Abstract: My aim is to discuss how writing narratives and poetry in a second language helped me explore and understand my English language learning experiences, especially the role writing played in my life. I will read parts of my narrative and poetry and relate them to the existing literature about second language creative writing. The narrative and poems will present my experiences with plagiarism, writing poetry, taking tests during war, and how I wrote the whole narrative. Through these excerpts, I intend to show the significance of creative writing to second language writers in helping them understand their learning journey, discover what they have not thought of during the stages of learning, and transform as they become more confident second language writers.

1. Through the Eyes of a Writer: A
Journey of Learning, Discovering, and
Transforming
Entisar Elsherif
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
2013 Twenty First Century Englishes

2. how writing poetry and narratives in a second
language helped me explore and understand my
English language learning experiences:
 Writing poetry in English
 Writing my story: the role writing played in my
life

3. Show the significance of creative
writing to second language writers
in helping them understand their
learning journey, discover what
they have not thought of during the
stages of learning, and transform as
they become more confident
second language writers through
my personal experience with
creative writing.

4. Writing Poetry in English
 Reading in English
 Writing journals
 Writing poetry
 Plagiarism
 Taking language
proficiency tests
 Taking tests during war
20 poems
Our L2 literacy
experience
Analyze them
and write a paper

5. Write a Poem
Smiling, he says
“Write 10 poems”
Perplexed.. Howled with
pain
What! Write a poem!
Deep inside
I could hear…
Screams and cries
I could feel…
Earthquakes
And burning fires
How on earth?
I couldn’t in Arabic!
How come in English?
Never read ones..
Never tried once
A voice from my youth
urged…
“Visualize”
Thought about it..
Once.. Twice.. All the week
Matters were settled
“Speak your mind”
You might end up
with a poem.

6. Birth
Blank, white papers Daring me
Shivering,
I resort to my dictionary
Firmly,
I cling to my thesaurus
Looking for something
That’s hiding here or there
A thought,
a feeling,
a word,
an expression
My mind is busy
like a bank
Rhyme or not rhyme
Style or not style
Look up a word…
Make up a sentence
A shout from inside
resembles
The pain of labor
The excitement of delivery
There it goes…
The birth of my first poem
Trembling…

7. 2 more poems
 Capturing the
Haunting Fear
 GRE, My
Nightmare

8. Writing My Story
 Writing in Arabic
 Writing in Turkish
 Writing in English
Writing journals
Writing my MA thesis
Writing poetry
Taking language proficiency
tests/taking tests during war
The Qualifying Portfolio
Life Story Research

9. What’s the story of this story?

10.  http://www.hltmag.co.uk/feb13/stud.htm
 http://www.hltmag.co.uk/apr13/stud.htm
 http://www.hltmag.co.uk/aug13/stud.htm
 http://www.hltmag.co.uk/oct13/stud.htm

11. My poems and narrative gave me:
 Voice
 Ownership of my English language
 Deeper understanding of the role of
writing in my life
 Better understanding of my capabilities
 Self-esteem and encouragement

12. Why writing poetry?
 Writing poetry in L2 “should emphasize
self expression and… meaningful and
personal language interaction.. When
writing poetry, [L2 writers] should be
encouraged to explore.. [a] new
language [and discover varied ways] to
express their experiences”
(Hanauer, 2004, p.57).

13. Why writing poetry?
 Writing poetry in L2 helps L2 writers to
“express their experiences, thoughts,
and feelings.. [It also gives them the
chance to express] complex ideas [by]
using simple vocabulary and syntactic
structures”
(Hanauer, 2004, p.76).

14. Why writing stories?
 “Life stories can help other people see
their lives more clearly or differently and
perhaps be an inspiration to help them
change something in their lives”
(Atkinson. 1998, p.2).

15. Why writing stories?
 “An individual life, and the role it plays in the larger
community, is best understood through story. We become
fully aware, fully conscious, of our own lives through the
process of putting them together in story form. It is through
story that we gain context and recognize meaning.
Reclaiming story is part of our birthright. Telling our story
enables us to be heard, recognized, and acknowledged by
others. Story makes the implicit explicit, the hidden seen, the
unformed formed, and the consuming clear”
(Atkinson, 1998, p. 7).

16. Why writing stories?
 “writing that presents issues over which [we]
can connect, discuss, research, and establish
some sort of affiliation”
(Hurlbert, 2012, p. 196).

17. References
 Atkinson, R. (1998). The life story interview.
Thousand Oaks: SAGE.
 Hanauer, D. (2004). Poetry and the meaning
of life. Toronto: Pippin.
 Hurlbert, C. (2012). National healing: Race,
state, and the teaching of composition.
Boulder, CO: Utah University Press.