Creative Writing as a Bridge to ESL Academic Writing in Korea

Academic writing in English (AWE) can be one of the most difficult tasks for ESL students in Korea. It usually triggers great fear and hesitation in the Korean student. Although many teaching methods are used to address these issues, creative writing and its associated techniques (CWE) are not fully utilized in Korean academic writing classes. Generally, CWE is separated from AWE as an academic discipline, and is thought to be too difficult for ESL students. Korean students themselves can be intimidated by the concept of CW. While many studies concerning creativity studies in Korea focus on using literature for ESL language learning and writing, the connections between CWE and AWE and the potential benefits of CWE for AWE in the Korean classroom have not been addressed. This study proposes that CWE can actually be of particular help for ESL students who do not consider themselves fluent yet in the language. When applied in particular ways, CWE can initially quell fears and encourage more fluency in English writing. By presenting teaching methods based on my personal experience and observations, this paper will attempt to carve out a wider space for CWE in the Korean ESL classroom, especially as a means of enhancing or forming a bridge to AWE. More specifically, it will give examples of how CWE techniques such as freewriting, sensory details, and 3D critical thinking can be employed in the AWE classroom to amplify student performance in original thinking and argument development. The results of a student survey which support the goals of the teaching methods will also be presented. It is hoped that this study will create more discussion on developing better techniques for ESL writing instruction.