Learning Strategies for the Development of Writing Skills Using Flash Fiction

Abstract

This study intends, on the one hand, to show the main theoretical debates about the genre of flash fiction (history, designation, distinction from other genres, material) and, secondly, design a work plan to carry out a literary workshop on short stories at a secondary school level. These conclusions have let us deduce the highly successful use of flash fiction to develop not only reading comprehension skills but also written expression. Flash fiction have a quality that makes them an ideal genre for a writing workshop: the text provided is brief but it is finished, complete. By its generic characteristics, flash fiction share good teaching features with good activities: challenge, creativity, imagination, play­fulness, group work and individual development of the four communicative skills, using of authentic materials, etc. Finally, we show a proposed educational intervention based on a constructivist metho­dology inspired by guided discovery.