Research studies indicate that approximately 50% of spoken and written discourse is formulaic (Erman & Warren, 2000 as cited in Hatami, 2015). Following Siyanova-Chanturia & Pellicer-Sánchez,  formulaic language can be defined as “strings of letters, words, sounds, or other elements” (2019, p. 5) which can be identified on the basis of some distinctive features. The most prominent characteristics are their frequency, familiarity, relative fixedness, predictability, and pragmatic function, which have been reported to have a direct impact on learners’ acquisition, processing, and use of FSs (Siyanova-Chanturia & Pellicer-Sánchez, 2019). As part of formulaic language, we can find formulaic sequences (FSs) which, according to Lewis (1997) (as cited in Thornbury, 2019), include collocations, fixed expressions, formulaic utterances, sentence starters, verb patterns, idioms, catchphrases, and other formulas or pre-fabricated patterns.

As far as the advantages are concerned, mastering a wide repertoire of FSs helps learners attain receptive and productive fluency and therefore, achieve higher levels of language proficiency (Thornbury, 2019; Lindstromberg & Boers, 2008). However, due to  a traditional single-word instruction, restricted contact with the target language, and a probable interference of their mother tongue (Durrant & Schmitt, 2009; Laufer & Waldman, 2011; Li & Schmitt, 2010; Nguyen & Webb, 2017), EFL learners often miss the opportunity to profit from the advantageous benefits mentioned before. It stands to reason, then, that an explicit approach to teaching and learning FSs should be prioritised in the EFL classroom.

Although considerable research into FS learning and teaching has been focused mostly on adult learners with some degree of proficiency in English (El-Dakhs, 2017; Peters & Pauwels, 2014), less emphasis has been placed on how young learners with a basic command of English learn and can be taught FSs. What is more, several interventions have been designed to measure the effectiveness of controlled, decontextualised activities, such as multiple-choice, blank-filling, and matching exercises with a focus on FSs (Boers et al., 2014; Boers et al., 2017; Stengers et al., 2015), but little research has been devoted to exploring the impact of creative tasks on learners’ spontaneous use of FSs.

In this context, the aim of this presentation is to show the results of a creative task carried out by a group of primary school Argentinian learners with a basic level of English (A1 in the CEFR). These learners were required to use as many target FSs from the song “Remember me” (Anderson-Lopez & Lopez, 2017) as possible to compose a new stanza for the selected song as the last step of a sequence of activities implemented within a larger research study into the teaching and learning of FSs. Likewise, the criteria adopted and research decisions taken to examine the target and non-target FSs produced by these learners will be shared with attendees. Last but not least, some relevant teaching implications will be presented on the basis of the findings gathered.