Hello, everyone! It's lovely to see you here today.

My name's Dr.

Clayton.

I'm going to guide you through your learning journey today.

Today's lesson is called "Using sensory language to write effective descriptions." We're going to spend a bit of time at the start of the lesson, considering what makes effective sensory language, and then you're going to have a go at writing your own effective descriptions using sensory language.

So if you're ready, grab your pen, laptop, whatever you're using for this lesson, and let's get started.

So by the end of the lesson, you'll be able to write an effective description using precise sensory imagery.

So we have five words today we're going to be focusing on as our keywords.

They'll be identified in bold throughout the learning material, and I'll try to point them out to you as well so that you can see them being used in context.

So our first keyword is sensory language, and this means descriptive language that engages the reader's five senses, sight, touch, taste, sound, and smell.

This is going to be our central focus today.

We're going to consider what makes effective sensory language.

Our second keyword is atmosphere, and this means the way a place or setting makes you feel.

It refers to the mood of a piece of writing.

We're going to be thinking about how sensory language can affect the way the reader feels in relation to the setting or place.

Our third keyword is evoke, which means to bring or recall a memory, feeling, or image to the conscious mind.

We're going to think about how our use of sensory language can bring up particular feelings, memories, or images in the reader's mind.

Our fourth keyword is desolation, which means a state of complete emptiness or destruction.

We're going to be writing a description of a dystopian world and desolation will be one of our key vocabulary words for describing it.

Our final keyword is emulate, which means to match or surpass a person or achievement, typically by imitation.

We're going to be thinking how we can emulate effective sensory language in order to craft our own effective descriptions using sensory language.

So, I'll just give you a moment to write down those keywords and their definitions.

So pause the video.

Write them down now.

Fantastic.

Let's get started with the lesson.

So we have two learning cycles in our lesson today.

To begin with, we're going to consider what makes effective sensory language and analyse how it contributes to a sense of atmosphere.

Then, in our second learning cycle, we're going to consider how we can emulate effective sensory language in order to craft our own descriptions.

So we're spending this learning cycle thinking about what makes effective sensory language and how it might evoke particular feelings in the reader.

So let's just remind ourselves of the definition.

Sensory language is descriptive language that engages the reader's five senses, sight, taste, touch, sound, and smell.

So what I'd like us to start off by thinking about is why do you think sensory language is an important aspect of effective descriptive writing? Why do you think it's important we engage the reader's five senses? Now, if you're going through this with someone else, you might talk of your ideas with them.

If you're going through this by yourself, you might just think of your ideas.

So pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider why it's important to engage the reader's five senses in descriptive writing.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

You might have said that using sensory language really allows us to describe the setting to the reader and make them feel immersed in the scene.

We're often unaware of how much we take in from the environment around us.

We are constantly using all of our five senses to interpret the world.

We'd feel very lost if we suddenly lost our sense of smell or our ability to hear sounds.

So imagine it's the same for descriptive writing.

If we don't describe the senses, our readers feel really lost.

They can't interpret the setting in a meaningful way.

So, now I'd like you to think about why using sensory language is effective in creating atmosphere? So why is describing the senses effective in creating the mood or eliciting an emotional reaction in the reader? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now as we said, by evoking the senses, it really allows the reader to understand what physical reaction they might have to the setting.

And once we know what our physical reaction is, we can form an emotional reaction.

For example, if we're in a place that smells of lavender and we can hear gentle sound of water, our emotional reaction's likely to be one of relaxation.

On the other hand, if we're in a place that smells mould and damp and we can hear scratching, our emotional reaction's likely to be one of discomfort instead.

So now we've thought about what sensory language can do, let's think about what it might look like.

So we're going to read through this description.

I'd like you to think about where you can see sensory language.

So the description is, "A fiery spectacle unfolds as molten lava paints the sky.

Roaring explosions deafen, echoing nature's raw power.

The landscape, bathed in an eerie glow, becomes a canvas for the primal dance of an erupting volcano.

The acrid smell of ash fills the air and settles on the tongue.

A distant warmth gently prickles the skin." So, pause the video.

Consider where you can see the use of sensory language.

Welcome back, everyone.

Let's talk through what you might have said.

Now when the description says the lava paints the sky and the landscape is bathed in an eerie glow, it's evoking the sense of sight.

This helps us to visualise the setting.

When it says roaring explosions, it evokes a sense of sound.

It's telling us what the volcano sounds like.

When it says the acrid smell of ash, it's evoking a sense of smell because it's telling us it smells particularly unpleasant and bitter through the use of the word "acrid." When it says the ash settles on the tongue, it's describing the sense of taste.

It's telling us the ash is constantly on their tongue.

And finally, when it says a distant warmth gently prickles the skin, it's evoking the sense of touch, describing how the heat feels to us on our skin.

So now for a quick check for understanding on identifying sensory language.

So which piece of writing uses sensory language? Is it A? "The light danced over the mirror-like surface of the pond as if it were a woman trying on a beautiful dress in the mirror.

It swayed this sway and that as if admiring its own movement and the patterned hues it created." Or B? "The mirror-like pond was speckled with beams of moonlight.

The cool water trickled from my palm and the droplets tinkled down onto the surface creating tiny ripples.

The fresh scent glided over the water and invigorated my taste buds." So, pause the video.

Make your selection now.

Welcome back, everyone.

The correct answer is B.

The first description uses personification.

It does help us to visualise the scene but doesn't tell us about the other senses.

In the second description, we have the visual description, but we also have the idea the water feels cool to the touch.

It makes a tinkling sound when it hits the water.

There's a fresh scent on the air.

You can taste the fresh as well as smell it.

So very well done if you got that right.

Amazing work so far, everyone, for the first task of the lesson.

What I'd like us to do is focus on the idea of atmosphere.

Remember, the atmosphere is the way a place or setting makes you feel.

So what I'd like you to do is re-read the description, then answer the following questions.

So question one.

How does the description make you feel? And question two.

How has the writer used sensory language to make you feel that way? So pause the video.

Answer the questions now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some fantastic ideas there.

What I'd like you to do is consider the answers of one of our Oak pupils, Sofia, and think about how well they align with your ideas.

So question one.

How does the description make you feel? And Sofia said, "It makes me feel both awe and fear at the beauty and power of the volcano." Question two.

How has the writer used sensory language to make you feel that way? So, Sofia thought about the words "painted" and "dancing" and thought they created a beautiful, creative visual, as if the volcano is a sentient being and the way it's able to create art in a way that mimics human art.

Now this is beautiful.

But this is also something slightly unsettling about the personification of nature because it's just not only the power of nature, but that also just nature was closer to us than perhaps we'd like to think.

This idea of unsettling power is reinforced by the use of the word "eerie" because that suggests something strange and frightening about the volcano in a way that can create these visuals.

This unsettling feeling is reinforced by the use of the word "prickles" to describe how they feel.

It's unnerving tactile imagery.

It's akin to the way our skin feels when we're uncomfortable.

We know there's something sinister but we can't see it.

Using "acrid" again reinforces this interpretation because it's an unpleasant smell, but specifically a description of a powerful unpleasant smell and that emphasises the power of the volcano.

Finally, by using the word "roaring," the description's using onomatopoeia to describe the smell, which not only creates an immersive experience, but it's also akin to a monstrous power or a monstrous being and therefore reinforces our sense of fear in relation to the volcano.

So, what I'd like you to do is think about Sofia's answers.

Think about how well they align with your ideas.

So pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

So now we've thought about what effective sensory language looks like, we're going to think about how we can emulate it in our own descriptive writing.

Fantastic work so far, everyone.

We're on to our second learning cycle, where we're going to create a toolkit for crafting effective sensory language, then use that toolkit for our own descriptions.

So throughout this learning cycle, we're going to be focusing on this image of a dystopian world.

We're going to think about how we might use sensory language to write our own descriptions.

So, what I'd like you to start off by doing is consider the image.

Think about what atmosphere you'd want to create.

So what sort of mood would you want to create? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now the image is of a world that looks barren and empty.

So as Laura said, "Perhaps you'd want to create an atmosphere of fear and desolation." Now desolation is one of our keywords.

It means a state of complete emptiness or destruction, which reflects the emptiness of the image.

Now, we're specifically focusing on the creative sensory language that appeals to the five senses.

So what I'd like you to think about is if you were writing your description of this scene, how could you focus on the five senses? What sort of things might you describe? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Let's talk through what you might have said.

So you might have thought you could taste acrid smoke.

So the powerfully unpleasant smell of smoke.

Or you might have thought you consider using an abstract noun.

So, for example, suggesting you might smell the idea of fear or desolation.

These four abstract nouns are a great way to enhance descriptive writing because it forges that connection between the sensory image and the emotion it evokes.

In terms of smell, you might have said you could smell pollution, smoke, or again, something abstract, for example, panic.

In terms of touch, you might suggest you could feel the cold, crunch of gravel under your feet, or you could feel the ragged clothes you're wearing and the discomfort it causes you.

In terms of sound, you might suggest you can hear distant alarms, collapsing buildings, whispered voices.

And finally, in terms of sight, you might suggest you could see grey clouds, dilapidated buildings.

So that means buildings that are in need of repair.

Endless smoke and decay.

So now let's think about how we can create a toolkit for writing effective sensory language.

So we're going to consider a model description using sensory language and how we might make a toolkit to emulate it.

So the model says, "The air hangs heavy with the taste of metallic bitterness, a remnant of a world long past its prime.

The touch of the atmosphere is a chilling caress, carrying with it the powdery residue of ash that settles on the skin like ghostly fingerprints of an apocalypse.

The once majestic buildings, now reduced to skeletal remains, cast eerie shadows against the backdrop of a leaden sky filled with ominous grey clouds.

The symphony of despair is composed of distant footsteps and the occasional groans and creaks of structures surrendering to decay." So let's talk through how it uses sensory language effectively.

To begin with, it uses a variety of senses rather than relying predominantly on just one.

It can be easy to rely too heavily on the description of what we can see, but we need to consider more than just one sense in order to evoke a particular atmosphere and mood for the reader.

So it evokes a sense of taste when it says the taste of metallic bitterness.

It evokes a sense of touch through the touch of the atmosphere and the description of the ash settling on the skin.

It evokes a sense of sight.

It describes the building as skeletal remains that cast eerie shadows.

It evokes a sense of sound, which just we can hear with distant footsteps and the occasional groans and creaks of structures.

As well as using a variety of senses, the model also uses precise vocabulary in order to create a cohesive atmosphere.

You want to make sure you're using words that all create the same mood.

For example, the model uses words bitterness, chilling, ghostly, eerie, ominous, distant, and creaks, which all work together to create an unsettling atmosphere.

As well as vocabulary, the model also uses language devices in order to enhance the sensory language.

For example, it uses the simile, like ghostly fingerprints of an apocalypse.

Pathetic fallacy, in the ominous grey clouds.

And the personification of the buildings surrendering to decay.

By using these devices, the description becomes more evocative.

And as with the description of the volcano earlier, it makes it more unsettling that the buildings' setting are being given human, sentient features.

So as well as language devices, the description also uses ambitious language and abstract nouns in order to enhance the sensory language.

So rather than simply saying "I saw," "it felt like," or "I could hear," the description uses phrases such as air hanging heavy with the taste, the touch of the atmosphere, the image of the ash settling on the skin, the buildings casting eerie shadows, and the symphony of despair being composed of distant footsteps.

While it's still clear about which sense is being described, but it feels evocative rather than feeling like a list of sensory features.

So our toolkit to emulate the model might be to use a variety of senses.

To use precise vocabulary to create a cohesive atmosphere through sensory language.

To use language devices such as personification, similes, pathetic fallacy, to extend the sensory language.

To use ambitious language and abstract nouns to describe the sensory imagery.

So now for a quick check for understanding.

What I'd like you to do is fill in the blanks from our toolkit.

So, use a of the senses.

Use precise vocabulary to create a atmosphere through sensory language.

Use such as personification, similes, pathetic fallacy, to extend the sensory language.

And use language and abstract nouns to describe the sensory imagery.

So pause the video.

Fill in the blanks now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Let's talk through the answers.

So we should use a variety of senses.

We should use precise vocabulary to create a cohesive atmosphere through the sensory language.

We should use language devices, personification, simile, pathetic fallacy, to extend the sensory language.

We should also use ambitious language and abstract nouns to describe the sensory imagery.

So very well done if you got those right.

So, before we have a go at crafting our own descriptive writing, let's practise having a go at rewriting some sentences and improving a model.

So, what I'd like you to do first is consider how you could rewrite these sentences to make them more ambitious.

So the sentences are, "I saw the derelict buildings and burnt-out cars." "I could smell polluted air." "The air tasted stale." "I thought I could hear footsteps." And "I felt cold." Pause the video.

Consider how you might rewrite them to make them more effective.

Welcome back, everyone.

Let's talk through what you might have said.

So for "I saw the derelict buildings and burnt-out cars," you might change it to "The once bustling and humming city had been reduced to derelict buildings and burnt-out cars." Here, we haven't specifically referenced sight.

It's clear we describing the sense of sight and what we can see.

For "I could smell polluted air," we might change it to "The acrid smell of pollution hung heavy in the air." So here, we've used more precise vocabulary through the word "acrid." We wrote a further description of how the air feels.

The sense of heavy is something we associate with negativity and gloom.

For "The air tasted stale," we might change it to "My mouth became full of staleness and musk." So rather than saying tasted, we have a sense that our mouths are full of staleness and musk, and that creates a sensation of being stifled or silenced by the taste of the air, and that adds to the unsettling feeling.

"I thought I could hear footsteps" might become "There were distant echoes of footsteps on the breeze." Again, we've taken away the list feeling of description by describing the footsteps rather than saying we can hear footsteps.

We've also added the image of the footsteps being echoes, which creates a ghostly sensation of being followed or haunted by the past.

"I felt cold." That might become "A chilling breeze swept through the ruined city." The idea of the breeze sweeping through gives a sense of movement and implies the breeze is there to remove anything from the city.

So we associate sweeping with removing dust or other such dirt.

So now let's consider a student model and think about how we might assess it and how we might improve it.

So the description currently says, "In the desolate dystopian world, the air tasted fresh and vibrant.

A gentle breeze carries the touch of ash, brushing against the skin like the smoothness of silk.

The once vibrant cityscape now stands as a silent witness to destruction, with the sights of derelict buildings and scattered rubble.

The joyful echo of footsteps are punctuated by the occasional creaking and crumbling structures.

The acrid smell of pollution lingers in the air, delighting the senses and adding to the overall grim atmosphere." So, what I'd like you to start off by doing is think about what went well and what even better if you'd give the answer.

So pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now for what went well, you might have said there are a variety of senses.

So the description tells us what the air tastes like.

It describes the breeze and what it feels like against the skin.

We have the sight of the buildings and the rubble.

We have the description of the footsteps and the creaking buildings.

And we have the smell of pollution.

However, for even better if, you might have said, the choice of vocabulary and language devices don't create a cohesive atmosphere.

The description's dystopian.

It's described as desolate.

However, the air is described as feeling fresh and vibrant.

The breeze is described as gentle and feeling like silk.

The footsteps are joyful echoes, and the smell of pollution delights the senses.

So those things don't work together to create a cohesive atmosphere.

So, what I'd like you to do is think about how you can improve the answer to make the vocabulary and language devices more cohesive.

Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Let's talk through what you might have said.

So you might change the description to, "In the desolate dystopian world, the air tastes metallic and stale.

A chilling breeze carries the touch of ash, brushing against the skin like whispers of the past.

The once vibrant cityscape now stands as a silent witness to destruction, with the sights of derelict buildings and scattered rubble.

The distant echoes of footsteps are punctuated by the occasional creaking of crumbling structures.

The acrid smell of pollution lingers in the air, assaulting the senses and adding to the overall grim atmosphere." So now, the vocabulary and language devices create a cohesive atmosphere of emptiness and fear.

So now for a quick check for understanding.

Which use of personification is most appropriate to enhance desolate sensory language? Is it A? The flakes of ash danced and swirled through the air.

B.

The bare trees groaned and writhed in the chill breeze.

Or C.

The lush trees stretched out their branches invitingly.

Pause the video.

Make your selection now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now both A and C create a positive image and that doesn't fit with the desolate ideas of emptiness and fear.

However, B describes the trees as bare.

They're writhing, and that does adhere to the desolate atmosphere.

As bare trees, there's no leaves or greenery.

We associate this image with dead trees and lack of life.

We associate the word "writhing" with feelings of pain.

So very well done if you got that right.

Fantastic work, everyone.

We're on to the final task of the lesson.

What I'd like you to do is bring everything together we've done in this lesson and craft your own description of this image, using sensory language to create a desolate atmosphere.

So remember to, use a variety of the senses, use precise vocabulary to create a cohesive atmosphere through the sensory language, use language devices, such as personification, similes, pathetic fallacy, to extend the sensory language, and use ambitious language and abstract nouns to describe the sensory imagery.

So pause the video.

Craft your description now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some fantastic work there.

What I'd like us to do is deconstruct this example.

Consider how it meets the criteria.

So the model reads, "In this unsettling new reality, fear saturates the air, a bitter premonition lingering on my tongue.

Each step sends shivers through my skin, a tactile dance with the pervasive dread that clings to the desolate streets.

The skeletal remains of the once-majestic buildings cast grotesque shadows against the leaden sky, their decaying facades whispering tales of unspeakable horrors.

The unsettling silence is pierced by distant, otherworldly sounds, intensifying the paranoia that coils around my senses.

The acrid stench of decay infiltrates my nostrils, a nauseating perfume of demise, amplifying the fear coursing through my veins as I navigate the ruins of a world consumed by its own nightmares." So, where can you see the use of sensory imagery? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

So the model evokes a sense of taste by saying a bitter premonition lingering on my tongue.

It evokes a sense of touch through shivers through my skin.

The sense of sight through grotesque shadows against the leaden sky.

The sense of sound through whispering tales of unspeakable horrors and pierced by distant, otherworldly sounds.

Sense of smell through the acrid sense of decay infiltrating my nostrils.

And finally, we return to sense of touch through the image of fear coursing through my veins.

So, now I'd like you to think about where we can see precise vocabulary used to create cohesive atmosphere.

So pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

You might have noticed the words unsettling, bitter premonition, pervasive dread, grotesque shadows, leaden sky, decaying facades, the paranoia, stench of decay, nauseating perfume of demise, and nightmares.

All of those words create an unsettling atmosphere of fear.

So, now I'd like you to think about where we can see language devices to enhance the sensory language.

Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

You might have noticed the personification of the decaying facades whispering tales of unspeakable horrors, and the metaphorical idea of the nauseating perfume of demise.

Both these devices add to the unsettling sensation because we have the sentience of the house coupled with the idea of something being something it's not through the metaphorical language.

So, now I'd like you to consider where you can see ambitious language to describe the senses.

Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

You might have noticed the use of foreshadowing in the bitter premonition.

The use of abstract nouns to the dance with dread, for example.

And the ambitious way of describing the senses without explicitly saying "I see" or "I hear" throughout.

So, now we've deconstructed the model, I'd like you to check your own answer to see if you've included all of the criteria.

Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

It was great to see people using the model to add to their own answer and making sure it meets all of the criteria.

You all did amazingly well today, everyone.

Here's a summary of what we covered.

Sensory language can be used to enhance the atmosphere of a description.

Effective sensory language also uses a variety of senses rather than focusing predominantly on just one.

Effective sensory language might also use precise vocabulary in order to evoke an atmosphere.

Using language devices such as personification and onomatopoeia can also enhance sensory language.

I really hope you enjoyed the lesson, everyone.

Hopefully, you can take these ideas about sensory language and apply them to any future descriptive writing you might do.

I hope to see you for another lesson soon.

Goodbye.