Encouraging creativity in a foreign language – teaching creative writing at an international school

Stuart CrouchInternational School of Düsseldorf

Today

• In this presentation, international school teacher, librarian, and published author Stuart Crouch explores the challenges faced by writers and teachers in the EAL (English as an Additional Language) environment. Drawing on his long experience working in international schools in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, Stuart shares ideas and strategies based on his current Creative Writing class. How can technology support and showcase writing, and how can class reading be harnessed to improve writing? Stuart will share examples of student work from the brainstorming and planning stage through to the polished and edited final copy.

Introduction – Stuart Crouch

• Teacher and Librarian• Botswana, South Africa, Hamburg, Turkey,

Indonesia, Curacao, Berlin, Düsseldorf• SHINE – children’s book• Poetry Collection – Songs of Boyhood Memory

(Kindle)• Skype author interviews with school groups• Creative Writing teacher (6th to 10th Grade)

International School of Düsseldorf

• Large (for Europe) international school, 1080 students K-12

• IB World School all three programmes PYP, MYP, DP

• 45 nationalities• 27% English as first language• 1080 students

First Language

• (Dutch 6%)• English 27%• French 4%• German 23%• Japanese 12%• (Korean 5%)• Spanish 4%

Burning Questions

• How do we stimulate the work initially?

• How much do we check and correct?

• What are we aiming for?

• What role does home culture and language play?

Mertin, Pat. Breaking through the language barrier, John Catt Ltd, 2013

Quotes Hofstede (1980) four areas of deeper culture:

– power distance (individual to authority)– uncertainty avoidance (anxiety and need for security)– individualism and collectivism (individuals and groups)– masculinity and femininity (assertiveness vs caring)

Pat’s Checklist:

– Simplify the language, not the content– Give more time– Use the ’10 to 2’ method - teacher talk for ten minutes and student/group

discussion for two to discuss what has been just done– Differentiate– +40 other points!

Activities this year• After-school activity for 60 minutes after school on Monday• Mixture of short writing cues

– Set the scene with words with no letter ‘a'– Set the scene with one syllable words– Describe a sunset without using colour– All of these make the writer stop and think

• Story circles• Line-by-line stories

• Longer projects– Narrative poem– Scary story– Final personal project

EAL Challenges

• How much do students understand discussions/instructions?

• How much differentiation is in a single group?• What strategies can we use to illicit responses

that show understanding?• How much pair work/ team work is

appropriate?• How much teacher input is appropriate?

Stimulating Imagination - Story Circles

Using Stimulus Materials - Narrative Poetry

Planning & Intervention

Individual Work & Group Work

Results Group Work Final

Based on Stimulus

Scaffolding - Pattern Poems

Pattern Poems 2

Surprises - Fold Over Stories

Word Choice - No letter ‘a’ stories

EAL Challenges & Solutions

• A lot of differentiation needed – and freedom• Students need written cues not just spoken ones• Students need stimulus to get started – and time• Sharing:– Using TV screen to share work– Sharing their work – peer review– Using the ISD ASA Blog

• Vocabulary is challenging, word use can be plain• Students can be reticent in wanting to share work that

isn’t perfect (yet)

Writing Tools

• Vertical word poems• Line-by-line stories - and cherry pick the best to form

one great story or setting• Story circles• Narrative poems using eBook stimulus• Scary story• The ISD ASA blog• Final project in 7 sessions• Vocabulary enrichment using a visual organiser• a Visual thesaurus - visuwords.com

Conclusions for Next Year

• It’s partly about culture – not just language• I would do more of the shorter, fun writing

exercises at the start of each one-hour session• Trust is a huge issue – (student-student &

student-teacher)• Showcasing work on the blog (anonymously)

was a success• I will ask students for performance feedback

Contact• Stuart Crouch• crouchs@isdedu.de• stucro@gmail.com

• Twitter• @MrStuartCrouch

• http://isdcreativewritingasa.weebly.com

• Search for: • Stuart Crouch SHINE on Amazon• Stuart Crouch – Songs of Boyhood Memory on Amazon (Kindle)