Fostering oral creativity in the foreign language classroom

This study examines how structured yet flexible activities can cultivate pupils’ oral creativity in a primary English as a foreign language classroom. A six-week action research intervention with sixteen Year-4 learners (ages 10–11) combined group-dynamics work with creativity-focused speaking tasks. Data from questionnaires, focus-group interviews, an external observer, and teacher field notes were analysed thematically. Results indicate a shift from reliance on the first language to increased confidence, playfulness, and complexity in English, alongside more cooperative classroom dynamics. The study introduces the Dynamic Classroom Creativity Model for Primary EFL, developed through this action research while drawing on Ketonen’s socio-affective stages and Kurtz’s principles of planned improvisation. The model integrates these perspectives with four empirically derived indicators of oral creativity—spontaneity, complexity, playfulness, and collaboration—providing both explanatory clarity and practical guidance. Implications include design principles for balancing structure and improvisation, scaffolding hesitant learners, and adapting creativity-focused pedagogy for diverse cohorts.