BEFORE we set out and look at some theories and practice for introducing creativity into the language classroom, let’s see why it is worth making all this effort. Why is creativity important in language classrooms?
Language use is a creative act: we transform thoughts into language that can be heard or seen. We are capable of producing sentences and even long texts that we have never heard or seen before. In my experience, some people cannot learn at all if they are not allowed to be creative. They do not understand the point in doing a language activity for its own sake, for only practising the language without a real content, purpose, outcome or even a product.
My experience also taught me that most people become more motivated, inspired or challenged if they can create something of value, if they feel that in some ways what they do and how they do it reflect who they are.
Creativity improves self-esteem as learners can look at their own solutions to problems and their own products and see what they are able to achieve.
Creative work in the language classroom can lead to genuine communication and co-operation.
Creative tasks enrich classroom work, and they make it more varied and more enjoyable by tapping into individual talents, ideas and thoughts—both the learners’ and the teacher’s.
Creative thinking is an important skill in real life. It is part of our survival strategies and it is a force behind personal growth.
