8. A wonderful way to inspire purposeful, descriptive language is to put up a stimulating, amazing photograph on the board for a few minutes every day. Ask the students: "what do you see?" At first the replies will be short and composed of nouns. As them to extend their statements by using adjectives. Now ask what the object/thing is doing (verbs). How is it doing it? (adverbs?) What does it look like? (similes). Now move into the other senses:"what does it sound/smell/feel like?"
This won't happen the first time you show a picture, and it is naturally differentiated by age and other factors BUT it is surprising how quickly you can establish a descriptive method of talking with such a simple, short activity. Use your own photographs, scan them from books, use the internet - my favourite source is the photography site by National Geographic. Amazement guaranteed.
Here is a great link to a website initiative called 'Visual Verse' which posts a picture and gives authors a limited time frame and word count to respond. The best get published online.
Other resources:
1. Time Magazine - LightBox.
2. Magnum Photography - a classic source of amazing work.
3. Creative Thinking Photos of Erik Johannson.
4. The work of Czech/French photographer, Josef Koudleka.
5. Pictures of the life of a runaway boy in India.
7. Photography of an American city at nighttime, empty and lonely.
7. The forgotten places of the world.