Speaking: Storytelling & Narrative Skills B2
Conveying Emotion & Atmosphere
Listen to the "Boring vs. Vivid" examples.
Why This Matters: "Show, Don't Tell"
At a B2 level, your goal isn't just to be understood; it's to be interesting. Vivid language paints a picture in your listener's mind. Compare these two stories:
TELLING 😴 (Boring)
"The man walked into the room. It was cold. He was tired. He said he was hungry."
SHOWING ✨ (Vivid!)
"The exhausted man stumbled into the freezing room. A bitter wind howled through the window frame. 'I'm starving,' he whispered."
The second story makes you *feel* the cold and the man's exhaustion. You are "showing" the scene, not just "telling" facts. This is how you create emotion (how the character feels) and atmosphere (the mood of the place).
Your Storytelling Toolkit 🛠️ (Click 🔊)
To make your stories vivid, focus on these three tools.
Replace "weak" verbs (like walk, say, look) with "strong" verbs that describe the *action*.
- Instead of 'walked': stumbled, raced, crept
- Instead of 'said': whispered, shouted, mumbled
- Instead of 'looked': gazed, stared, glanced
Make your listener experience the story. What did you...?
- See (Sight): "The sky was a fiery orange."
- Hear (Sound): "The only sound was the faint buzzing of a mosquito."
- Smell (Smell): "The air smelled like jasmine and wet stone."
Don't use very! Find one, stronger word.
- Instead of 'very big': enormous, massive
- Instead of 'very tired': exhausted, drained
- Instead of 'very good': delicious, fantastic
Speaking Tip: Your Voice is a Tool
🗣️ Pacing and Pausing for Effect
Vivid language needs space. When you use a strong word, pause slightly before or after it to let your listener absorb the meaning. Don't rush! Your tone of voice should also change to match the emotion.
Practice (Excited): "I couldn't believe it! [pause] I won!" (Speak quickly, with a higher pitch).
Practice (Suspenseful): "And then... [pause] ...the door... [pause] ...slowly... opened." (Speak slowly, with a lower, quieter voice).
Practice Upgrading Your Language 🎯
Practice Quiz: "Level Up" the Sentence
Read the "boring" sentence, then choose the *most vivid* replacement. Click "Check Answers" when done.
1. "The food was good."
2. "The crowd was loud."
3. "She walked by the river."
Key Vocabulary (Click 🔊)
- Vivid Producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind.
- Atmosphere / Mood The feeling or "vibe" of a place or situation (e.g., peaceful, tense).
- Sensory Detail Words that describe sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch.
- To Stumble To walk unsteadily, almost falling.
- To Whisper To speak very quietly, using your breath rather than your voice.
- Exhausted Extremely tired (stronger than "very tired").
- Deafening So loud that it is impossible to hear anything else.
- To Stroll To walk in a slow, relaxed way.
Your Mission: The 3-Sentence Story Challenge ⭐
Your mission is to tell a tiny story using maximum vivid language. Choose one of the prompts below and record yourself saying just 3 sentences.
Prompts:
1. You were late for an important meeting.
2. You ate the most delicious (or disgusting) food of your life.
3. You got caught in a sudden rainstorm.
Your 3 sentences must include:
- At least 2 Strong Verbs (e.g.,
raced,devoured,pounded). - At least 2 Sensory Details (sight, sound, smell, or touch).
- At least 1 Specific Adjective (e.g.,
enormous,freezing,anxious).
Example (Prompt 3): "I dashed under a rusty tin roof as the sky exploded. The smell of wet dust filled the air, and the cold rain soaked through my shoes in seconds."