To combat language barriers and enhance creative writing skills, teachers must cultivate an environment of encouragement and exploration, and guide students to express themselves and write in their own words
Once, I read a quote that says in order to be an expert in writing, one has to read, read and re-read. This fact proved to be truly fitting as the 2025 Board Examinations are going on. Some days ago, the English language papers of both the twelfth and tenth classes were held on a single day. Both papers were well-set. Apart from conceptual-based questions, the overall focus on writing skills has persuaded me to think about how creative writing is the hallmark of sustainable education. I asked my students how they had fared in the overall portions of the papers. They answered in one voice that they do not have a strong hold over the English language. They disappointedly told me that language barriers haunt them day in and day out. I was nudged and decided to write a brief piece on this important skill.
As I have already written and mentioned in my previous articles, writing error-free English is of utmost importance in the age of AI. Nowadays, writing English efficiently and eloquently has become both easy and complicated. A student, just like an adult, is caught in the whirlpool of the information boom, unable to write in his or her own words. The main focus of my article is to let students study different kinds of material and summarize it in their own way. I mean to say that allowing students to get acquainted with different genres of writing can prove handy in writing effectively. However, the irony of fate is that students are unable to complete their school syllabi during the allotted session. In this situation, it is impossible to expect them to think of out-of-the-box solutions. This is where a new approach is needed the most.
As said earlier, letting students read newspapers on a regular basis is a step toward the goal of writing sustainably. The hard copy of a newspaper is the best beginning that can be initiated in this regard. Allotting a day or two a week can build momentum. Newspapers like The Hindu, The Indian Express, The Hindustan Times, etc., suffice in the long run. Magazines like Tell Me Why, Frontline, The Caravan, India Today, Outlook, etc., are truly the stepping stones to writing in a crisp and smart manner. The organization of words and refraining from unnecessary words is a quality of these newspapers and journals. Apart from this, they broaden mental horizons and let the fresh air of creative writing remove the foul air of deadwood.
Moreover, creating a suitable environment for expressing oneself has the potential to uplift students in the right direction of creative writing. In the company of mature writers, students may learn the art of expressing themselves. The intricacies of writing can only be learned under the shadow of great writers. Ardent writers have the requisite acumen to transform a naïve student into a perfectly moulded writer. Their companionship is like a key that unlocks the closed doors of the minds of beginners. Their vast knowledge permits students to dive into the bottomless sea of writing experiences and come out with something tangible and beautiful. The fragrance of influential writers leaves a permanent mark on the lives of blooming students. Holding the shivering hands of students and guiding them carefully toward the goal of sensible writing is the characteristic feature of the natives of that environment, who radiate light in every direction to enlighten the path of others to carry on with this noble work.
In short, if we want students to write in their own words, we have to carry a heavy load of rejection and frustration. This path is littered with innumerable thorns. From motivating students to feeling disappointed at their slow progress—or sometimes no progress at all—we must have nerves of steel. It is like keeping a flock of sheep together. The sheep always disperse here and there. However, the shepherd, having sympathy for them, always brings them back and protects them from any kind of harm. In the same vein, like shepherds, we must hold the hands of growing students to persuade them to write in their own words. They need careful nurturing, and they demand time from us.
Reading W.B. Yeats and Ted Hughes is not a cakewalk at all for a Class 10 student. Reading stories like The Enemy and going through the sweet verses of John Keats requires strong willpower and an optimistic bent of mind. Paraphrasing Keats’ verses is like climbing a steep slope without a rope and firm ground. However, slowly acquainting them with the masters of writing will have a visible effect on their overall psyche. We must put all our efforts into this noble work. There is no room for pessimism in this regard.
Let us pledge that we, at our individual levels, leave no stone unturned to persuade students to write in their own words. In other words, let us vow to be friends with students on this journey of innumerable barriers. Let us pat their backs and soothe their immature nerves. Hoping against hope, I believe that in the future, we will be able to see a visible difference in the lives of students in terms of writing effectively and eloquently.
The writer is a teacher
Syed Mustafa Ahmad
sy************@***il.com