Sproochentest Picture Description: What to Say When You Run Out of Things to Say
You start describing the picture.
There are four people. You describe what they’re wearing. You mention the table, the chairs, the window and a few objects in the room.
And then you look at the clock.
You’ve only been speaking for two or three minutes.
Now what?
This is a common problem when practicing the Sproochentest picture description. And the solution usually isn’t to speak more slowly or find twenty more objects to name.
You need a better way to move through the picture.
The Problem With Describing What You See
When I first practiced picture descriptions, I fell into a pattern that felt completely logical.
I described one person.
Then I described the next person.
Then the next.
Unfortunately, they were all wearing roughly the same thing.
So instead of developing the description, I was essentially proving over and over that I could describe clothing.
That practice taught me something important:
Once you’ve shown that you can describe something, change direction.
The goal isn’t to squeeze every possible vocabulary word out of the picture. You want to use the picture to show that you can talk about different things you see and understand.
Don’t Turn the Picture Into a Vocabulary Inventory
Another easy trap looks something like this:
There is a table.
There are four chairs.
There is a window.
There is a cup.
There is a book.
You may be accurately describing the picture, but you’re using up details very quickly without giving yourself much to talk about.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t describe objects.
It means don’t stop at naming them.
What color is the table? What material is it made from? What is sitting on it? Where is it in the room? Is another object beside it, underneath it or in front of it?
A picture gives you much more than a list of nouns.
It gives you people, objects, colors, materials, sizes, positions, activities, relationships, interactions and context.
A Better Way to Build Your Sproochentest Picture Description
When you practice, think of the picture as something you can navigate.
1. Set the Scene
Start wide.
Where are the people?
Are they inside or outside? What kind of place could it be? What details in the picture help you identify the setting?
You don’t need to know everything with certainty. Describe what you can actually support from the picture.
2. Look for Time and Season
Next, look for clues about when the scene might be happening.
Can you tell the time of day?
What season could it be?
What is the weather like?
Clothing, light, trees, decorations, food and activities can all give you something else to discuss.
3. Describe Two People — Then Move On
Choose two people and describe them more fully.
You might talk about approximate age, appearance, clothing, expression, position or what they’re doing.
Then move on.
You do not need to repeat the same description pattern for every person in the picture.
If you hear yourself doing this:
Person 1 is wearing…
Person 2 is wearing…
Person 3 is wearing…
you’ve probably reached the point where you should change direction.
You’ve shown that you can describe clothing.
Move on.
4. Connect the People
Instead of continuing to describe each person separately, look at how they might be connected.
Could they be family members? Friends? Colleagues?
Are two people doing something together?
This is also a good opportunity to practice language that lets you be appropriately uncertain:
Maybe…
I think…
It looks like…
Don’t invent facts that aren’t visible in the picture.
5. Follow the Action
Now look at what is actually happening.
What are the people doing?
What are they holding or using?
Are they talking to one another? Eating? Playing? Reading? Working?
Activities often give you much more language to work with than simply naming objects.
6. Develop the Details
Now look more closely at the objects and surroundings.
Instead of:
There is a table.
How much more can you say about that table using what you can actually see?
What color is it?
What material does it appear to be made from?
Is it large or small?
What is sitting on it?
Where is it positioned?
What is near it?
Is anyone using it?
You can also describe where objects are in relation to each other.
Is the book on the table?
Is the chair next to the window?
Is the cup in front of someone?
Is something underneath the table or behind the sofa?
A useful way to think about details is:
Color → Material → Size → Position → What’s on/in/near it → How it’s being used
For example:
Naming: There is a table.
Developing: There is a large brown wooden table. A chessboard is on the table, and the grandfather and girl are sitting across from each other playing chess.
You haven’t invented anything. You’ve simply connected several visible details into a fuller description.
Don’t just name the detail. Develop it.
You’ll find this same scene in the free GPS Picture Description Map below, so you can try it yourself.
7. Move Around the Picture
If you’re starting to run out of things to say, physically change where you’re looking.
What is in the foreground?
What is happening in the background?
What is on the left side of the picture?
What is on the right?
What is behind the people?
What is beside them?
This can help you notice useful information you skipped the first time through — and it gives you opportunities to practice position words rather than simply naming more objects.
8. Add Careful Interpretation
Finally, there may be things you can reasonably interpret from the scene.
How might someone be feeling?
What might be happening?
What clues make you think that?
The key word here is careful.
You don’t need to invent an elaborate story about people you know nothing about. Stay connected to what the picture actually gives you.
The Rule to Remember: Don’t Repeat. Redirect.
If you’re running out of things to say, ask yourself whether you’re actually out of information — or whether you’ve gotten stuck in one type of description.
If you’ve described clothing, move to activities.
If you’ve described the people, look at their relationships.
If you’ve talked about the foreground, move to the background.
If you’ve named an object, develop the detail: color, material, size, position or what is near it.
If you’ve described the objects, look at how people are using them.
Don’t repeat. Redirect.
That one habit can make a picture feel much bigger.
Practice Your Sproochentest Picture Description Without Restarting
One of the best ways to see where you actually struggle is to record yourself describing a practice picture.
Don’t write the description first.
Don’t restart when you make a mistake.
And don’t edit the recording.
Just start speaking and see where you naturally stop.
Then listen back.
Did you run out of things to say?
Did you start repeating yourself?
Did you spend too much time describing people one by one?
Did you name objects without developing them?
Did you use descriptive words such as color, material and size?
Did you describe where objects were in relation to each other?
Did you miss activities, relationships or the background?
Those are useful clues about what you need to practice next.
Free Sproochentest Picture Description Practice
I created the free GPS Picture Description Map to help you practice this.
It gives you a simple route to follow:
Setting → Time/Season → Two People → Relationships → Activities → Details → Background → Interpretation
The goal isn’t to memorize another script.
It’s to have somewhere else to go when you feel yourself getting stuck.
[Download the Free GPS Picture Description Map]
Want Feedback on Your Picture Description?
If you want to know what happens when you describe a picture, you can also use the GPS Picture Description Review.
Send the practice picture and a recording of your description. You’ll receive individual feedback on what you’re already doing well and where you could develop your description further.
