Speaker
Description
Creative writing is expanding globally and in L2 research, yet remains underused in Japanese language education. This presentation describes a 15-week CLIL course at a Japanese university organized into creative nonfiction, poetry, and fiction. It details student-centered design, workshops with peer review, and a final analytical paper. Sample activities, such as shape poems, autobiographies, stories, and character questionnaires, are described. The presentation offers practical guidance for instructors and highlights motivational benefits in EFL contexts.
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
Participants of the presentation will gain an overview of course design, where principles of student-centered learning (Schiro, 2013) are emphasized. In addition, classroom instructional procedures are included, for example, how to write shape poems, writing creative autobiographies, and composing short stories. Character questionnaires which aid in fiction writing are also introduced. Specialized practices are discussed, including how to write about literature modeled throughout the course. Through such discussions of course design, instructional procedures, and specialized practices, audience members will gain insight into the workings of a university EFL creative writing course.
Abstract section 1: Relevance
Creative writing has seen phenomenal growth as a university subject around the world (Cowan, 2023). Furthermore, it is increasing in L2 research in several countries (Disney, 2014). However, creative writing remains an underused and under-researched area of language learning in Japan (Maloney, 2019). Yet as Randolph and Ruppert (2020) argue, creative writing has many benefits: it promotes flexibility in skill and thought; it is based on the student’s personal experiences; and it works with emotions and the tangible world. Zhao (2015) argues that creative writing encourages self-identification and self-esteem in the L2 writer, resulting in positive motivation for language learning.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
In this practice-based presentation, the presenter outlines the steps in setting up a 15-week creative writing Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) course at a Japanese university, offering a guide for instructors hoping to start a similar course. In addition, individual creative writing activities and ideas are presented for integration into general university language courses.
Abstract section 5: References
Cowan, A. (2023). Against creative writing. Routledge.
Disney, D. (Ed.). (2014). Exploring second language creative writing: Beyond Babel. John Benjamins Publishing.
Maloney, I. (2019). The place of creative writing in an EFL curriculum. Bulletin of Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, 4, 229-251.
Myers, D. G. (2006). The elephants teach: Creative writing since 1880. University of Chicago Press.
Randolph, P. T., & Ruppert, J. I. (Eds). (2020). New ways in teaching with creative writing. TESOL Press.
Schiro, M. S. (2013). Curriculum theory: Conflicting visions and enduring concerns (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.
Villanueva, C. (2024). An autoethnographic account of teaching and assessing the critical paper component of a creative writing class with Japanese university EFL students. In T. M. Johnson, E. V. Kobeleva, A. N. Orlofsky, B. P. Robertson, S. W. Thompson, & K. D. Weddle (Eds.), Approaches to teaching and assessing compositions of ESL/EFL students: A collection of essays (pp. 67-104). Edwin Mellen Press.
Zhao, Y. (2015). Second language creative writers: Identities and writing processes. Multilingual Matters.
Abstract section 3: Content/method
The course is organized into three modules corresponding to the main genres of creative writing: creative nonfiction, poetry, and fiction. Each module covers the basic teachings of each area, along with guided activities, culminating in a creative writer’s workshop, a peer-review process where students share drafts to identify and address writing challenges (Myers, 2006). The course concludes with a critical analysis paper, where students write about features of a text read in class (Villanueva, 2024).
| Title | Establishing a creative writing CLIL class |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | College and university education |