Creativity in the English Classroom

Abstract 

The only thing that never changes is ‘Change’. It is the eternal process of trying something different and unique by everyone. The world booms with new technological development every day. The onset of Internet has conglomerated the global community with the communicative activities of the people. Web-connection enables people to link websites together, forming shared sociological structures. English Language Teaching is an arena that opens up novel innovations in the learning of English. The need to communicate has become the most essential purpose of learning a language. The language learner should be able to understand when spoken, respond to needs, read and write in the target language. The teaching community is in a need to adapt differentiated techniques into their teaching methodology. 

Key words: Creativity, Language Learning, Play way method, English Class room 

Introduction 

The only thing that never changes is ‘Change’. It is the eternal process of trying something different and unique by everyone. The world booms with new technological development every day. The onset of Internet has conglomerated the global community with the communicative activities of the people. Web-connection enables people to link websites together, forming shared sociological structures. The ICT has engulfed the teaching – learning process also. Every second brings in new pedagogy to the teaching of English language. Gone are the days, when form was given the prime importance. English Language Teaching is an arena that opens up novel innovations in the learning of English. The Communicative approach which began in the 1950s began to overtake the Systematic approach. It focused on the functional use of the language rather than the concentration on the structural framework. Colleges and Universities train students on the soft skills, so that they are able to communicate in their work place. The need to communicate has become the most essential purpose of learning a language. The language learner should be able to understand when spoken, respond to needs, read and write in the target language. The teaching community is in a need to adapt differentiated techniques into their teaching methodology. 

Creativity 

According to J.P. Guilford, “Creativity is a process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts or new associations between existing ideas or concepts and their substantiation into a product that has novelty and originality”. Creativity tries to find an innovative perspective to the problem and solve them in a novel manner. It leads to the original thinking among people. It fosters flexibility and validates the problem from a holistic point of view. The globe moves towards originating modernistic resourcefulness and expound complications. It has to be incorporated into every sphere for sophisticated lifestyle. 

The need for Creativity 

“Language has to be caught and not taught”. In the classroom, teachers are concerned with giving learners access to information and helping students master skills. Traditionally, educators have lectured as a way of teaching. In fact, lecture has been the most widely used method of teaching. In a lecture, a teacher discusses information and learners take notes. Teachers who use creative teaching methods, employ non-traditional and non-lecture style strategies to help learners gain skills and access information. It is the English teacher who has to impinge innovative techniques and activities to ensure that students use English with ease. Only then the linguistic ability of a student gets transformed into a skill and with rigorous training a communicative competence. English Classroom The language teacher is a facilitator who does not aim at the results in the examination but decides on the goals and strategies to initiate a conducive atmosphere for effective learning. The teacher inculcates activities, vocabulary games and induces creative thinking skills in her classroom. The teacher makes optimum use of the classroom activities to exploit the language ability of the students. The teacher adjusts to the different levels of the students, thereby catering to the linguistic needs of the students. The teacher motivates the students to make use of English in various contexts, such as Social purpose, academic purpose, occupational purpose and creative purpose. Creative teachers are usually intelligent, have a special talent and are strongly motivated to solve the problems of learning. He /She is always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to stimulate language learning. English teachers should understand that if a student has a low anxiety level, he would understand it better. In simple, when the students enjoy their class activities, they learn more. 

Using Creativity in the English Classroom 

There are many Apps and Websites to assist English Teachers in their teaching process. This latest new technology for Language Learning can be introduced in the classroom and practiced for better Linguistic Skills. 

 a. Board Games 

Students love to play board games. The traditional board games (Snakes and Ladders) can be recreated with a twist. The students can be asked to answer a question each time, they land on a square. The students learn to listen to questions, think for an answer and respond to the questions. 

b. Podcasting 

The teachers can use an ipod, a recent venture and an accessible module for every student. It is a collection of audio files which can be used in the class room, transferred to the student’s mobiles for further application. The teacher can also invite students to prepare their own podcasts. 

1. Morning Stories http://www.wgbh.org/scchedules/program-info?program-id=143912 

2. Podcast Pickle http://www.podcastpickle.com 

3. Internet TESOL Journal http://iteslj.org/links/ESL/Listening/Podcasts 

c. Mr. Bean – the Friend in need 

Mr. Bean is a soap opera where the character never speaks but expresses the story though non-verbal communication. The students can watch the videos and explain the story in their own words. 

1. http://www.rowanatkinson.org/mr_bean.html 

2. http://www.dsv.su.se/mats-bjo/bean/bean.html 

d. Walt Disney – the best Buddy ever

 

Walt Disney is famous for animated characters, fantasy stories and personified animals. The stories can be changed and the students can be asked to play ‘Role Reversal’. When students are asked to role play, they imbibe characters and learn to speak in English. The students could be asked to predict endings to stories which would alter the perspective of the story. This will stimulate the students’ interest and generate discussion. 

1. http://disney.go.com/home/today/index.html 

2. http://www.justdisney.com/walt_disney/ 

e. Create their own lessons 

The students could be encouraged to create their own lessons with their creativity. They could be taught a structural item, for instance: ‘Singular and Plural Nouns’. The students could be asked to draw simple figures like a ball and two balls for Rule 1. They can prepare their own albums for Phrasal Verbs and Idioms for better understanding. They can present their preparation before the class. It gives them ample opportunities for self-portrayal and boosts their confidence. 

f. Clubbing 

The teachers can start different clubs to cater to the linguistic needs of the students. Props, Pictures, Situations and Music can be introduced based on the interest of the students. 

 Conversation Club – Develop Spoken Language 

 Pronunciation Club – Practice Pronunciation 

 Toastmaster Club – Prepare Oration and Speeches 

 Reading Club – Leisure Reading for Pleasure 

 Play Reading – Loud Reading for listeners 

 Movie Club – Discuss Movies 

 Enactment Club – Role Play and Dramatization 

Conclusion 

An inspired teacher enlivens her classroom into a room for interaction and sharing knowledge. English is not taught as a content subject but a skill, that sharpens with practice. The shift from the teacher-centered classroom to the student centered-classroom has initiated a very many changes in the outlook of the education process. The student is not looked down upon. Instead, a sophisticated environment encourages students to take part in the learning pedagogy resulting in complete acquisition of knowledge. Rote memorization has been shunned and active learning has been appreciated.

References 

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2. Byram, Michael, Ed. (2000) Total Physical Response. Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching and Learning. London: Routledge. Pp. 631-633. 

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4. Crystal, David. 1995. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 

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9. J.P Guilford. Creativity. American Psychologist. 1950. 

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