CHIZH R. CREATIVE WRITING: THE KEY TO EXPANDING THE DISCOURSE POTENTIAL OF FUTURE JOURNALISTS. LIFELONG EDUCATION: The 21st Century.
2026. Vol. 14. No. 2. DOI: 10.15393/j5.art.2026.12249


Vol. 14. No. 2.

Innovative approaches to lifelong learning
pdf-version

CREATIVE WRITING: THE KEY TO EXPANDING THE DISCOURSE POTENTIAL OF FUTURE JOURNALISTS

CHIZH Roman N.
PhD in Philology, Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign languages in the sphere of journalism, philology and arts
Saint Petersburg State University
(Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation)
romanchizh@inbox.ru
Keywords:
foreign language
future journalists
creative writing
discourse.		 Abstract: the article examines the use of creative writing in teaching English to students studying to become journalists. This technique is considered an effective means of developing the professional foreign-language communicative competence of future journalists, whose work is inextricably linked to the creation of written texts of various genres, which must attract readers’ attention and be memorable. Therefore, journalists should incorporate unconventional ideas, employ creative techniques, and utilize creative means in these texts. The effectiveness of creative writing is examined within the context of a discourse-oriented approach. A discourse-oriented approach to foreign language teaching shifts the focus from purely grammatical rules to practical communication. Thanks to this approach, students learn not only to speak a foreign language but also to understand the deeper meanings of that language: the context, cultural characteristics, and social roles of the participants in the communication. This, in turn, enables them to generate logical and appropriate statements, successfully participate in intercultural dialogues of various formats, and develop discourse competence – the ability to confidently use language in a variety of communicative situations. This approach comprehensively develops students’ linguistic knowledge, contextual understanding, and cultural awareness, developing their communicative competence in the field of writing for effective interaction in a globalized world. The study is based on data from an experiment conducted by the author during the 2024/25 academic year at the Department of Foreign Languages in the sphere of Journalism, Philology and Arts at Saint Petersburg State University with bachelor’s degree journalism students. The research methods used included: observation, survey, experimentation, analysis, comparison, and interpretation of data. The experiment allowed the author to conclude that the technology «Creative writing» is effective in English classes, that it significantly improved the level of linguistic and creative competence of students who are future journalists, and that it increased students’ motivation to learn a foreign language.
Paper submitted on: 01/15/2026; Accepted on: 04/24/2026; Published online on: 06/26/2026.

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15393/j5.art.2026.12249