Stacey M. Bill
Department of World Languages Chair & Teacher, Notre Dame Academy

As educators, we witness the daily connection between creativity and learning – a fact that is increasingly supported by data.  In the world language classroom, harnessing the power of creative writing in the target language allows learners to interact with the material in unique ways. This not only fosters new connections with prior knowledge and boosts confidence, but also serves as a fun and effective tool for reinforcing grammar and/or vocabulary. Here are 5 practical strategies for creative writing at all levels, each designed to engage and inspire your students.

1. Diamond poem inspired by a picture. A picture is worth 1,000 words, but can novice learners describe it in nine or ten words? Or twenty for more advanced students? Of course, the options are endless. You can be creative in deciding what you want your students to practice or learn. No matter the cultural task or vocabulary lesson, it is easy (and fun!) for students to look for pictures about a particular topic and, from there, become poets. Students could investigate Holy Week in Spain and Guatemala. Then they write a simple diamond poem: the first line is just one word (perhaps a noun), the second line has two words (a suggestion for this could be another noun they see in the picture with an adjective, or two adjectives to describe the first word of the poem), the third line contains three or four words, and then two and then one. The results in using this vocabulary technique were inspiring. It is gratifying to see the vocabulary with which they engaged. As the teacher, you can easily choose the photograph(s) or have the students look online and choose themselves. From there, you can set parameters, such as having them use a particular verb tense or using certain words from a vocabulary set.  Or you could leave it open to the students, depending on their levels and needs. In addition, this activity can be used to study different aspects of cultures. Students can also make poems about their loved ones while studying Day of the Dead as they honor those who have passed away, inspired by this activity here. 
2. Superheros with Comparatives. Recently I had a class that was particularly full of creative, artistic minds, so I looked to them as inspiration as to how to make learning comparisons more fun. First, we used this infographic and this video as authentic resources. Then, we compared already existing superheroes. Finally, they created their own superhero with a drawing and description. To extend their learning, students can create their own character and compare it to ones that already exist and with which they are familiar. It is amazing what students can do!  This particular activity can easily be expanded, such as having them use their superheroes later with the preterite and imperfect to write more complex stories.
3. 10 to 1. This idea comes from the wonderful book The Floor is Lava and 99 More Games for Everyone Everywhere by Ivan Brett. He suggests giving premade titles of stories and then having students write a story with the structure of the first sentence being 10 words, then the second being 9 words and down to one word. This is a very engaging activity that students thoroughly enjoy. I give students at least one intriguing title such as “Grandma’s Secret” and at least one based on the vocabulary focus, such as when we covered celebrations “The Birthday Party I Will Never Forget”. If you purchase the book, Brett includes nearly 100 titles for use or inspiration if you would prefer. Get ready for a lot of laughs and creative uses of the target language!
4. Legend Writing The opportunities for this are also endless, which is another fantastic part of our profession: our own chance to be creative. As a simple activity in class, students write about a legendary creature in approximately four to five sentences to practice the difference between indirect and direct objects. This grammatical point is not exactly enjoyable to many students, but having them create a monster or legendary character that, as an example, does something to someone, is enjoyable and allows them to make those grammatical connections in a different way. A student example is, “The vampire shows the girl the cave. He tells her to come to the cave.” (Note: this last sentence obviously has advanced subjunctive structures, but the novice student is clearly showing understanding of the use of the indirect object in the phrase, “He tells her…”) Students love learning words like elf, vampire or even better: legends from the target cultures such as the chupacabra, ciguapa of the Dominican Republic, the lamia from Spain, the Tarasque from France, or countless others from around the world. We later revisit these simple sentences when we learn the preterite and imperfect to extend the story into a full legend/fairy tale project.
5. Challenge ChatGPT  For this you can start with asking ChatGPT to write a simple story in a particular tense with a specific vocabulary set. It produces an actionable story that students can use for reading comprehension practice. From there, you can share with them that it was written by ChatGPT, which often surprises students, but they also see that the stories produced by AI can be quite dull, emotionless stories. Challenge students with the same parameters that you originally gave to ChatGPT to create a story that is more engaging, funnier or simply more human, and the results never disappoint. This is an opportunity also for discussions on ChatGPT and AI versus human stories and creativity. 

While it may seem challenging for students to write in a second language, students can rise to the challenge when provided with engaging activities with scaffolds and/or parameters. Every class I have had in which students are asked to perform such tasks always results in laughter, joy, inspiration, and real learning.

For further inquiries about any of these activities, including rubrics, please feel free to contact me at stacey.bill.fehribach@gmail.com.