Abstract:

Brainstorming (see Suleimanova, Kardanova et al. 2013) as a problem-solving cognitive strategy is used by the 2nd-to-4th year students who are expected to generate a bank of ideas on the suggested topic which are to be later ranked and assessed by the team. The 1930s study revealed that a think tank will double the team creative output via brainstorming process. Brainstorming is regarded as a way to student-centered learning in the ESL classroom and to promote speaking skills in students who initially feel reluctant to speak. Its efficiency was tested through recording three different groups of students with three different teachers who used various brainstorming techniques (Unin, Bearing 2015). The opportunities and challenges of traditional, nominal, and electronic brainstorming techniques in higher education were studied in (Al-Samarraie, Hurmuzan 2018).

The brainstorming starts with the team leader defining the issue to focus on, while brainstorming s/he keeps the session concentrated on the topic, setting time limits, and encourages team members to contribute and come up with as many ideas as possible. The final step is to critically evaluate the ideas and build up on them. The brainstorming sticks to some basic rules which help stimulate the process, such as discouraging criticisms, be supportive so that the most shy participants could feel free to share even the most unusual ideas which must be welcomed as they may promote new perspectives. In good brainstorming quantity breeds quality – the more ideas are voiced the better the final result.

After students are introduced to these rules they are offered a script to build up on, e.g., after discussing corporate behavior codes they brainstorm on how to boost the morale and ameliorate the relationships among the staff. Students are actively involved in the process in such cases, their creative output is surprising.

We shall focus in the presentation on three sample fragments of classroom brainstorming involving 2nd - through 4th-year students. The research revealed that this activity stimulates the students and boosts their communication skills – in the reflexive essays assessing the brainstorming ESL potential they admit that they do enjoy brainstorming practices in class as it makes them skillful in information processing in the logical way, prioritizing and substantiating the arguments. They claim that such activities add to the team spirit and they enjoy the activity as a creative practice enabling them realize their creative potential and in this way boost their self-esteem.

References:
[1] O. Suleimanova, K. Kardanova, N. Beklemesheva, N. Lyagushkina, V. Yaremenko “English Communication Perspectives”, Book 1, Moscow: Academia, 240 p., 2013.
[2] H. Al-Samarraie, S. Hurmuzan “A review of brainstorming techniques in higher education”, Thinking Skills and Creativity. Vol 27. pp. 78-91, 2018.
[3] N. Unin, P. Bearing “Brainstorming as a Way to Approach Student-centered Learning, in the ESL Classroom”, Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. Vol. 224, pp. 605-612, 2016.

Keywords:

Brainstorming, communication skills, motivation.