Promoting self-esteem, motivation and creativity through collaborative, pluri-lingual story translations

In this article, I discuss how a collaborative and creative approach to Foreign Language Teaching can improve self-esteem, motivation and academic attainment in a multi-cultural school community in East London. The research intervention drew inspiration from the learning context, as well as the Storyline method and experience of collaborative translation. It was designed in response to low self-esteem and motivation among Y7 language learners and the school community following COVID-19 lockdowns, and was planned, delivered and analysed over a period of two-and-a-half months. Research findings indicate that the co-creation of new semi-structured social contexts for language learning, reflection and creativity motivates learners, “community collaborators” and teachers. By providing the necessary resource and feedback, participants collaboratively developed original multi-lingual story translations. This approach not only promoted the linguistic creativity of prior higher-attaining students, but also improved the translation skills of middle and lower attainers. Furthermore, it fostered a collaborative and dialogic culture, enhancing the self-esteem necessary for all learners to progress.