Chapter 1: Common Illnesses and Symptoms

Start off by asking the class how they feel. Find out if any of the students don't feel good. Tell students when you don't feel good, you may be sick or have an illness. Brainstorm with the class some illnesses that they have had or their family has had.

Tell the class that today they will learn about how to describe how they feel.

Play the 1:49  video located here. Only play the video to 1:29. After playing the video, have students brainstorm what health problems they remember. There are 13 problems listed in the video. Play the video about 3 times to see how many problems the students can identify. Write the 13 problems on the board.

In pairs or individually (allowing students to choose how they want to do the activity allows for differentiation) have students take the quiz.

Health for Beginning ESL Adult Learners

Now have the students review symptoms by having them repeat the word after you.

Divide students into pairs, small groups or breakout rooms. Give each student a role. In pairs have one be A and the other be B. In small groups, have one be the speaker and the others be the listener. Have either student A or the Speaker say a symptom and have the other students point to the correct one. After about 5 mins of practice rotate the pairs and groups so another person speaks. Continue until all students have had time to speak. When students are ready have them take the quiz either individually or in pairs.

Let's now review the dialog. The dialogue is at the bottom of the pictures.

• The words in red may be additional new words for the class. Please review these before going over the dialog. 

1. Have students repeat the lines after you once or twice.
2. Play the role of doctor and have the class repeat the patient. Then reverse roles.
3. Play vanishing dialog where you erase one line of the dialog and have the class try to remember what it was.

1. Put students into small groups, pairs, or breakout rooms and practice the dialog together and take the short quiz.

The next section is about understanding the differences between diseases and symptoms. Write the word disease on the board and have students brainstorm some of the illnesses studied in the previous section. Show them the chart with just the disease category. Cover the symptoms. Once students understand the different diseases, you can ask them to brainstorm symptoms for each disease. Teach any symptoms that they are not familiar with by mime the symptom. 

There are 7 discussion questions. For literacy and low-beginning students, discuss the answers to the questions first as a whole group and then in small groups or breakout rooms. For higher level students start off with them discussing the questions in a small group or breakout room and then discuss as a whole class. Finally, when students are ready, have them take the quiz. This quiz requires them to drag the words either into the symptom or disease category.

Assign the lesson to your class and have them practice all sections and retake all the quizzes.

Have students practice the dialogue with the different diseases and symptoms with family members at home. Ask students to report on their next visit to the doctor.