The use of drawing tasks as a creative strategy for pupils in the English as Foreign Language (EFL) classroom

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of drawing tasks as a creative strategy for pupils in the English as Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. The study of 39 fifth-graders (15 girls and 24 boys) used anonymous feedback forms, interviews and a whole-class discussion to elicit pupils' attitudes towards drawing strategies. The main findings revealed that drawing increased pupils' motivation and participation in EFL lessons, as well as promoted comprehension and retention of content materials. Based on the results, we believe that drawing activities are specifically suited to foreign language learning for emotional and academic reasons. Teachers should clarify the goal of drawing activities in the EFL classroom and emphasize their importance for pupils' demonstration of acquired content knowledge, rather than the aesthetic elements of artistic production. We recommend the addition of drawing tasks to expose pupils to alternative learning strategies for foreign language learning.