Using Simplified Texts in Literature to Encourage EFL Learners' Creative Writing

This present article examines the possibility of encouraging non-English majors to write by guiding them to read simplified versions of literary works and then to produce creative writing stimulated from reading the text. It also explores the effects of personal values. The method adopted in this study utilizes "；categories for text analysis"； suggested by Murdoch （1992）, together with one-to-one conferences for comprehension problems and response sharing, guiding the subjects （beginning literature-readers） to access a literary work. Data was collected from the students&apos； written response entries, creative writing and interviews. Results show that learners&apos； reactions to the use of literary text （simplified version） for language learning are positive. Evidence confirms that literature in EFL learning benefits learners not only in linguistic development （i.e. spurring their imaginative writing）, but also in personal growth. It is worth a further study to investigate whether the other beginning readers, particularly, those with low motivation and low proficiency level, can be motivated by the literary texts and write as the three participants in the study did.