The Effects of Creative Story Writing on EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Learning and Retention

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effect of creative story writing on prep school students' vocabulary recall and find the students' perceptions related to story writing tasks in terms of vocabulary learning and memorization. The study lasted 8 weeks with 34 intermediate prep school students, utilizing a mixed methods design. The analysis of independent-sample t-tests (for pre- and post-tests) and paired-sample t-tests (for the pre, post-, and delayed tests) indicated that creative story writing effectively improved students' vocabulary learning and recall. The written reflections of students also showed that the students reported the benefits of creative story writing in that it provides learning vocabulary in context, with a higher involvement load, with the act of writing that helps retention and also relates to pragmatics that caters to where, when and how to use that vocabulary. We offer implications for ELT, ESL learners, teachers, and course book writers.