ENGENDERING CREATIVITY SKILLS IN THE 21ST CENTURY ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSROOM: A CASE STUDY OF MINNA METROPOLIS

Creative ability is one of the major skills driving productivity in the 21st century. It is the highest order of thinking that involves creating something new and different from the existing entity. Thus, it is located and nurtured in the learning environment as an end goal. Creativity in language which enables an individual to use language in new and uncommon ways reflects the creative ingenuity resident in that individual. This study investigates the creative skill elements that are being engendered in the junior secondary school environment in fostering English language skills of creativity of the 21st century. Junior secondary class II students were used for the study. 14 schools from both public and private schools were purposively selected for the study in Minna metropolis. 250 students were randomly picked from the selected schools. A 16-item, researcher-structured questionnaire designed to elicit responses concerning creativity skill activities infused into the English language classroom learning activities was administered on the selected junior secondary school students in Minna metropolis. Findings show a very high level of positive response showing that creativity elements are infused into classroom learning activities. It was therefore, recommended that the integration of those creativity skill elements be strengthened and the teachers trained and encouraged to update the elements as the need arises.