on
repurposing objects, undermining convention, and elevating the role of the
observer, offers powerful and nuanced insights for language teaching in the 21st
Century. In a field where educators often deem accuracy and form to be the
cornerstones of language instruction, Duchamp’s theories challenge us to shift
focus toward creativity, learner autonomy, and real-world engagement. As he
famously stated, “I was interested in ideas—not merely in visual products”
(Duchamp, as cited in Tomkins, 1996, p. 50). Viewed through this lens, the
language classroom becomes a whetstone not only for linguistic skills but for
critical and imaginative thinking. This essay explores how Duchamp’s conceptual
innovations can be translated into English language teaching (ELT) through six
pedagogical applications: (1) authentic materials as readymades, (2) resistance to
rigid norms, (3) conceptual meaning-making, (4) attention to language over time,
(5) learner-centered interpretation, and (6) creative play.
First, Duchamp’s concept of the readymade, an everyday object elevated to
art through deliberate intention, encourages language teachers to value authentic,
non-traditional texts. Just as Fountain (1917) redefined what society could deem
art, an assemblage of classroom materials such as graffiti, memes, pop art, or
song lyrics can reframe what is considered “valid” linguistic input. Scholars like
Gilmore (2007) support this view, arguing that “authentic materials are more likely
to reflect the communicative needs of learners outside the classroom” (p. 98).
When learners decode a social media post or interpret a street sign, they are not
merely acquiring vocabulary; they are engaging with culture, tone, register, and
contextual nuance. Such materials can even reflect the persuasive power of
language, as they are often crafted to sway opinions or shape identity. By treating
authentic texts as linguistic readymades, educators can help students build
meaningful connections between classroom learning and the complex world
beyond it, a world where learners must leave their hearth and home to engage
with, where language is lived, persuasive, and ever evolving.
Second, Duchamp’s rejection of aesthetic orthodoxy parallels a call to
challenge linguistic purism in ELT. Just as Duchamp resisted the confines of
academic painting, language educators can encourage learners to experiment
freely with language without the fear of making errors. Communicative
competence, as defined by Canale and Swain (1980), includes strategic
competence, the ability to negotiate meaning, not merely produce grammatically
perfect sentences. Through activities involving slang, code-switching, or invented
expressions, learners begin to see language not as a rigid structure, but as
something that takes shape and substance through use, intent, and context.
Without such experimentation, the classroom risks becoming a bleak island of
isolated rules, detached from the vibrancy of real-world communication. By
promoting linguistic risk-taking over rote correctness, whether in academic settings
or authentic environments, educators support a speedy journey toward fluency,
confidence, and creative autonomy.
Third, Duchamp’s prioritization of ideas over form mirrors the growing
emphasis on conceptual understanding in language use. Rather than being cast
down into repetitive grammar drills, textbook dialogues, or memorized vocabulary
lists, learners should be encouraged to tell stories, share personal anecdotes,
voice opinions, and solve problems using whatever linguistic tools they have at
hand. This meaning-first approach aligns with Vygotsky’s (1978) socio-cultural
theory, which views language development as intimately tied to thought. When
students focus on expressing meaning, even through fragmented or approximate
language, they engage more authentically with communication and begin to
understand how the target language operates in real contexts. In this process, the
learner’s desire to communicate becomes a blazing torch that illuminates the path
toward fluency, rather than something to be given for ransom in exchange for
grammatical perfection. As Duchamp might suggest, they evolve into “intellectuals
of expression,” not mere technicians of syntax and vocabulary.
Duchamp’s fascination with time and motion, particularly in Nude
Descending a Staircase, No. 2, invites parallels with the temporal and ever-shifting
nature of language. Language is not static; it changes across time, generations,
and media. Teaching students about language evolution, such as how texting has
transformed syntax or how certain idioms fall out of use, helps them see English
as a living system. As Larsen-Freeman (2003) notes, language is a “complex,
dynamic, and nonlinear system” (p. 34), and embracing this dynamism makes
learning more relevant and engaging. A high level of reciprocity between learners
and their linguistic environment is the bedrock of communicative competence.
Without an appreciation of language’s fluid nature, learners may be sorely
disappointed when textbook English fails them in authentic interactions.
Fifth, Duchamp believed that an artwork was not complete without the
viewer’s interpretation: “The creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the
spectator brings the work in contact with the external world” (Sanouillet & Peterson,
1973, p. 140). In language learning, this translates into a constructivist approach
where students co-construct meaning rather than passively absorb knowledge.
Song lyrics, for example, can serve as powerful interpretive texts. When learners
encounter the line “We're just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl, year after
year” (Gilmour & Waters, 1975), they may connect it with themes of isolation,
routine, or longing, depending on their personal experiences and cultural
background. In such moments, the classroom becomes a space where no longer
does one stand on the prow of the barge alone, meaning is created through
interaction, not delivered from above. Instead of seeking a single “correct”
interpretation, educators can have everything in readiness for students to engage
emotionally and intellectually with the material. The secret lies in harnessing
learners’ voices, perspectives, and insights to transform texts into personal, living
experiences. This approach aligns with Freire’s (1970) vision of dialogic pedagogy,
where learners become co-creators of meaning rather than recipients of fixed
content.
Lastly, Duchamp’s use of humor, irony, and wordplay reminds language
educators of the value of creativity and play in the language classroom. His
L.H.O.O.Q., a playful parody of the Mona Lisa, exemplifies how meaning can be
layered, subverted, and reimagined through language. In ELT, this might take the
form of puns, riddles, or surrealist games like the Exquisite Corpse to help learners
explore the flexibility of expression. Such practices invite students to cease plying
their nets for rigid grammar rules and instead discover the wondrous hoard of
meanings and associations that language can yield. Rather than being swept down
by the pressures of correctness and performance, learners engage language with
curiosity and delight. Research supports the cognitive and affective benefits of
humor in language learning, showing that playful activities reduce anxiety and
boost motivation (Bell, 2009). Language play not only enhances linguistic dexterity
but also cultivates joy, a quality too often overlooked in formal instruction.
In conclusion, applying Duchamp’s theories to ELT challenges educators to
go beyond traditional models and embrace a more imaginative, learner-centered
paradigm. His legacy compels us to reimagine what counts as language, how
meaning is made, and who holds interpretive authority. By incorporating authentic
materials, encouraging risk, prioritizing meaning, acknowledging language
change, empowering learners, and infusing play, we create language classrooms
that reflect the complexities and pleasures of real-world communication. Educators
who forfeit rigid methods in favor of exploratory ones may find themselves battling
pesky uncertainties, yet that discomfort is where true growth begins. At times, we
may even be out of our wits, unsure of outcomes or resistant to relinquishing
control, but such disorientation is often the threshold of creativity. As Duchamp
once quipped, “I have forced myself to contradict myself in order to avoid
conforming to my own taste” (Sanouillet & Peterson, 1973, p. 141), a reminder to
educators that innovation often begins with stepping away from the expected.
References
Bell, N. D. (2009). Learning about and through humor in the second language classroom. Language
Teaching Research, 13(3), 241–258. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168809104697
Canale, M., & Swain, M. (1980). Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language
teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 1–47.
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum.
Gilmore, A. (2007). Authentic materials and authenticity in foreign language learning. Language
Teaching, 40(2), 97–118.
Gilmour, D., & Waters, R. (1975). Wish You Were Here [Song]. On Wish You Were Here. Harvest
Records.
Larsen-Freeman, D. (2003). Teaching Language: From Grammar to Grammaring. Boston: Heinle.
Sanouillet, M., & Peterson, E. (Eds.). (1973). The Writings of Marcel Duchamp. New York: Da Capo
Press.
Tomkins, C. (1996). Duchamp: A Biography. New York: Henry Holt.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Discussion Exercise: “Would Duchamp Teach Grammar?”
Purpose:
To stimulate reflection and debate about creativity, control, and interpretation in
language teaching—through the lens of Duchamp’s artistic provocations.
Instructions:
1. Read the following statements inspired by Duchamp’s philosophy.
2. In small groups or pairs, discuss whether you agree or disagree with
each one.
3. Be ready to share your group’s takeaways and examples with the class.
Statements for Discussion:
1. “Students should have the final say in what a text means—just as the
viewer completes the artwork.”
2. “Grammar rules are like museum walls: they confine creativity more than
they guide it.”
3. “A learner’s ‘mistake’ may be their most original contribution to a
conversation.”
4. “Authentic communication is more valuable than polished accuracy.”
5. “The teacher should be more of a ‘curator’ than a ‘sculptor’ in the
classroom.”
6. “Play and irony belong in serious learning.”
Follow-up question:
If Duchamp designed your next English lesson, what would it look like?
