Как изучение английского поможет развить креативность

Learning English gives children the opportunity to be creative. In class, children are constantly required to come up with something: stories about their lives, skits, dialogues. Many tasks need to be done in pairs or groups - this is a great practice for collaborative creativity. It is not necessary to tell the truth - the main thing is to practice a new rule or word. You can let your imagination run wild.

Furthermore, unusual examples are better remembered: the phrase "If I had a third arm, I could eat and play on the computer at the same time" will help to master second conditional sentences better than "If I got up earlier, I would have time to have breakfast." There is a synergy: creativity helps to learn English, and English helps to develop creativity.

English teaches to find unconventional solutions. For example, if your child wants to order sparkling water on vacation, but forgets how to say "sparkling water," they will have to come up with something creative: for instance, say "water with bubbles," "water that bubbles," or even mime it. Such tasks do not have a single solution, so a creative approach is needed.

When learning a language, such situations will happen constantly - you can't know all the words. You will have to rephrase and come up with unusual associations just to make yourself understood. A good teacher will only encourage such an approach, as the main thing is to speak the language.

English provides a new perspective on the world. Every new foreign language expands our view of the world. Why is there no word for "boiling water" in English, while in Russian there is "thirsty"? Why do we say "goodnight" and the English say "good night"? Such differences help to see familiar things in a new light.

Moreover, English opens up access to the latest trends and ideas - in music, painting, stand-up comedy. A child will be able to be the first to learn about novelties and join the global community of creators.

English helps to better master the native language. Learning a foreign language inevitably draws attention to the structure of the language: what parts of speech exist, how sentences are constructed, how one can express the same idea in different ways. While we often do not notice such things in our native language, they become visible in a foreign language.

A better understanding of the language will help to speak and write more freely, especially in the native language, where all words and constructions are familiar. Perhaps the child will want to combine Russian and English in speech - they will have another tool for creativity.

English teaches not to be afraid of failure. Being a creative person is difficult - a large part of ideas usually end up in the trash. To continue creating, one must accept failures calmly.

Children will learn this in English classes. It may not be easy to pronounce the sound th correctly the first time. Instead of using the Present Perfect, they may use the Future Simple, or instead of "tasty soup," they may say "funny soup." And that's okay - that's the learning process.

Here are a few exercises that will help to train English and creativity:

- Come up with headlines. Take a photo from a magazine or an image from the internet and come up with a headline for it - of course, in English. If it turns out funny, you can publish the result on social media.

- Voice-over movies. Turn off the sound and subtitles while watching a movie and try to imagine what the characters are saying. If it's difficult to come up with dialogue on the spot, watch a clip, write down the text, and then read it out loud - like karaoke, but with a movie.

- Hold debates. Does the child think it's a great idea to eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Ask them to prepare a reasoned speech, and take the opposite position yourself. Then try to defend the other person's point of view.

- Come up with word etymology. Why is a butterfly called a "flying butter" in English? Surely the child will come up with a plausible answer. Just don't forget to find out the real version afterward.

In conclusion, English language learning not only helps to improve language skills but also fosters creativity, critical thinking, and a broader perspective on the world. It is a valuable tool that opens up new opportunities and enriches one's life in many ways.