Speaking: Storytelling & Narrative Skills B1 - Lesson 3: Describing Characters & Settings Simply.

Speaking: Storytelling & Narrative Skills B1

Describing Characters & Settings Simply

Listen to the dialogue example here.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use simple but effective adjectives to describe characters and settings, making your stories more vivid.

Conversation Scenario: A Visit to the Countryside 💬

Listen to Sreyneath tell her colleague Bora about a weekend trip. Notice the simple words she uses to describe her grandmother and her grandmother's house.

Bora: You seem so relaxed today, Sreyneath. Did you have a good weekend?

Sreyneath: I did! I visited my grandmother in her village just outside Takeo.

Bora: Oh, how is she? I've never met her.

Sreyneath: She’s great. She’s a very kind and energetic woman, even though she is nearly 70. She always has a big, warm smile for everyone.

Bora: That sounds lovely. Is her house nice?

Sreyneath: It is. It’s a traditional wooden house on stilts. Inside, it's simple but very clean. The best part is the garden; it's so peaceful. The whole place has a very calm atmosphere.

Your Storytelling Toolkit 🛠️ (Click 🔊)

You don't need complicated words to be a good storyteller. Use simple adjectives to help your listener imagine the people and places in your story.

Describing Settings (Places)

• Look: big, small, colourful, dark, modern, traditional
• Sound: quiet, noisy, peaceful, loud
• Feeling: busy, calm, friendly, crowded, empty

"We ate at a small cafe. It was very busy and a little noisy, but the atmosphere was friendly."

Describing Characters (People)

• Look: tall, short, young, old, friendly smile
• Personality: kind, funny, strict, generous, shy, talkative, serious, energetic

"My new manager is a young woman. She seems very serious, but she is also very kind."

Pronunciation Tip 🗣️

Stressing Adjectives (Content Words)

When you use an adjective (a describing word), put a little extra stress on it. This tells the listener that this detail is important.

Listen to the difference:
"She lives in a house." (Neutral)
"She lives in a beautiful house." (Stress on "beautiful" adds detail.)

Practice:
"He was a very kind man."
"The room was so bright."

Practice Quiz: Describe the Scene

Choose the best adjectives from the box to complete the story. Click "Check Answers" when you are done.

Word Bank:  huge  ●  delicious  ●  friendly  ●  crowded

Last weekend, I went to a new restaurant near the riverside. The restaurant itself was very (select) huge delicious friendly crowded , so we had to wait for a table. Inside, it was beautiful, with a (select) huge delicious friendly crowded window overlooking the water. Our waiter was a very (select) huge delicious friendly crowded young man who helped us choose our food. And the food was absolutely (select) huge delicious friendly crowded !

Vocabulary

• Character | តួអង្គ
  A person who is in a story, play, or movie.
• Setting | ទីកន្លែងនិងពេលវេលា
  The place and time where the events of a story happen.
• Vivid | រស់រវើក
  Seeming very real and producing a clear picture in your mind.
• Atmosphere | បរិយាកាស
  The mood or feeling that a place has.
• Generous | សប្បុរស
  Happy to give money, help, or kindness more than is usual.
• Energetic | មានថាមពល
  Having or showing a lot of activity or vitality.
• Peaceful | សន្តិភាព
  Quiet, calm, and free from disturbance.

Your Mission ⭐

Your mission this week is to bring a short story to life with description.

1. Think of a person you know well. Choose two simple words to describe their personality (e.g., funny, kind).
2. Think of a place you know well. Choose two simple words to describe its atmosphere (e.g., quiet, busy).
3. Combine them! Tell a friend a short story that includes this person and place. For example:

"Yesterday, I had coffee with my friend Nita. She's so funny. We went to our favourite cafe, which is always so busy and welcoming."