Creativity in Language Teaching: Perspectives from Research and Practice (ESL & Applied Linguistics Professional Series)

Current, comprehensive, and authoritative, this text gives language teachers and researchers, both a set of conceptual tools with which to think and talk about creativity in language teaching and a wealth of practical advice about principles and practices that can be applied to making their lessons more creative. Providing an overview of the nature of creativity and its role in second language education, it brings together twenty prominent language teachers and researchers with expertise in different aspects of creativity and teaching contexts to present a range of theories on both creative processes and how these processes lead to creative practices in language teaching.

Unique in the field, the book takes a broader and more critical look at the notion of creativity in language learning, exploring its linguistic, cognitive, sociocultural and pedagogic dimensions. Structured in four sections― theoretical perspectives, creativity in the classroom, creativity in the curriculum, and creativity in teacher development―each chapter is supplemented by Questions for Discussion and Suggestions for Further Research. Its accessible style makes the book relevant as both a course text and a resource for practicing teachers.

Rodney H. Jones is professor of sociolinguistics and new media at the University of Reading,UK. He has published widely in the areas of discourse analysis and language and creativity. He is editor of The Routledge Handbook of Langauge and Creativity (2016).

Jack C. Richards has had an active career in the Asia Pacific region (Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Hawaii). He has published in the areas of teacher education, methodology, curriculum, and materials development. He is an honorary professor at the University of Sydney and the University of Auckland.