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Arsema Pérez-Hernández

University of La Rioja, Spain

 

Abstract

Individuals with high levels of creativity often excel in semantic fluency tasks, mainly due to enhanced semantic memory structure and executive functioning. Yet, whether this ability also facilitates second language (L2) learning, remains an open question. Creativity, understood as the capacity to produce ideas that are both novel and functional, has been frequently linked to bilingualism (Kharkhurin, 2024). However, this research has largely investigated normative bilingual individuals, neglecting other bilingual populations such as immigrant heritage speakers (IHSs). In particular, empirical research on the L2 learning of IHSs in formal educational settings remains limited, especially regarding individual cognitive variables such as creativity. In an attempt to help address these research gaps, the present study compares the relationship between creativity and semantic fluency in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) among two cohorts of 10thgrade students in Spain: 36 Spanish monolinguals and 36 IHSs who are learning EFL. While a trend toward higher EFL semantic fluency and creativity was observed in the monolingual group, independent samples t-tests revealed no statistically significant differences between the two groups on any of the variables examined. Partial correlation analyses revealed a moderate positive relationship between creativity and EFL semantic fluency only among monolingual learners, independent of language proficiency. In a more qualitative analysis, subtle yet meaningful differences were found between their creativity levels and EFL semantic fluency. Both higher and lower creativity IHSs showed a great lexical variety, mostly due to a greater inclusion of international food and drink terms. These preliminary tendencies suggest that further qualitative research is needed.

 

Keywords

Creativity, HIS, EFL semantic fluency, EFL, divergent thinking