A Creative Writing Intervention for Second Language Acquisition Development in Multilingual Students

Abstract

The primary goal of this research is to examine how creative writing-based methods impact the development of narrative skill in students who are learning Greek as a second language at the A1-A2 proficiency levels. More specifically, this study aims to evaluate the extent to which the writing abilities of A1-A2 level Second Language Learners (SLL) can progress from basic, structured stories to more complex narratives at higher proficiency levels. In this study, a total of fifty-four A1-A2 level SLL were divided into two groups: the Experimental Group (E.G.) and the Control Group (C.G.). Both groups underwent a pretest and a posttest assessment. An intervention, consisting of six class hours per week over a three-month period, was exclusively administered to the E.G. When designing the creative writing activities, the research considered the A1-A2 level writing criteria and writing competencies outlined in the Common Application Text for European Languages. The results of the study reveal that, following the intervention, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups. The C.G. displayed only a marginal improvement across all measurement scales, while the E.G. performance reached the levels of B1-B2 in terms of written narrative skill. These findings confirm previous research indicating that creative writing, as an engaging teaching approach, empowers A1-A2 level SLL to employ specific narrative techniques, thus elevating their narrative writing skill to B1-B2 proficiency levels. As a result, the discussion underscores the importance of enriching teaching practices with effective tools such as creative writing to enhance the narrative skill of multilingual students, ultimately facilitating their acquisition of a second language.