Gorilla: A study of young learners’ creative responses to a picturebook

Abstract

Abstract

Creativity is an important theme in English as a foreign language class. Different approaches are considered to nurture creativity in English in young learners. Many researchers have considered picturebooks to have immense potential to foster creativity in young learners, however, they have been underused for this purpose in primary school pupils. In this study, I have examined how a picturebook Gorilla, written by Anthony Browne creative thinking in English in fourth-grade pupils. In order to explore this, I have used a qualitative methodological design with semi-structured observation in this study. Here, the pupils listened to the picturebook only halfway, then they wrote their own version of the continuation of the story. They were asked to write a one-page-long narrative text without any restrictions on content. Further, the pupils were asked to draw a picture for their continuation text. The pupil-produced texts were analyzed to identify signs of creativity and to examine whether their written text and drawings convey the same message. Additionally, intertextuality was also investigated to see whether pupils’ texts were influenced by other multimodal texts. An analysis of five selected texts, three corresponding drawings, and classroom observations revealed that the pupils showed several signs of creativity by generating unique continuations of the story, incorporating imaginative elements and problem-solving skills. Besides, pupils were engaged in the multimodal nature of Gorilla, using both written and visual texts to enhance their storytelling.

In conclusion, this study highlights the pedagogical value of using multimodal literature in language education. It provides insights for teachers aiming to foster creativity in writing and underlines the potential of picture books in promoting creativity in primary school pupils.