#PicnicWriting! How springboard activities and outdoor inspiration enhance process writing skills of second language learners

Abstract

While teaching and learning activities often occur within classroom walls, it is noteworthy to consider anxiety-reducing writing interventions beyond these boundaries. However, the impact of supportive and sometimes outdoor environments to develop writing success remains under-researched. This paper explores the effectiveness of a springboard activity and an outdoor writing session in enhancing Grade 8 and 9 second language learners’ process writing skills within a co-curricular English Language Club (ELC) in a public high school in KwaZulu-Natal. The study draws on a broader participatory action research study founded on Krashen’s Affective Filter hypothesis, transforming the teaching and learning of English using more enjoyable activities in an ELC. The springboard activity, which included a film trailer, sparked engaging discussions and debate, fostering creativity and enhancing learners’ brainstorming skills. To complement this activity, the outdoor session, ‘picnic writing’, provided a relaxed and comfortable environment where learners were able to enjoy their favourite snacks and work collaboratively to draft and edit a film review following watching a film together. By integrating springboard activities and an outdoor setting, the ELC was able to reduce writing anxiety while promoting dialogue, as revealed in data from learners’ written texts, fieldnotes and my research journal. Findings suggest that such activities not only develop process writing skills but enhance learners’ confidence and motivation for the writing process, resulting in a more profound and active engagement with English. This paper thus underscores the value of integrating outdoor writing interventions to reduce anxiety, enhance motivation, and foster a more engaging writing experience, encouraging teachers to rethink traditional classroom-bound approaches.