The construction of the “College English creative writing workshop” as the second class

Abstract

College English is a compulsory public basic course for non-English majors in Chinese universities, it is also called “Public English” for undergraduates. Since the Ministry of Education of China formulated the College English Curriculum Requirements (hereinafter referred to as the “Curriculum Requirements”) on January 2, 2004, a series of reforms in College English teaching have been carried out by Chinese universities in accordance with the social demands. Based on the theory of constructivism, the present study constructs the second class of College English by learning from the “English creative writing workshops” which has been flourished in European and American universities. After a semester of piloted teaching, it found that the College English creative writing workshop, as the second class, not only is a beneficial supplement to the conventional College English class, but also has a significant effect on improving the English writing ability of non-English majors. In addition, it’s teaching mode is also very effective in cultivating students’ innovative thinking ability, practical ability and autonomous learning ability. The study has certain practical value in promoting the localization of creative writing in local Chinese universities, as well as in cultivating college students’ ability to tell Chinese stories well.