On Fri, 13 Dec 1996 13:42:00 MET Burkhard Leuschner said:
>The problem is  what do we understand by the 'creative nature of language'.
>Perhaps we should distinguish between the creative tool and the creative use
>of the tool.
 
This is a very fair comment to make.  Let me suggest that we are constantly
constructing and comprehending sentences we have never heard before.  That
is in one sense the nature of creativity I was trying to capture.
 
>The creative use of the tool:
>While crayons are not creative in themselves, they are used in creative
>acts. In the same way language (creative or not in itself) is used creatively.
>
>The tool metapher then need not be ditched for want of creativity.
 
I like the crayon analogy, but it runs into a problem.  Crayons get "used up."
What started me on the metaphors we have for language is a statement a
presenter made at last year's ATEG.  Specifically, the reference was to
language as "a precious resource."   This bothered me a lot and I began to
think of better metaphors for language.
 
>(What metaphor would be more helpful for the daily  work of training
>teachers to USE language in the classroom instead of talking about it in
>their mother tongue? - Any suggestions?)
 
I think language as a tool with reference to creativity as suggested by
Burkhard is better, but I am still not comfortable with it.  I don't have
an answer to his final questions.  Does anyone?
 
Bob Yates, Central Missouri State University, [log in to unmask]