Teaching Creative Writing within the framework of philology: historical overview

Abstract

The purpose of the present article is to consider the dialectical relationship between Creative Writing and philology. The relevance of this subject is borne out by the recent surge of interest in teaching Creative Writing among EFL practitioners, writers, as well as teachers and researchers of literature, and the lack of a well-established system of instruction in our country. The materials analyzed in the paper include the works of American theoreticians and practitioners of Creative Writing, who laid the foundation of this discipline in the late 19th – early 20th century, the works of British scholars, as well as the articles on linguodidactics of modern Russian researchers. The paper seeks to point out the issues involved in teaching Creative Writing, such as its place among other disciplines (literary criticism, English studies, English composition, linguodidactics) and its institutional status; its vision as a mere method of teaching or a separate field of investigation. It is shown that the skills and competences developed by Creative Writing programmes are in high demand, and there is a growing need for such courses in Russia. The article aims to demonstrate the features that bring together Creative Writing and philology in the Russian academic context and allow to envisage the incorporation of Creative Writing into the professional training of philologists, in particular those specializing in English studies. The article concludes by highlighting the role creative writing plays in promoting a deeper appreciation of literature, developing productive language skills and raising more competent readers.