At the doctor: Explaining symptoms

How to explain common symptoms at a doctor's office or E.R. (Emergency Room).

There's an integration of video sitcom, audio recording of a doctor-patient typical dialogue and infographics for pair or group work activity and qr codes!

Feel free to use everything as a class sequence or choose one of the activities to integrate with your class.

This is very suitable for pre-intermediate levels and what I liked most is the fact that there is room for expanding on vocabulary and also having fun with the typical Friends jokes that come up.

Warmer

Elicit from students common causes of stress nowadays and typical symptoms people have because of that.

Show video up to counter 0:56

Vocabulary Noticing

Elicit from students the symptoms Phoebe is having due to job stress. I suggest you pause the video after these sentences: 

My chest hurts 0:31, 0:34

And now I can't breathe 0:37

Chandler asks : Phoebe, are you having a heart attack?

Phoebe: Would I have shooting pains up and down my left arm ?

You could also have students report what is happening:
*Phoebe is having shooting pains up and down her left arm.

What does Phoebe ask Monica to do ? (dial 911)

Recap with students typical heart attack symptoms shown in the video.

Describing symptoms of Phoebe's heart attack

Her chest hurts

She can't breathe

She is having shooting pains up and down her left arm

She asks Monica to call 911

Watch the continuation scene and take notes of the other jobs suggested by her friends.
salary in the high six-figures X chump change  (irony)

    

 Discussion: How is Phoebe feeling during her stay at the hospital? Is quitting or changing a job the solution to tackle stress ? What's your view ?

Conversation prompts

Infographic_Workplace stress   Focus on the signs of stress listed and treatments suggested.

Infographic_Workplace wellness: suggestions to cope with work stress  Have students read the tips given and share their experience on what they agree and disagree with the infographic suggestions.

Students can also have the option of scanning these QR Codes and having the infographics directly on their handheld device if possible.

 Infographic_Workplace stress

 More on Infographics in the ELT classroom

 Infographic_Workplace wellness

Act-out 
Here is an E.R. dialogue between a doctor and a patient. The audio is also available.
http://www.audioenglish.org/english-learning/english_dialogue_doctor_2.htm

Ask students to scan and act-out this dialogue between a doctor and a patient at the E.R.

                                 

                                  

Doctor












Patient




This was a successful lesson in my pre-intermediate group of adult learners.
I'm confident you and your students can have a meaningful learning experience too.
Leave a comment to let us know how your experience was integrating the suggested resources  :)

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                                                                                Raquel Gonzaga