SEMINAR ON TEFL (PICTURE DESCRIPTION TECHNIQUE)

A.    Definition

Description is explanation or depiction in a clear and detailed. A picture description is an ideal way of practicing your English vocabulary in all sorts of fields. And there's also a benefit for everyday life – imagine you want to show pictures of your family or home to your foreign friends. Pictures provide serious language practice and can be invaluable in the classroom for stimulating discussion and bringing enormous variety to lessons.

Describing paintings or other art pictures (e. g. caricatures) is something for the advanced learner of English as you also have to talk about the artists’ intention and the impression on the viewer.

In picture description technique you can describe about:

•           Short description of the scene (e. g. place, event)

•           details (who / what can you see)

•           Background information (if necessary) on place, important persons or event

B.     Procedures in Using Picture Description Technique

There are some steps when the teacher using picture description technique:

1.      The teacher prepare some pictures such as animals, plants or  some actress

2.      After that the teacher asks the students to make a group that consist of 3 or 4 students (it depends on situation in the classroom)

3.      And then distributed them one picture for each group.

4.      The teacher asks the students to write their own words on the paper of the picture

5.      After the students to do it, the results of the student work read out in front of the class this is represented by one of the members of the group.

There are some steps when students describe the picture:

1^st. Focus on the main part of the picture at the beginning. Look at the picture. What can you see?

2^nd. Describe as much as you can.

3^rd. Try to use your imagination to make assumptions.

4^th. you can also use personal stories Use your stories and examples from your life to speak more. People are much more comfortable talking about their experiences, so talk about yourself.

C.    The use of Picture Description Technique

a)      Writing

This technique can be used in writing skill.

For example, the teacher can ask the students to make their own words about the picture.

b)      Speaking

This picture description technique also can be used in speaking skill. Because when the students finish makes the description, they share or explain about their picture to their friends. So, this technique can improve the students speaking skill.

 The strengths and the weaknesses of picture description technique

The strengths:

·         Increase a student's imagination

·         Can improve or add new vocabulary of a student because in the group they are adding ideas or opinions of the drawing.

·         This technique can teach solidarity within the group

            The weaknesses:

·         In implementing, this technique takes a long time because the students sometimes difficult to interpret these images.

Conclusion

A picture description is an ideal way of practicing your English vocabulary in all sorts of fields. And there's also a benefit for everyday life – imagine you want to show pictures of your family or home to your foreign friends. This method can be used in writing and speaking skill.