We communicate every day, all day long.  Whether it’s causal conversation or in a more formal setting, the spoken word or the written word, figurative language is an important part of that communication.  Telling a story, explaining something, getting an idea across, writing a poem, coming up with a great punch line for a new joke, working on a presentation or speech, all of these can utilize figurative language to make them more engaging.  There are many ways we can make our wording creative so that they become more; more entertaining, more funny, more sad, more ironic, more descriptive… 
Things that are hard to explain can be explained easier with figurative language.  Stories that aren’t very engaging can be made more captivating with figurative language.

So, what exactly is figurative language?  Figurative language is when we use words figuratively instead of literally.  For example, if something is literally on fire, it is actually burning, with flames, and the fire department may need to be called.  But, if something is figuratively on fire, it means it is amazing, fantastic, great, etc., such as someone whose basketball team scored a large number of baskets in a row.  “Your team is on fire!”  

There are many different kinds of figurative language.  This class will look at 11 of them, one per class as we cycle through the lessons.  Time will be taken to teach and discuss each one with examples.  Students will be given the opportunity to make their own sentences using each figurative language element.  The 11 elements we will look at are:
1) Simile
2) Metaphor
3) Alliteration
4) Personification
5) Oxymoron
6) Onomatopoeia
7) Hyperbole
8) Litotes
9) Idiom
10) Allusion
11) Synecdoche

As this is an ongoing class, with each lesson being able to stand on it’s own, students can join at anytime throughout the lesson cycle.  Students are also welcome to cycle through the lessons as many times as they need to get a handle on these figurative language elements.  There are more elements, but these 11 are the most common ones taught to this age group.

Once a student has signed up for this class I will add the specific dates (instead of changing them every week until a learner signs up.)

The first class will be week 1.

Please also note there will be no classes the week Dec. 23rd as I will be taking a Christmas Break with my family.  Classes will resume on Dec. 30th.

Week 1:  Simile
Week 2:  Metaphor
Week 3:  Alliteration
Week 4:  Personification
Week 5:  Oxymoron
Week 6:  Onomatopoeia
Week 7:  Hyperbole
Week 8:  Litotes
Week 9:  Idiom
Week 10:  Allusion
Week 11:  Synecdoche
Week 12:  Simile
Week 13:  Metaphor
Week 14:  Alliteration
Week 15:  Personification
Week 16:  Oxymoron
Week 17:  Onomatopoeia
Week 18:  Hyperbole
Week 19:  Litotes
Week 20:  Idiom
Week 21:  Allusion
Week 22:  Synecdoche

And so on, going through the cycle again and again.

Schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the teacher.