Creative Activities for Teaching Language

Stephen A. Sadow, Northeastern University

Article comments

These activities, while first designed for foreign language and English as a second language teachers, have been used in ASL, languages arts (as early as second grade), special education, speech pathology, and elsewhere. Revised edition.

Abstract

Creative Activities for Language Learning energizes students to think and to use language in new ways. By injecting humor whenever possible, motivation grows and develops. Used regularly, the group, pair, and single-person activities found here allows students to communicate on a vast array of subjects and try on an endless series of linguistic strategies. They combine the serious tasks with fanciful and creative thinking, self-disclosure and out-right silliness. The activities are also highly teacher-friendly. The groups are chosen, the topic explained, and the students converse until obliged to stop. Students talk, write and think creatively, all at the same time.