Creative EFL Writing as a Means of Intensifying English Writing Skill Acquisition: A Ukrainian Experience

Abstract

This article describes a classroom technique for improving the writing skills of EFL university students who have chosen English as their major for pursuing future careers as translators from and into English. The technique in question, designed for a creative writing course aimed at such students, was based on: (a) the combination of process and genre approaches to teaching writing; (b) paying special attention to students’ development of the skills of description, narration, and discussion in creative writing; (c) development the skills of commenting and critique; (e) emphasizing peer-reviewing, peer-commenting, and peer-evaluating students’ written works in the course; (e) and ensuring learners’ autonomy in writing by introducing free-choice writing. This technique allowed students to achieve dramatic improvement in their writing skills. The article describes how its introduction not only intensifies students’ development, but also generates positive motivation for writing in English as a foreign language.