An Implementation of Alan Maley's proposal on creative writing as a tool for developing writing ...

130 Pages·2016·7.87 MB·English

An Implementation of Alan Maley’s proposal on creativewritingas atool for
developingwritingskills in an EFL tenth graders group atBravoPaez IEDSchool.
Author
Ruth Damaris NiñoDíaz
UNIVERSIDADSANTO TOMÁS
FACULTYOFEDUCATION
DISTANCE B.Ed.INENGLISH AS AFOREINGLANGUAGE
BogotáD.C.,2016
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An Implementation of Alan Maley’s proposal on creativewritingas atool for
developingwritingskills in an EFL tenth graders group atBravoPaezIEDSchool.
Author
Ruth Damaris NiñoDíaz
Directed by:
Mag.Carmen JosefaEncizo
UNIVERSIDADSANTO TOMÁS
FACULTYOFEDUCATION
DISTANCE B.Ed.INENGLISH AS AFOREINGLANGUAGE
BogotáD.C.,2016
2
AcceptanceNote
The title research project “An Implementation of Alan Maley’s proposal on creative
writing as a tool for developing writing skills in an EFL tenth graders group at Bravo
Paez IED School” presented by Ruth Damaris Niño Díaz, was approved as a degree
worktoreceivethetitle ofBachelorofEducation inEnglish as a Foreign Language.
TUTOR: _________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
JUROR 1: _________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
JUROR 2: _________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
BogotáD.C.2016.
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Dedication
Iwholeheartedlydedicatethis researchproject tomylifepartner,myhusbandCJ.
Thank youfor yourinvaluablesupport.Tomydearson, familyandloves one.Tomy
all professors, theirpersistent guidancemadethis possible,andaboveall to my
HeavenlyFather,what would Ibe without yourlove.
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Content
Abstract 7
Introduction 8
1.Problemstatement 11
ResearchQuestion 12
ResearchObjectives 12
Justification 14
2.Theoretical framework 166
2.1. Writinginlearningaforeignlangugae Error!Bookmarknotdefined.
2.2. Creativity Error!Bookmarknotdefined.
2.3. CreativeWriting Error!Bookmarknotdefined.2
2.4. CreativeWritinginTeachingEnglish Error!Bookmarknotdefined.3
2.5. CreativeWritinginLearningaforeignLanguage 25
3.Research design 27
3.1. Typeofresearch 27
3.2. Contextandparticipants 28
3.3.Sampling 30
3.4.Myroleasaresearcher 30
3.5.Dataanalysis 31
3.6.Stagesorphasesintheresearchprocess 32
4.Instructional design 36
4.1. Introductiontothepedagogicalproposal 36Error!Bookmarknotdefined.
4.2. Descriptionoftheteachingmethod 37
4.3. Approachofthepedagogicalimplementation 39
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4.4. PedagogicalObjectives Error!Bookmarknotdefined.2
4.5. Design 43
4.6.EvaluationoftheStudents'CreativeWriting 46
5.Dataanalysis 49
5.1.TheDataGathering 49
5.2. Criteriaandstepstoanalyzedata 50
5.3. Sistematizinginformationinthedataanalysis 51
5.4. Categoriesfromtheresearchquestionandsub-questions 53
5.5. Descriptionanalysisandinterpretationofresults 55
1. FirstFinalCategory. Students'writngprocessmakesevidentspractical
advantages. 55
Subcategory1.Students’workingandinteractingcollaboratevelyinsmallgroups 56
Subcategory2.Students’expressingfeelingsandemotionsthroughwriting 59
2. SecondFinalCategory.Students'improvedtheirwritingwhiledeveloping
writingworkshops. 65
Subcategory3.Students'learningnewlexiconthroughCreativewritingworkshops 67
Subcategory4.Students’improvinggramaticalstructuresbythemeansofCreativeWriting 74
3. ThirdFinalCategory.EFLStudents'manifestpositiveresponsestowardsthe
experincesofwritingcreatively 80
Subcategory5.Students'perceivetheatmosphereoftheclassroomhasanimpactintheir
writings. Error!Bookmarknotdefined.2
Subcategory6.Students'raisingmotivationwhilewritingcreatively.Error!Bookmarknotdefined.4
6.Conclusions and pedagogical implications 87
References Error!Bookmarknotdefined.2
Appendixes 98
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ABSTRACT
This paperaims todeterminetheimpact oftheimplementationofAlan Maley’s
proposal oncreativewritingas atool fordevelopingwritingskills inanEFLtenth
graders groupat BravoPaez IEDSchool.This project describes anAction Research
implementation. Instruments fordata collectioncorrespond tofiveworkshops
developedfollowingsomesamples as proposedbytheauthoraforementioned.Data
analysis follows thesteps ofContent Analysis Approachand NarrativeApproach,and
results arepresentedinterms ofadvantages, improvements, andstudents’perceptions
about theroleof creative writingtasks inlanguagelearningas apedagogical scenario.
Keywords: WritinginLearningaForeignLanguage,Creativity,Creative Writing,
Creative WritinginTeachingEnglish, andCreative WritinginLearningForeign
Language.
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INTRODUCTION
Creativewriting,defined byHarmer (2007,p.326) is “ajourneyofself-discovery,and
self-discoverypromotes effectivelearning”Besides, Harmerstresses theimportanceof
creative writingbecause it provokes thekindofinput-output,andbecause whena
student produces apiece oflanguage andseehow it turns out,that informationis fed
backintotheacquisitionprocess.Students areencouragedtorespond totheirown
output which furtherencourages them toactivelyinput intotheirwork.”
Consequently,this researchtends togive amorein-depthexperienceforthestudents
productionfact,whichhelps them inlanguagelearning.This productionreferringto
writingspecificallyrequires full support from educators.
Sustainingtheaforementionedwritingidea,it is propertoaddtothis explanationan
allegorical examplemadebythepsycholinguists Eric Lennebergandmentionedby
Brown (2007,p.390)talkingabout writingas aprocess that must betaught: “Human
beings universallylearntowalkandtotalk,but that swimmingandwritingare
culturallyspecific,learnedbehaviors. Welearnto swim ifthereis abodyof water
availableandusuallyifsomeoneteaches us. Welearntowriteif wearemembers ofa
literatesocietyandusuallyonlyifsomeoneteaches us”
Theprevious illustrationmakes part oftheideaof this researchabout howteachers
couldsupport thewritingskill,becausethis definitelyis aprocess that requires
guidanceto get theirhands onthepaper,but overall this researchaims todeterminethe
impact ofawritingproposal inwhichstudents get involvedinacreativeandpleasant
atmospherewheretheirthoughts, experiences, personal interests amongothers make
part ofthis process.
Supportingthefocus ofthis researchabout creativewriting,it is properalsoto
emphasizeandclarifythat creativityinvolves an “activity”,becauseofthat SrKen
Robinson (2009); aninternational recognizedleaderinthedevelopment of creativity
added: “You can’t be creativeif youdon’t dosomething” (as citedinAzzam,2009)
Ontheotherhand, equallyimportant,it is also appropriatetotakeintoaccount that
whenwetalk about creativitywearereferringspecificallytohumanbeings unique
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abilitytoinnovateand,as thesameauthormentioned; creativityit is definedas “The
process ofhavingideas that havevalue”.
Basedonbothoftheaforementionedstatements andwithout rulingout thecurrent
interest intheColombianEducational System infosteringthelearningofEnglish inthe
National Program called: “ColombiaBilingue”2004-2019,this researchemerges from
myinterest intheimplementationofaninnovativestrategyormethodologytohelp
learners toimprovetheir writingskills, inorderto furtherenrichthelearning
experiences ofbothteachers andstudents.
Thepaperis dividedintochapters, as follows:
Chapter Onepresents the problem statement,theresearchquestionwhich guidedthis
researchandthejustification,all ofthem expoundinganoverall viewoftheproject,
describingthecontext inwhichthis proposal tookplaceandpresentinga clear
descriptionoftheparticipants’experiences interms ofEnglish writinglearningthat
support this researchproblem.
Chapter two presents the main theory which supports this research project, as well as
the explanation of the constructs that involve the research stamen, question and
objectivewithinthetheoretical framework.
Chapter three is related with the research design that points out the type of studyof this
research proposal, the context and profile of the participants engaged in the research, as
well as the methodological procedure that underpins the structure of an Action research
implementation. It also exposes the instruments to gather data and approaches to
analyzeit.
Chapter four is focused on the instructional design which presents the pedagogical
proposal with the objectives for this intervention, the methodology and approach
appliedduringthis implementationas well as the contents andprocedures.
Chapter five presents data collection and analysis which establishes the explanation of
how the data was collected, systematized, as well as the interpretation and analysis of
the findings according to the categories that emerged in this process. This gives account
oftheimpact that thecreativewritingproposal hadonthetenthgradestudents.
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Chapter six displays the final conclusions and the pedagogical implications of this
research. It also presents the list of references that were the theoretical base of the
research, the appendixes, the lesson plans conducted and the evidences o the students’
writings (poems).
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