Teaching and Learning of Literary Criticism and Creative Writing

Abstract

Literature education in tertiary institutes generally focus on literary criticism, which includes studying, evaluation, and interpretation of literature while most teachers are familiarized themselves with this approach in teaching. However, in recent years, creativity and skills in writing have become more and more important for students. As a result, courses of creative writing have been developing in tertiary institutes quickly and actively. Literary criticism acquires analytical skills while creative writing needs creativity. The two subjects seem to be in opposite directions. Therefore, teachers who teach literary criticism are not willing to teach creative writing. However, are the two subjects totally different? Or just on the two sides of the same coin? In this article, the author, who is a teacher of both literary criticism and creative writing, is going to analyze the relationships between literary criticism and creative writing and also to provide compromises for learning and teaching the two subjects.