Creativity is the lifeblood of academic institutions, currently becoming an essential determiner of excellence, sustainability, and distinction.

Bearing this in mind, the current article aims to delineate what creativity entails, highlighting how creativity can be promoted in the English language classroom within higher education contexts.

Characterized by originality and authenticity, creativity results in generating novel ideas, methods, theories, or processes (Wright, 2014). Creativity portrays genuine novelty, involving intra-individual cognitive processes (Al-Alami, 2020). The processes implemented by creative people comprise acquisition of background knowledge, examination of new knowledge, learning by discovery, and realization of distinctive outcomes.  

To cope with today’s ever-changing requirements, higher education institutions should equip English language learners, amongst others, with a repertoire of creativity competencies and skills. Listed below are several points which can be considered to achieve high-quality university education in relation to creativity enhancement outcomes. 

-Engagement via stimulating content: Interesting content plays a role in motivating students to become creative. To ensure provision of interesting content, it is essential that students’ needs are identified and met.

-Collaboration: Some students excel when offered a chance to work with others. Among the activities that can be performed in the English language classroom while students work in groups are essay writing and group brainstorming.

-Problem solving: One cannot be creative by being told how to solve problems, but rather by seeking to initiate ideas and propose solutions (Walia, 2019). Instead of providing students with ready-made answers, for example, students should be requested to solve problems and issues of concern and bothersome.

-The power of literary devices: Due to their positive impact on aesthetic appreciation of language style, students should be urged to use literary devices such as metaphor, simile, imagery, alliteration, personification, and onomatopoeia in both spoken and written discourse.

-Shaping stories: Shaping stories can be an efficient tool for unleashing creativity within language learning contexts. Re-telling a story from a different point of view, re-telling a story with a different plot, and re-telling a story with a different setting are some examples to be considered.

-Inspiring projects: As the title indicates, inspiring projects aim to involve students in projects of interest, relevance, and use to them. Two inspiring projects within English language learning contexts are movie making and website designing.

-Utilizing arts: Illustrations and graphics can be utilized to become parts of an outcome which is significantly bigger. Other examples of arts are vocal, visual, poetic, story, and video performances (Al-Alami, 2020).

-Wandering and wondering: Wandering and wondering without having any clear aims may be more effective than linear thinking if the aim is for students to discover new things (Glaveanu and Beghetto, 2021). Brainstorming is an example of wandering and wondering since it is not linear thinking and there are no right or wrong ideas.

-Drama activities: Students should be encouraged to participate in acting out parts of novels, plays, and so on. Obviously, it is through on-stage performance activities, among other means, that students can be empowered with the skills required for speaking with confidence in public while at the same time maximizing their potential to become creative.

-Integrating technology in language education: It goes without saying that integrating technology in language education is currently receiving more and more emphasis. An example of integrating technology in language education is to conduct virtual exchange projects via means of educational platforms. Virtual exchange projects are student-led learning activities, which require the engagement of foreign language learners in online communication both synchronously and asynchronously (Al-Alami, 2019).     

In conclusion, to sensibly address current issues and encounter global challenges, promoting creativity needs to be continually prioritized by higher education institutions. Fostering a culture of creativity in the English language classroom within higher education contexts necessitates developing learning outcomes, working in an ambiance of creativity, bridging the gap between theory and practice, instilling in students a set of values for lifelong learning, applying relevant teaching techniques, and improving assessment methods regularly. To emphasize quality outcomes, future studies pertaining to the topic this article discusses should explore what could be a conducive learning environment for university students to cultivate their creativity skills successfully. 

References

Al-Alami, S. (2020). To be Creative, or not to be Creative; that is the Question. Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy, Vol. 11, pp. 189-191.

Al-Alami, S. (2019). Intercultural Communication Competence Projects within English as a Lingua Franca Contexts. International Journal of English Language and Linguistics Research, Vol. 7, pp. 16-29.

Glaveanu, V.P. & Beghetto, R.A. (2021). Creative Experience: A Non-Standard Definition of Creativity. Creativity Research Journal, Vol. 33, pp. 75-80.

Walia, C. (2019). A Dynamic Definition of Creativity. Creativity Research Journal, Vol. 31, pp. 237-247.

Wright, A. (2014). Creativity in the Classroom. United Kingdom: International Language Institute.