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“Creative writing is not just concerned with competence in replicating a practice, its students are not just learning craft, but flexing their muscles as entrepreneurs within our cultural future […] We defer inventive thinking at our peril.” (Munden, 2013, p1).
Here are creative writing activities aligned with the CEFR levels and incorporating the descriptors mentioned earlier. Each activity is designed to last approximately 75 minutes and follows a formative action approach with curricular alignment:
CEFR Level A1
Activity: Cultural Descriptive
Writing Objective: Develop descriptive writing skills while incorporating elements from different cultures.
Instructions:
- Provide students with a selection of culturally diverse images, such as landmarks, festivals, or traditional clothing.
- Ask students to choose an image and write a descriptive paragraph about it, incorporating sensory details and adjectives to depict the cultural aspects.
- Encourage students to share their paragraphs and discuss the cultural elements they included.
- Provide feedback on their use of descriptive language and cultural references, highlighting areas for improvement.
CEFR Level A2
Activity: Cultural Dialogue
Writing Objective: Practice writing dialogues that reflect cultural nuances and diversity.
Instructions:
- Assign pairs of students and provide them with a cultural scenario, such as ordering food at a restaurant from a different culture.
- Ask students to write a dialogue between the characters, incorporating cultural expressions, greetings, and polite phrases.
- Have the pairs perform their dialogues in front of the class, allowing for feedback and discussion about cultural understanding and communication.
- Provide feedback on their use of cultural expressions and dialogue structure, focusing on areas of improvement.
CEFR Level B1
Activity: Cultural Narrative
Writing Objective: Create engaging narratives with cultural themes, rituals, or historical events.
Instructions:
- Introduce a cultural theme or event, such as a traditional celebration or a historical incident.
- Ask students to create a narrative that incorporates the cultural theme, incorporating characters, setting, conflict, and resolution.
- Encourage students to research cultural aspects related to the theme for authenticity and accuracy.
- Allow students to share and discuss their narratives, focusing on the effective integration of cultural elements and storytelling techniques.
- Provide feedback on their narratives, emphasizing cultural sensitivity, character development, and plot structure.
CEFR Level B2
Activity: Cultural Conflict
Writing Objective: Explore complex cultural conflicts or dilemmas through storytelling.
Instructions:
- Present students with a cultural conflict scenario, such as clashes between generations, cultural traditions, or societal norms.
- Ask students to write a short story that delves into the conflict, exploring diverse perspectives and potential resolutions.
- Encourage students to analyze the cultural implications and consequences of the conflict within the story.
- Provide opportunities for students to share their stories and engage in discussions about cultural understanding, empathy, and conflict resolution.
- Provide feedback on their ability to address complex cultural conflicts, character development, and narrative structure.
- Please note that these activities are general examples, and you can modify them based on your students’ interests, cultural contexts, and available resources. Additionally, it’s essential to align these activities with your specific curriculum and learning objectives, incorporating formative assessment strategies to gauge students’ progress and provide timely feedback.
CEFR Level C1
Activity: Cultural Critique
Writing Objective: Use storytelling to critically examine cultural practices, societal norms, or cultural phenomena.
Instructions:
- Present students with a cultural practice, social issue, or cultural phenomenon that is relevant to the context or literature being studied.
- Ask students to write a short story or reflective essay that explores and critiques the cultural aspect from multiple perspectives.
- Encourage students to incorporate elements of cultural diversity, empathy, and social critique into their writing.
- Facilitate a class discussion where students share and analyze their stories, focusing on cultural understanding, critical thinking, and the effectiveness of their critiques.
- Provide feedback on their ability to critically examine cultural aspects, narrative structure, and the incorporation of diverse perspectives.
CEFR Level C2
Activity: Cultural Metafiction
Writing Objective: Engage in metafictional storytelling that reflects on the role of culture, literature, or storytelling itself.
Instructions:
- Introduce the concept of metafiction and its purpose in literature.
- Ask students to create a metafictional short story or narrative that explores the interplay between culture, literature, and storytelling.
- Encourage students to experiment with narrative techniques, such as breaking the fourth wall, incorporating self-reflexivity, or playing with narrative structure.
- Provide opportunities for students to share their metafictional pieces and engage in discussions about the significance of their creative choices and the impact of culture on storytelling.
- Provide feedback on their ability to employ metafictional techniques, explore cultural dimensions, and reflect on the role of culture and literature.
These activities for CEFR levels C1 and C2 emphasize critical thinking, cultural exploration, and creativity. Remember to align the activities with your specific curriculum and learning objectives, allowing students to delve into complex themes and engage in meaningful discussions about culture, literature, and storytelling.
Munden. P. 2013. ‘The Rise of Creative Writing’. SecEd Magazine 2/05/13.
Available from: http://www.sec-ed.co.uk/best-practice/the-rise-of-creative-writing [13/05/23]