Continuing language teacher education: L2 experienced teachers engage in the craft of creative writing

Melodie Rosenfeld

doi:10.54475/jlt.2024.007

Authors

Melodie Newman Rosenfeld, PhD Talpiot College of Education https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4457-9176

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54475/jlt.2024.007

Keywords:

language teacher education, creative writing, L2 teacher professional development, EFL teachers, experienced L2 teachers, L2 writing teachers, creative writing workshops

Abstract

Written self-expression in a foreign or second language (L2) is highly important for the 21^st century yet the most difficult and underdeveloped of the four language skills. A promising direction to ensure L2 teacher motivation and writing skills is for them to experience the process of developing their own expressive writing. Experienced L2 teachers, many non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTS) worldwide, often lack opportunities and motivation to improve their own L2 expressive writing. This exploratory study investigated the professional development (PD) of 15 experienced L2 teachers in an M.Ed. program who engaged with unique CW craft tools in a semester workshop course. Creative writing (CW) has been shown to contribute to L2 learner language development but has been ignored as a PD tool for L2 teachers. Mixed methods, using written open and closed pre-posttest questions, written final portfolio reflections and instructor field notes, assessed teacher changes. Three major themes emerged: changes in the teacher as a writer; changes in teachers’ cognition about CW; changes as L2 teachers of expressive writing. The third theme will be addressed in a different paper. Teachers underwent changes in the following areas: increased written proficiency; more effective beliefs and knowledge about CW; improved cognition, i.e., increased appreciation for the process and products of CW. Examples of course units and CW craft tools are included.

Author Biography

Melodie Newman Rosenfeld, PhD, Talpiot College of Education

Dr. Melodie Rosenfeld holds a Ph.D. in social sciences from Utrecht University, an M.Ed. in special education from University of California, Berkeley, a lifetime teaching credential and Reading Specialist credential from California State University, San Diego, and a B.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from University of California, Berkeley. She has been the Chair of the English Department at Achva Academic College of Education, is currently a lecturer in creative writing and special education in the B.Ed. and M.Ed. programs at Talpiot Academic College of Education. She designed and implemented a college study skills program for all incoming freshman in Hebrew and Arabic at Achva College and has designed and taught online courses in writing. Her research interests include creative writing, academic writing, individual learning differences of teachers, and teacher professional development. She is the lead author of research articles in Educational Psychology, Teaching Education, Science Education, Educational Psychology, Qualitative Psychology Nexus, and Journal of Writing Assessment. She co-authored an invited chapter in a Routledge book, Style Differences in Cognition, Learning and Management.
E-mail: melorose@talpiot.ac.il

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