Teaching descriptions can be boring both for the teacher and the students. By adding creativity and fun, we can transform this into an engaging classroom activity. I was playing with some text-to image tools and then I’ve come up with the following activity. Please feel free to add your suggestions, updates and comments.
Objective:
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to write descriptive paragraphs using adjectives and “have/has” to vividly describe people, objects, and places, demonstrating improved language skills and creativity.
Target Language:
- Descriptive adjectives (e.g., tall, friendly, beautiful)
- The use of “have/has” for possession (e.g., She has long hair. He has a warm smile.)
- Relative clauses (for B1 and above)
- Adverbs (for B1 and above)
Language Level:
- This lesson is suitable for students at Level A2 and above, including teenagers and adults.
Pre-Teach Vocabulary
Start with a list of adjectives and descriptive words that students can use when describing people, objects, or places. Provide examples and encourage students to brainstorm additional vocabulary.
Revise Descriptive Structures
Review the structures and patterns commonly used in descriptions, such as:
- Physical appearance (height, hair color, age, etc.)
- Personality traits
- Emotions and feelings
- Background information
Give instruction for the writing task. “Describing Someone They Love or Admire”
Describing Someone You Love or Admire
Ask students to choose someone they love, admire, or know well. This could be a family member, friend, celebrity, or historical figure. Encourage them to draft a detailed description using the vocabulary and structures you’ve discussed.
Generating Images with AI
Now it’s the fun part! Surprise your students with your tech skills 😉Tell students to generate AI images for their descriptions. I’ve tried CANVA and Gencraft. Tell them to copy and paste their description and choose the image that they think best fits their description. Canva accepts lesser word limit. They may need to erase some sentences there.
Collaboration and Production
Now, Pair students and have them exchange descriptions and images. Ask them to provide feedback on whether the generated image matches their description.
Bring two pairs together to form groups with four students and encourage them to compare descriptions and images. Engage them in discussions about where they might have missed certain details or observed interesting connections. This part of the activity can lead to meaningful conversations and improvements in descriptive writing.
While students working individually, in pairs and groups monitor and provide guidance and feedback. Throughout the activity, encourage your students to think creatively when comparing descriptions to images. What details are essential for an accurate description? What can they write/add to make their descriptions more vivid and engaging?
Variations
The same activity can be used to describe objects or places.
Here is my description for a grandfather:
My grandfather is the person I admire a lot. He is tall and fit for his age. He is 78 years old. He has grey hair that he combs carefully ever morning. His hazel eyes look affectionately.He wears his glasses when he reads or watches something. He has a moustache but he doesn’t have a beard. He shaves his face every morning. He is the most gentle person I’ve ever known. He is kind, generous and friendly. If you need an image to describe a granfather, that is surely my grandfather.
And here are the images I’ve got from Canva and Gencraft. What do you think?
