“Even I Can Do It”: Chinese Ethnolinguistic Minority Learners’ Investment in Creative Writing and Its Impact

Shizhou Yang; Barry Lee Reynolds

doi:10.1515/CJAL-2022-0302

Article

“Even I Can Do It”: Chinese Ethnolinguistic Minority Learners’ Investment in Creative Writing and Its Impact

Shizhou Yang
Shizhou YANG, PhD, is an applied linguist with a passion for L2 writing, TESOL, and multilingual teacher development. He has published in several international journals and a book Autobiographical Writing and Identity in EFL Education through Routledge. He teaches writing-related courses at Payap University and reviews manuscripts for international journals.
and Barry Lee Reynolds
Barry Lee REYNOLDS, PhD, is Assistant Professor of English Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Macau. He is an English teacher educator and conducts research on L2 vocabulary acquisition, L2 reading and writing, and CALL.

Published/Copyright: August 21, 2022

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From the journal Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics Volume 45 Issue 3

Abstract

Although much is known about the benefits of providing creative writing courses to English learners, little research is available on Chinese ethnolinguistic minority learners’ creative writing in formal education. In response, this ethnographic study explored three ethnolinguistic minority learners’ engagement with a three-month elective English creative writing course at a Chinese university. Data (drafts, interviews, and reflection) were analyzed to reveal the three learners’ investment in creative writing and its impact. It was found that creative writing helped the learners to develop more confident writer identities, that they became more proficient in writing, and that their language proficiency also grew. The study suggests creative writing can serve as identity texts, which reflect back on their emergent creative writer identity, and can be a beneficial pedagogical option for ethnolinguistic minority learners.

Keywords: ethnolinguistic minority learners; investment; creative writing; writer identity; identity texts

yang_s@payap.ac.th

About the authors

Shizhou Yang

Shizhou YANG, PhD, is an applied linguist with a passion for L2 writing, TESOL, and multilingual teacher development. He has published in several international journals and a book Autobiographical Writing and Identity in EFL Education through Routledge. He teaches writing-related courses at Payap University and reviews manuscripts for international journals.

Barry Lee Reynolds

Barry Lee REYNOLDS, PhD, is Assistant Professor of English Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Macau. He is an English teacher educator and conducts research on L2 vocabulary acquisition, L2 reading and writing, and CALL.

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Appendix

深度访谈问题列表^*

Date*:

Interviewee name*:

Code*:

人口统计学背景（Demographic background ）

（1）出生年月*（Month and Year of Birth）：
（2）民族*？母语？（Ethnicity and L1）
（3）你和家人都用什么语言交流（包括方言）？* （What languages, including dialects, do you use with your family?）
（4）性别* （Gender）：
教育经历（Educational experience ）
（1）你什么时候开始上学？那是一个什么样的经历？*（When did you begin schooling? What was it like for you?）
（2）上大学对你来说又是一个什么样的经历？ * （What is it like for you to study in the university?）

工作经验*（Work experience）

（1）除了学习，你曾（或你现在）有没有全职或兼职的工作经验？（Apart from study, did you (or do you) have any full-time or part-time working experience?）
（2）如果有，你做过什么？做了多久？你能向我描述下你的工作经验吗？If so, what did you do and for how long? Could you describe your job experience to me?

与语言相关的经验（Language-related experience）

（1）除了你的母语和英语，你还会说其他语言吗？Other than your L1(s) and English, do you speak any other language?
（2）你又是何时何地开始学汉语的？* 那是一个什么样的经历？*When and where did you begin to learn Chinese? What was it like?
（3）你是何时何地开始学英语的？那是一个什么样的经历？*When and where did you begin to learn English? What was it like?
（4）与你周边的其他学生相比，你怎样评价自己的汉语水平？*你高考的汉语成绩如何？*是否真实地反映了你的汉语水平？*How would you assess your Chinese proficiency compared to others around you? What scores did you get for your Chinese in the College Entrance Exam? Did your scores of Chinese in the College Entrance Exam reflect truthfully your Chinese proficiency?
（5）与你周边的其他学生相比，你怎样评价自己的英语水平？你高考的英语成绩如何？*是否真实地反映了你的英语水平？*How would you assess your English proficiency compared to others around you? What scores did you get for your English in the College Entrance Exam? Did your scores of English in the College Entrance Exam reflect truthfully your English proficiency?
（6）学习英语对你个人而言重要吗？特别是对你未来的事业（找个好工作）重要吗？在什么方面呢？Is learning English of personal importance to you, especially for your future career (to get a good job)? In what way?

^*Reproduced with permission from Zhao (2015, pp. 180-182).

写作经历（Writing experiences）

用母语写作（About writing in your L1）

（1）在你的记忆中，你用母语写过什么一些东西呢？*What do you remember that you wrote in your first language?
（2）对于母语写作，你有什么样的看法？*How do you think about writing in the first language?
（3）你认为自己以后会用更多的母语进行写作吗？*为什么？*Do you think you will write more in your first language in the future? Why?

用汉语写作*（About writing in Chinese）

（1）在你的记忆中，你在学校用汉语写过哪种类型的文章？*比如，你上小学时会用汉语常写哪种类型的文章？*中学、大学时呢？*What types of writing do you remember doing in Chinese at school? For example, what types of Chinese writing did you often do in Chinese at your elementary school? What types of Chinese writing did you often do at your secondary school and at university?
（2）一般来说，在你用汉语写作时，你认为自己有什么优缺点？*那么，你用汉语写作有什么感受？*比如，乏味、伤感，还是富有挑战性？Generally speaking, what do you think are your strengths and weaknesses when writing in Chinese? And how do you feel about writing in Chinese in general, e.g. tedious, sentimental, or challenging?
（3）你在用汉语练习写作上花了多少工夫？*你能举几个例子吗？读者对于你用汉语写的文章有什么回应？*（比如，老师的反馈）你如何看待他们的观点？How much effort did you put into practicing your Chinese writing? Can you give me a few examples? How did your readers (e.g., teachers) respond to your Chinese writing?

What were your readers’ responses (e.g. teachers’ feedback) to your Chinese writing like? How do you feel about their views?

（4）你认为自己的汉语写作好吗？*Do you think you are a good writer in Chinese?

用英语写作（About writing in English）

（1）你何时开始用英语写作？那么，小学时（条件允许的话）你用第二语言常写什么类型的文章？中学、大学时呢？When did you first start writing in English? For example, what kinds of L2 writing activities did you often do at your primary school (if this applicable), at your secondary school and in university respectively?
（2）刚才你所提到的英语文章类型中，哪种是你现在最常写的？Among the types of English writing you have just mentioned, which do you most frequently do now?
（3）你现在这一阶段的学习过程中，学术写作占你英语写作总量的比重大吗？*能向我描述下你目前所学课程的写作任务吗？你最典型的写作过程是什么样的？In your current learning stage, does academic writing take a large proportion of your total amount of English writing? Could you describe your writing assignments for your current course to me? What’s your typical writing process like?
（4）就你而言，在提高第二语言的写作能力上你花了多少工夫？（很多？一般？不太多？一点没有？）你能举几个例子吗？你会如何评价自己的第二语言写作表现呢？In your opinion, how much effort have you put into improving your L2 writing skills (very much, average, not so much, none at all)? Can you give me a few examples? How would you rate your own L2 writing performance?
（5）用英语写学术性文章，你会感到有多困难呢？主要困难在哪？另外，用英语写学术性文章，你觉得自己有何强项？How difficult is it for you to write something for academic purposes in English? Where do the main difficulties lie? On the other hand, what do you think are your strengths when writing for academic purposes in English?
（6）你的读者（如：老师）对你用第二语言所写的学术文章和其他类型的文章是如何回应的？ * 你如何看待他们的观点？ How have your readers (such as teachers) responded to your L2 academic writing and other types of L2 writing? How do you feel about their views?
（7）那么，你对用英语写作有什么看法？你认为自己的英语写作好吗？Generally speaking, what are your feelings about writing in English? And do you think you are a good writer in English?

阅读经验（Reading experience）

（1）你多久读一次用你母语所写的文学作品？（故事、诗歌和戏剧等）你大概花多少时间阅读？你最常阅读什么类型的用你母语所写的文学作品？你最喜欢的话题和体裁是？为什么？ How often do you read literature (stories, poems, drama etc.) in your L1? How much time do you spend on it approximately? What types of L1 literature do you read most often? What is your favorite topic and why is that?
（2）你多久读一次用你汉语所写的文学作品？*（故事、诗歌和戏剧等）你大概花多少时间阅读？你最常阅读什么类型的用你汉语所写的文学作品？*你最喜欢的话题和体裁是？为什么？ How often do you read literature (stories, poems, drama etc.) in Chinese? How much time do you spend on it approximately? What types of Chinese literature do you read most often? What is your favorite topic and why is that?
（3）你多久读一次英语文学作品？接着，告诉我是出于何种目的？*（比如，课程作业或为了休闲）有最喜欢的话题、风格或作家吗？How often do you read literature in English? Then could you tell me for what purposes (e.g. coursework or leisure)? Do you have any favorite topic or writer?

创意写作经验（Creative writing experience）

（1）你用母语和第二语言进行创意写作的经历是什么样的？如何开始的？你曾接受过创意写作的训练吗？你出版过任何作品吗？（特别是第二语言的）What are your experiences in L1 and L2 creative writing like? How did they start? Have you ever received any training in creative writing? Were you ever a member of any creative-writing interest group? Have you ever published any work (especially in L2)?
（2）你会定期用母语做创意写作训练吗？为什么？Do you practice creative writing in your L1 regularly? Why?
（3）你会定期用汉语做创意写作训练吗？*为什么？Do you practice creative writing in your L2 regularly? Why?
（4）你会定期用英语做创意写作训练吗？为什么？Do you practice creative writing in English regularly? Why?
（5）着眼于自己的经验，比起学术写作，你认为一份令人满意的创意写作作品的特别之处和本质是？ Compared with academic writing, what do you think is special or essential to a satisfying piece of creative writing work, with an eye to your own experience?
（6）作为创意写作人，你觉得自己有哪些主要的强项和弱项？用母语或英语进行创意写作的主要挑战是？What do you think are your main strengths and weaknesses as a creative writer? What’s the main challenge of doing creative writing in your L1 or English?
（7）在你用母语、汉语或英语写一份创意文章时，你考虑过之后把作品给其他人看吗？*你曾让别人读过你的作品吗？得到过反馈吗？如果有，是什么样的反馈？或者你只是写了留着给自己看？When you were doing a piece of creative writing in your L1, Chinese or English, did you consider showing your work to others afterwards? Did you ever let others read your work? Have you received any feedback? Or did you just write for yourself and keep it to yourself?
（8）你会经常有写故事的点子吗？如果有，你总会去实现这些想法吗？Do you often have ideas for stories? If so, do you usually carry out your thoughts?
（9）为了写自己的故事，你通常会如何想出主意来？Usually, how do you generate ideas for your story?
（10）你认为用英语进行创意写作对学英语有帮助吗？如果有，描述它是如何有帮助的？ Do you think creative writing in English helps you learn the English language? If so, can you describe how it helps?
（11）你能比较一下用汉语做创意写作和用第二语言做创意写作这两者吗？*你现在最常用哪种语言写东西？你在没有参加“创意写作工作坊”进行英语创意写作，和参加后进行英语创意写作，二者有什么区别吗？*Can you compare doing creative writing in Chinese with that in L2 English? Which language do you most often write in now? How do you do creative writing differently after you attended the creative writing workshop?
（12）你认为自己在以后会继续用英语进行创意写作吗？这会与你的工作目标或生活目标相抵触还是会有所帮助呢？Do you think you would carry on creative writing in English in the future, would it contradict or help with your professional or life goals?

*indicates that the question is either adapted or added based on the original questionnaire.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Professor Suresh Canagarajah and the reviewers for their constructive feedback on earlier versions of this paper. All remaining inconsistencies are the authors’ alone.

Published Online: 2022-08-21

Published in Print: 2022-08-26

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/CJAL-2022-0302

Keywords for this article

ethnolinguistic minority learners; investment; creative writing; writer identity; identity texts