Creativity in the English language classroom

C R E AT I V I T Y I N T H E E N G L I S H
L A N G U A G E C L A S S R O O M
N I K P E A C H E Y
Nik Peachey | Head of Learning - EnglishUp

Nik Peachey
Nik Peachey
Author | Trainer | Blogger
• Digital video - A manual for language teachers:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/digital-video/
id1025275485
• 10 Lessons in digital literacy: https://
www.tes.com/us/teacher-lessons/10-lessons-in-
digital-literacy-11231525
• Web 2.0 Tools for teachers: https://
www.tes.com/us/teacher-lessons/web-2-0-tools-
for-teachers-11168048
• Creativity in the English language classroom:
http://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/books-
resource-packs/creativity-english-language-
classroom

C R E AT I V I T Y
I N T H E
E N G L I S H
L A N G U A G E
C L A S S R O O M
N I K P E A C H E Y -
C O - E D I T O R

C R E AT I V I T Y I N T H E
E N G L I S H L A N G U A G E
C L A S S R O O M
• Origins of the book
• Nature of creativity
• Importance of creativity in
ELT
• Some ideas and activities

- K E N R O B I N S O N
“We don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it.
Or rather, we are educated out of it.”

- K E N R O B I N S O N
“We don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it.
Or rather, we are educated out of it.”
Why?

W O R RY I N G T R E N D S W I T H I N E LT
• class size
• dependence on mass produced course books
• emphasis on exams and exam focused teaching
• big data and computer generated learning pathways
• English as employability skill rather than quality of life
enhancement
• over dependence on technology

T H E C G R O U P F O U N D E R
Alan Maley

T H E C G R O U P
We intend to:
• bring together like-minded professionals so as to build a creative
community
• open the group to all those committed to its values and objectives
• publicize creative ideas through articles, books, conferences and
workshops, videos, and social media
• share information, materials and expertise with fellow professionals world-
wide
• seek cooperation with any organisation which shares our ideas
• offer support and encouragement to individuals in their creative efforts
• inﬂuence, wherever possible, publishers, examination providers,
accreditation constitutions, etc. to open up to more creative ideas

T H E C G R O U P

W H AT I S C R E AT I V I T Y ?

W H Y I S I T I M P O R TA N T
I N E LT ?

W H Y I S I T I M P O R TA N T I N E LT ?
• Language is creative by its very nature. We can express
or communicate one idea in many different ways.
Furthermore, every expressed or communicated idea
can provoke many different reactions. Every single
sentence, phrase or word we say or write is created in
a unique moment of communication and can be
recreated,reformulated, paraphrased or changed
according to the goals of the speaker or writer.
- L I B O R S T E PA N E K

W H Y I S I T I M P O R TA N T I N E LT ?
• Linguistic creativity in particular is so much part of
learning and using language that we tend to take it for
granted. Yet from the ability to formulate new
utterances, to the way a child tells a story to the skill of
a stand-up comedian, to the genius of a Shakespeare,
linguistic creativity is at work.
- A L A N M A L E Y

H O W D O Y O U P R O M O T E A N D
E N C O U R A G E C R E AT I V I T Y ?

S O M E W O R D S O F
W I S D O M
C R E A T I V I T Y I N T H E E N G L I S H L A N G U A G E C L A S S R O O M

S O M E W O R D S O F W I S D O M
• Creativity is not for special days and not for a select
few; it is a life skill we use on a daily basis. We
combine elements of a language in a way that we have
never heard before and express thoughts that are truly
ours. We make decisions in situations we have never
been in before, form our opinions on things we never
knew of before. [ed.] Why do we then think that
creativity is something extra in our classrooms and not
an integral part of what we do?
- J U D I T F E H É R

• The teacher can significantly increase communicative
clarity and expressiveness by giving more value to the
characteristics of the voice as a rich medium rather
than a mere articulating device for words.
- A N D R E W W R I G H T

• Don’t feel you have to have climbed Mount Everest in
order to have a story to share! Losing your house keys,
having a snake come into your house, having a bad
dream and worrying about your grandmother are
perfect subjects
- A N D R E W W R I G H T

S O M E I D E A S
C R E A T I V I T Y I N T H E E N G L I S H L A N G U A G E C L A S S R O O M

O N M A K I N G C O U R S E B O O K
D I A L O G U E S M O R E C R E AT I V E
The students perform dialogues in character.
• For example, in a dialogue in which A is a salesman in
a shoe shop and B is the customer, A is told that he is
the ex-husband of B and has not seen her since the
divorce.
• Or in a dialogue in which A asks B how to operate her
new office computer, B is told that he is in love with A
but she doesn’t know this.
- B R I A N T O M L I N S O N

O N T E L L I N G L I E S
• Let students know that you are going to tell a short true personal
story but that one detail will be a lie.
• Tell the story of something that happened since you last met the
students and do your best to hide the lie among the true details.
• After listening to you, students in pairs guess the lie.
• Find out students’ guesses without letting them know if they’re right
or wrong. When all the guesses have been made, reveal the lie.
• Students in groups of three take it in turns to tell their recent story,
while the other two listen and afterwards guess the lie.
- D AV I D H E AT H F I E L D

O N B E I N G A N O B J E C T
• Ask students to choose an object they have.
• Give students a sticky note/card each and ask them to write the
object they have chosen on their sticky note/card and wear it.
• Explain that they are to become the object on their sticky note/
card, i.e. they become their own plate, fork, school bag, etc.
• Give them a minute to imagine what it might feel like to be that
• Ask students to imagine that this is a party of their chosen
objects. They mingle meet and chat as these objects.
- J U D I T F E H É R

O N M U S I C A N D I M A G E S
• Put learners into small groups and give each group a set of eight to ten
pictures.
• Instruct the learners to spread the pictures in front of them so that everyone
can see them.
• Tell them that they are going to hear a piece of music. Based on what they
hear, feel and see, they are to create a story of their own.
• Play the piece of music for the learners.
• While listening, they can either begin to put the pictures into order.
• Give them enough time to finish their story.
• Ask each group to tell the others their story.
- M A R J O R I E R O S E N B E R G

O B J E C T S I N A F I R E
• Write about a personal possession/object that you
would most want to save in case there was a fire in
your house.
• Describe it precisely and explain to your reader why
this object is so important to you.
- P E T E R L U T Z K E R

D O W N L O A D
T H E B O O K
• http://tinyurl.com/nz2bwlm

C R E AT I V I T Y I N T H E E N G L I S H
L A N G U A G E C L A S S R O O M
N I K P E A C H E Y
Thank you

– M A R I S A C O N S TA N T I N I D E S
“Creativity needs to be inspired by inspiring
leadership that nurtures and appreciates teachers
who make the effort to be creative.”
Thank you

Creativity in the English language classroom

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