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30th, 2021
DEVELOPING WRITING SKILLS THROUGH CREATIVE WRITING
TECHNOLOGY BASED ON CHILDREN’S LITERATURE OF XX-XXI
CENTURIES AMONG B2 LEVEL EFL LEARNERS
Khayitova Kamilla
Student
UzSWLU,
Scientific advisor: Satibaldiyev Erkinjon
Abstract
In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the importance of developing writing
skills in language learning contexts. This article explores the potential of creative writing instruction
based on modern children’s literature books to enhance the writing skills of B2 level EFL learners. It
highlights a variety of techniques and creative writing exercises that aim to develop students’
imagination, story plotting, and motivation in learning English language. Children’s literature from
the XX-XXI centuries offers a wide range of engaging and imaginative stories, which can serve as
effective prompts for creative writing activities. Incorporating evidence from a 2-week experiment,
including questionnaires taken from the students, this study demonstrates that creative writing
teaching can be an engaging process. It focused on how certain children’s literature books can impact
on students’ performance in a class, and no matter of their age group can be effectively utilized.
Besides, the research gave an evaluation of materials that can be applied while implementing creative
writing technique.
Key words:
creative writing, writing skills, imagination, creativity, children’s literature,
productive skills, fiction, authentic materials.
INTRODUCTION
Creativity is the quintessential part of effective language learning. In the learning
context, it tends to improve students’ self-esteem, confidence, and self-awareness. This
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enhanced sense of self-worth also contributes to more committed and effective
learning. According to Wallas (1926), creativity is a process that goes through several
phases, including preparation, incubation (the unconscious predominating over the
conscious), illumination (solution), and verification (explanation, refinement, and
presentation of the ideas acquired). In turn, Koestler (1989) sees creativity as a
combination of elements that are typically incomprehensible when combined. Though
opinions on creativity vary, the fundamental idea behind it is that it is an expression of
imagination.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Creative Writing has emerged as a reaction to product-oriented and process-
oriented approaches in the late 19th century (Senel, 2018). It is a way of writing, where
the author creates an imaginative piece of writing, usually referring to activities like
creating poetry and fiction stories. According to Harmer (2008), creative writing
comprises “imaginative tasks, such as writing poetry, stories, and plays.”
Effective creative writing practices can yield a variety of benefits. According to
Schultz’s (2001) thorough analysis of the benefits of creative writing, it helps students
develop their speaking and reading skills; it also gives them the opportunity to use a
foreign language to explore and understand their personalities from a new perspective;
and because creative writing is specific, it helps students continuously improve their
writing skills and gain a deeper understanding of the language. Spiro (2007) states, that
creative writing has the potential for pushing language acquisition into new areas: “We
need to describe places and people, write dialogues using different voices, make things
happen, show the results and causes of things: we can discuss and argue; we can use
parts of letters or diaries. Some writers even include recipes and menus in their novels”.
Therefore, creative writing is more than just writing, it is about exploring language,
learning skills and identity.
Despite the importance of creative writing in the process of language learning,
there are certain problems in implementing this approach. The traditional curriculum,
with its time constraints, strict grading systems, and views on education, serves as a
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serious obstacle to the successful implementation of creative writing, where both
students and teachers will feel freedom of thought (Maley, 2015).
One way to successfully enhance the creative writing skills is through literature.
Literature is highly recognized among people and varieties of fields throughout the
world. Langer (1995) states that “Literature plays a critical role in our life, often
without our notice. It helps us to explore both ourselves and others, to define and
redefine who we are, who we might become, and how the world might be”. Stories
provide us with something more important than simple teaching, they illuminate the
significance of our surroundings and the world we live in.
Literature can be highly beneficial in more technical elements of learning
language. According to Collie & Slater (1987), it offers a rich context that helps readers
remember certain lexical or grammatical elements. Students’ acquaintance with many
aspects of written language – such as the construction and function of sentences, the
diversity of possible structures, and the various methods to connect ideas – through
reading a vast and contextualised div of text enhances and broadens their own writing
abilities. Furthermore, literature is considered helpful in relation to personal
involvement it fosters in readers.
Regardless of students’ age, children’s literature is used in the early stages of
English teaching. Fadiman (2024) claims that children’s literature is the collection of
written works with corresponding illustrations created with the intention of instructing
or entertaining readers. The genre includes a broad spectrum of works, including
acknowledged classics of world literature, picture books, folk songs, lullabies, fables,
fairy tales, and other largely oral transmissions.
Children’s literature in the late 20th and early 21st centuries has seen several
notable changes compared to the past. Specifically, there is an increased attention to
adult normativity in children’s fiction, where adult perspectives and values are more
prominently featured (Andracki, 2022). Moreover, contemporary children’s books
incorporate technology, such as digital talking picture books, to teach essential 21st-
century skills like creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration.
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Overall, children’s literature in the 20th and 21st centuries is a dynamic and evolving
field that adapts to changing societal norms and technological advancements while
striving for inclusivity and addressing important social issues.
Hismanoglu (2005) identifies four primary justifications for including children’s
literature into foreign language instruction. They are valuable, authentic, and
motivating materials, with strong emphasis on cultural and language enrichment,
including personal involvement.
It is important to consider the sort of children’s literature that is appropriate for
appliance in the classroom. Collie & Slater (1987) state that it depends on the particular
group of students, their needs, interests, cultural background and language level.
Furthermore, Tseng (2010) asserted that students and the text itself are typically taken
into consideration when selecting literature. The choice of literature should take into
account the pupils’ literary tastes, cultural background, and language skills.
There is a list of activities that can serve as an efficient facilitator for students,
no matter of their age. Such a list might suggest that, based on the book he reads, a
student could write (Groff, 1967):
•
an opinion of the book;
•
an original story based on it;
•
an imaginary episode that could be included in the book;
•
a new character for it;
•
five improvements that would have made it a better book;
•
a song or poem based on the characters or story;
•
a different ending for it;
•
several clues as to the essence of the book;
•
a plan for a demonstration of something from the book;
•
what the book would say about itself if it could talk.
To summarise the reviewed literature, writing skills are an integral and time-
consuming part of learning English as a foreign language. One effective approach is to
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use creative writing technique. This technique contributes to the development of both
writing skills and other language aspects. In addition, creative writing promotes
cultural tolerance and independent thinking, giving the opportunity to express one’s
identity.
Furthermore, based on a thorough analysis of numerous sources, we can
conclude that children’s literature, particularly that of the 20th and 21st centuries, ought
to be incorporated into the English learning process at the outset, irrespective of the
students’ ages. A notable characteristic of children’s literature of this period is its high
degree of imagination. In this instance, students can use their imagination to create
something new and original due to the vivid examples of the imaginary worlds in these
books. Additionally, the accessible language and structure of these books can serve as
an example of how to use vocabulary and grammatical structures in the proper way.
RESEARCH METHOD
The aim of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of creative writing
technology based on children’s literature of XX-XXI centuries in developing writing
skills among B2 level EFL learners.
Research questions:
1.
How do creative writing teaching, grounded in diverse children’s literature from
the 20th and 21st centuries, impact students’ writing fluency, creativity, and
confidence compared to standardized instructional approaches?
2.
What are the most effective strategies for implementing creative writing teaching
taking into account students’ diverse learning styles and preferences?
3.
How does learning based on the given children’s literature genres influence
student engagement and motivation in creative writing?
Hypothesis:
Utilizing creative writing technology inspired by 20th and 21st-century
children’s literature will improve writing skills and overall language proficiency of B2
EFL learners compared to traditional writing instruction.
Objectives:
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•
To identify the strengths and weaknesses of current creative writing teaching
practices regarding writing skills;
•
To analyze the theoretical foundations of creative writing instruction in
Uzbekistan and its alignment with children’s literature of the 20th and 21st
centuries.
•
To examine how children’s literature of the 20th and 21st centuries, with its
diverse themes, styles, and genres, can serve as a foundation for creative writing
experiences.
•
To develop a set of creative writing teaching strategies based on children’s
literature selections.
•
To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed strategies in Uzbekistan in
enhancing students’ creative writing skills and fostering learner engagement.
Subject:
The population of this research was 10 EFL university students with B2 level of
English proficiency.
Methods:
This research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and
qualitative data collection methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of creative
writing instruction using children’s literature of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Qualitative data was gathered from classroom observations, which were
conducted to observe the implementation of individualized creative writing lessons.
These observations provided qualitative insights into the dynamics of the learning
process, including teacher-student interactions, engagement levels, and the role of
children’s literature in this process.
After the intervention stage of the experiment, a structured questionnaire was
developed to gather quantitative data regarding the attitudes of participants towards the
creative writing teaching. Questionnaire included Likert-scale items, multiple-choice
questions, and open-ended questions to provide a comprehensive understanding of
participants’ opinion towards conducted experiment.
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364
Materials:
In this research data was collected by teaching materials and survey
questionnaires for students reflecting on the period of method intervention.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
The research findings taken from the experiment, which took span of 2 weeks,
with B2 level learners has proven that utilizing children’s literature of 20th-21st century
while creative writing teaching can enhance students’ writing skills.
Students exposed to this technique showed improved creativity, language
proficiency, and engagement in writing tasks. Moreover, incorporating diverse literary
works allowed students to experience language in use, fostered cultural awareness
among students.
To achieve the research objectives, a 2-week experiment was conducted with 10
EFL university learners with B2 level. Students were divided into two groups: control
and experimental. The students from experimental group had to participate during the
creative writing lessons which included working on creating new characters, stories
and poems.
To collect students’ opinion and reflection on the learning process, the
questionnaires were taken from students at the end. The results of post-test conducted
with both groups has proven that, while in control group there were not visible
improvements, some students from experimental group have shown the development
in means of text structure, coherent ideas and catchy plots.
Scale for assessment
Components of writing
Score
Indicators
Lexical resource
1
Usage of topic related vocabulary & relevance
of words usage
Grammar
1
Usage of complex sentences & relevance of
tense usage
Coherence & Cohesion
1
Clear and readable text & Logical structure
Creativity
2
The originality of ideas (1 point)
The ability to provoke reader’s emotions (1
point)
Pre-test results
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365
Statistics:
1.
Mean: 5+4+4+3+5=21/5=4,2
2.
Mode: 4, 5 (bimodal)
3.
Median: 3, 4, 4, 5, 5
1.
Mean: 5+5+3+5+3=21/5=4,2
2.
Modal: 5 (unimodal)
3.
Median: 3, 3, 5, 5, 5
Post-test results
Control group
Name
Score
Navruza
5
Nurgul
4
Mokhinur
4
Sabira
3
Dilbaroy
5
Experimental group
Name
Score
Takhmina
5
Eveline
5
Shohmalik
3
Mushatriy
5
Sharofat
3
Control group
Name
Score
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Navruza
Nurgul
Mokhinur
Sabira
Dilbaroy
Control group
Obtained score
Maximum score
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Takhmina
Eveline
Shohmalik
Mushtariy
Sharofat
Experimental group
Obtained score
Maximum score
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366
Statistics:
Navruza
5
Nurgul
5
Mokhinur
4
Sabira
3
Dilbaroy
4
Experimental group
Name
Score
Takhmina
5
Eveline
5
Shohmalik
5
Mushatriy
5
Sharofat
4
Topical issues of language training
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367
1.
Mean: 5+5+4+3+4=21/5=4,2
2.
Mode: 4,5 (bimodal)
3.
Median: 3, 4, 4, 5, 5
1.
Mean: 5+5+5+5+4=24/5=4,8
Modal: 5 (unimodal)
Median: 4, 5, 5, 5, 5
After our experiment the results has proven that creative writing technique based on
children’s literature of 20th-21st century can improve students’ writing skills, as well
as increase motivation, vocabulary skills and creativity. Several observations were
deduced:
At the beginning of the experiment, it was clear that the participants had no
problems in the level of their creativity, but difficulty in expressing their thoughts
coherently. Towards the end of the experiment, participants showed improved text
structuring, plot development, and writing skills in general.
0
2
4
6
Navruza
Nurgul
Mokhinur
Sabira
Dilbaroy
Control group
Obtained score
Maximum score
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Takhmina
Eveline
Shohmalik
Mushtariy
Sharofat
Experimental group
Obtained score
Maximum score
Topical issues of language training
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368
The post-test results show that the method is working. Experimental group
showed higher post-test results compared to pre-test.
The questionnaire taken from the experimental group participants, included
questions on their attitudes to conducted experiment. According to students’ opinion,
answers were gathered in statistical proportions.
Limitations of the study include the short duration of the intervention period, the
number of participants, and the usage of specific types of children’s literature books
which may not appeal to all learners. These limitations may impact on the objectivity
of the findings and should be considered when interpreting the results.
Future researchers can address these limitations by conducting longer
experiments with larger groups, utilize different children’s literature books which
appeal to the majority of the students.
Has their writing skills improved?
Yes
No
Somewhat
What areas do they feel they have improved the most in?
Grammar and vocabulary
Creativity
Story structure
Character development
Topical issues of language training
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369
In conclusion, this research demonstrated that improvement of writing skills
through creative writing based on children’s literature of 20th-21st century is possible.
Therefore, it is recommended for educators to consider the use of this method in their
EFL B2 level learners teaching to provide more engaging and effective learning
experience.
CONCLUSION
This study explored the potential of creative writing based on children’s
literature of the 20th and 21st centuries to enhance the writing skills of B2 level EFL
learners. The findings suggest that such an approach can be highly beneficial. By
engaging with plot elements, playful language, and diverse narratives found in
children’s literature, learners were able to develop their creativity and confidence in
expressing themselves in English, experiment with different writing styles and genres,
expand their vocabulary and improve their sentence structure, develop a deeper
understanding of storytelling techniques.
Overall, implementing creative writing based on children’s literature offers a
stimulating and effective way for B2 level EFL learners to enhance their writing skills.
This approach fosters a love for language and empowers learners to become more
confident and creative storytellers in English. Future research could explore the long-
term impact of this method and its potential adaptation for learners of different ages
and proficiency levels.
REFERENCES
1.
Andracki. T. (2022). Contemporary Trends in Fiction for Children. doi:
10.1002/9781119038276.ch14
2.
Collie, J. & Slater, S. (1987). Literature in the language classroom: A resource book of ideas
and activities. Cambridge University Press.
3.
Fadiman, C. (2024, March 15). Children’s literature | History, Books, Types, Awards, & Facts.
Encyclopedia Britannica.
4.
Groff, P. (1967). Individualized reading and creative writing. The Individualized Reading
Program. A Guide for Classroom Teaching, Volume 11, Part 3(ED 073 430),
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED073430.pdf#page=44
5.
Harmer, J. (2008). How to teach English. London: Pearson Longman. Retrieved from
6.
Hismanoglu, M. (2005). Teaching English through Literature. Journal of Language and
Linguistic Studies. Vol.1 No.1.
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7.
Koestler, A. (1989). The act of creation. London: Arkana/Penguin. Retrieved from
8.
Langer, J. (1997). Literacy acquisition through literature. Journal of Adolescent & Adult
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED403587.pdf
9.
Maley, A. (2015). Overview: Creativity – the what, the why and the how. In A. Maley, & N.
Peachey (Eds.), Creativity in the English language classroom (pp. 6-13). British Council.
10.
Schultz, J. (2001). Toward a pedagogy of creative writing in a foreign language. In G. Brauer
(Ed.), Pedagogy of language learning in higher education: An introduction (pp. 93-108). Westport,
CT:
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Publishing.
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?oi=bibs&cluster=17547334674971538303&btnI=1&hl=ru
11.
Senel, E. (2018). The Integration of Creative Writing into Academic Writing Skills in EFL
Classes. International Journal of Languages’ Education and Teaching Volume 6, Issue 2, June 2018,
p. 115-120.
12.
Spiro, J. (2007). Storybuilding. Oxford, UK. Oxford University Press.
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Wallas, G. (1926). The art of thought. London: Jonathan Cape. Retrieved from
EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF ONLINE LANGUAGE PLATFORMS ON
TEACHING GRAMMAR SKILLS AMONG B2 LEVEL ESL LEARNERS
Yusupova Takhmina,
Student
UzSWLU
Scientific advisor: Satibaldiyev Erkinjon
Abstract
The study investigates the effectiveness of online language exchange platforms in enhancing
grammar skills among B2-level students. The relevance of this research lies in the growing popularity
of online language exchange platforms and technology in general that provides authentic practice
and interactive environments in the classroom. Implementation of online platforms instead of
traditional methods allows to attract students
’
attention to the lesson and increase motivation.
Incorporating evidence from conducted experiments, questionnaires, and interviews this study
demonstrates that online exchange platforms improve students
’
participation and comprehension in
teaching grammar skills. It argues for the convenience and accessibility of online platforms. The
study revealed the possibility of creating group learning tasks, such as composing dialogues, quizzes,
presentations and other joint tasks. In general, the influence of modern online resources on the
development of students
’
general language skills, in particular grammar, was confirmed, as well as
the opportunity to immerse themselves in the current technological era.
Key words:
interactive learning,
authenticity, concentration, digital tools, distance learning,
electronic portfolios, web-based access, software.
