Describing aloud
Describe familiar people, places, things, and events with detail; speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly; give well-structured descriptions and explanations
What a learner can do afterwards
- Describe a familiar person or place using several details
- Speak clearly and loudly enough for the whole group to hear
- Organise ideas logically when sharing information or telling about an event
1 · Read
Details help listeners picture what you mean. Describe a person's looks or likes. Describe a thing's colour, shape or use. When telling about a trip, name the place and say what happened there. Choose details about the person, thing or event you are describing.
When you want to explain when things happened, tell them in time order. Start with what happened first. Tell what happened next. Finish with what happened last.
Mia tells about her dog. She says he is brown, has floppy ears and loves the park. Now everyone can picture him.
Speak loudly enough for listeners to hear, without shouting. Say each word clearly. If words run together, slow down a little. Face your listeners if that feels comfortable. You do not have to look into their eyes. Ask whether they can hear you.
Use details, tell things in order, and speak loud and clear.
The teaching text and practice questions were written for this dataset.
The four readings were written for this dataset. The media links refer to TED-Ed's Public Speaking 101 series; the recordings remain the work of their creators.
More to read
Describe a place
Choose a place you know. Tell someone what they might see there. At a playground, you might describe a tall slide and a swing beside a tree. Add something you do there. These details help your listener picture the place, even when they cannot see it.
Tell a small event
You planted a seed. First you filled a pot with soil. Next you put in the seed. Last you watered it. Tell those steps aloud in that order. Your listener can follow how you planted it. Choose a small event from your own day and tell what happened first, next and last.
Keep the details about your subject
You are describing a scarf. Its green stripes and soft wool tell your listener about the scarf. Your favourite snack tells them about something else. Before speaking, choose a few details that fit your subject. You could describe how it looks, how it feels or what you use it for.
Help your listener hear
Tell someone about a game you played. Ask whether they could hear your voice and make out your words. If your voice was too quiet, speak a little louder. If your words ran together, slow down and say them clearly. Try the part they missed again. You do not need to shout.
Explore more
2 · Watch
En anglaisTake it off screen
Where it sits
Learn first
Nothing; this is a starting point.
Optional connections
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.