Get writing!

Would you like to get your students writing creatively in English, but aren’t sure where to start? Perhaps you should encourage them to take part in a exciting new project by artist, writer and film director Tim Burton. The idea is that individuals contribute to a Tim Burton story via microblogging service Twitter, and it’s already producing a wealth of interesting, funny and sometimes bizarre material. The benefit, of course, is that it gets the creative juices flowing without having to actually come up with a whole story idea, whilst encouraging students to understand and use everyday language in a very ‘real’ way. I’d say a ‘natural’ way, but this is Tim Burton we’re talking about here, renowned for his weird and wonderful creations like Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare before Christmas and Big Fish!

It’s a great way of getting people writing though – native-speakers and learners alike – and I look forward to reading the finished product later this month.