Dickens’ language
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Task
Make a dice using the dice template below (or use real dice and the numbers below) and
label each face with one language technique. You could replace one of these suggested
techniques with one with which you are more familiar or one which is more challenging.
1. Senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, sound
2. Personification
3. Contrast and oxymoron
4. Long complex sentences with sub-clauses
5. Hyperbole
6. Humour
Roll the dice then find at least one example of the language technique you have rolled.
Record it in the table below, along with your thoughts and ideas about the effect this
particular example has on the reader.
Try to think about how this effect links to Dickens’ overall aims for the novella.
Give suggestions about which other parts of the text or quotations could link to, back up
or contrast with this quotation or its effect. A couple of examples have been done for
you.
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Dickens’ language
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Dice template
© www.teachit.co.uk 2016
26610
Page 2 of 3
Dickens’ language
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Technique
Quotation
1. Senses: sight, touch,
taste, smell, sound
‘tremulous vibrations’
Effect created
Dickens’ wider purpose
Links?
2. Personification
3. Contrast and
oxymoron
‘fog and darkness […]
flaring links’
4. Long complex
sentences with subclauses
To convey bustle of
London and modern life
and to highlight poverty.
5. Hyperbole
6. Humour
© www.teachit.co.uk 2016
26610
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