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Texas ISD School Guide
Texas ISD School Guide







Lessons & Classroom Games for Teachers

ESL Lesson Plans for Health & Medicine Topics
By:Ian Moore

Although the health section of an English as a second language class can be somewhat difficult to teach because of the technical terms and vocabulary, it is an important topic to know nevertheless. Because everyone goes to the hospital at least one point in their lives, it is a necessary lesson to teach that provides valuable life skills. One way to make this topic fun is involving a lot of student interaction such as skits and talking with a partner.

Vocabulary

Introduce the class to new vocabulary words that are related to the health and medical field. Set the difficulty of the words to correspond with the level of the class. These words can either be in their textbook, on flash cards, or a handout. As the class reads over the list, ask them to circle all the words that they do not know. Call on each student and ask which words they are not familiar with and write them on the board. Spend a few minutes explaining what these words mean and how they are used.

Questions and Answers

Ask the students to write five questions that pertain to the health field and include the new vocabulary. Make sure that you stress the use of who, what, where, when, why, and how in the questions. An example of these questions could be "Have you ever broken any bones?" or "When was the last time you have gone to the hospital?" Once everyone has finished writing their questions they will ask the person beside them what they have written. When one person has completed asking the questions the partners will then switch roles. Go around the class and ask each person to share one thing they have learned about their partner when everyone has completed their questions.

Skit

Go over phrases that are used in the health industry such as "I'm not feeling too well," "I think I have caught a cold," or "You need to drink plenty of fluids." Try to include what a doctor and patient would say in a hospital. These can be included in the textbook or you can make a handout. Review the use of infinitives such as "I need to see a doctor," or "It is recommended to get plenty of rest." Once the class has a grasp on the phrases and grammar, ask them to break into groups of three and create a skit that is set in a hospital. One person will play the receptionist, and the others will play the patient and the doctor. Ask everyone to write the skit down and perform it in front of the class if there is any time remaining. If there isn't then you can ask them to perform it during the next class.





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