ABSTRACT
If the definition of creativity is extended to include the ability to produce new, valuable ways of solving a known, well-defined problem, it is vital to examine the notion of algorithm and algorithmic thinking. This chapter takes a closer look at the term ‘algorithm’ and its associated terms ‘algorithmic creation’ and ‘algorithmic thinking’ to address what role algorithmic thinking has in our pursuit of creativity and creative language teaching. An important characteristic of the algorithm is its attention to detail: the programmer must have identified and articulated every minute step which needs to be followed in the correct order. Variation in those steps will result in different outcomes being produced. It is important for us to be aware of the minute steps (or algorithms) used in our language lessons and to reiterate and make changes to the algorithm to see what variable outcomes and alternatives can be produced.
