Lesson plans and other resources for your online beginners’ classes (CLB 1-4).
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THIS WEEK’S FEATURED POST
Week of Dec. 15/25
Teach your beginner ESL students about preparing for a traditional Canadian Christmas and encourage them to share their own cultural traditions.
The lesson includes interactive vocabulary activities, a short video, and reflection questions to…
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Focus on content: Parts of the body
Watch this short video to help your students learn the vocabulary for parts of the body. This video is part of the “Parts of the body” lesson plan.
Parts of the body
Lesson plans
Parts of the body
Learn the names of the different parts of the body.
Resources
Links to helpful resources …
- ESL Lounge: Parts of the body vocabulary
- ESL Rural Routes: Going to the doctor, Lesson 1 (Body parts and common illnesses.)
- Games to Learn English:
- Fast English (Click Start/Body.)
- Concentration game (Click Start/Body.)
- Games4ESL: Body parts quiz
- Iteslj.org: Body parts quiz
- Learning Chocolate:
- SanookEnglish: ESL Body Parts Activities – Presentation
- Tutela: Health and wellness collection (“A compilation of teaching resources centred around the theme of health and wellness including Mental Health, Physical Health and Food and Nutrition. Tutela is a free resource-sharing site. You do need to create an account to access the resources.)
Illnesses
Lesson plans
Talking about illnesses
Let’s talk about some common illnesses.
Resources
Links to helpful external resources …
- Erin Hayashi: Illness Vocabulary H5P CLB 1/2 (The Tutela site is free but requires you to become a member.)
- ESL Rural Routes: Going to the doctor, Lesson 1 (Body parts and common illnesses.)
- Janis’ ESL: Health and illness (Video-based lessons to help students talk about illnesses):
- Learning Chocolate:
- Single-Step English: English conversation practice, How to talk about being ill or sick (video)
- Discussion questions:
- LearnHip: Conversation cards (Scroll to “Health.”)
- The Internet TESL Journal Archives: Health
Visiting your doctor
Lesson plans
Making an appointment with your doctor
Learn the basic vocabulary needed to call the doctor’s office to set up a doctor’s appointment.
Checking in at the doctor’s office
Learn the vocabulary needed to check in with a receptionist at the doctor’s office.
A check-up at the doctor
Learn the basic vocabulary needed to speak with a doctor during a check-up.
Understanding the Alberta health care system
Learn how the parts of the Alberta (and Canadian) health care system fit together.
Resources
Links to helpful external resources …
- Finding a doctor in Alberta:
- CPSA: Find a physician (Alberta resource)
- Talking with the receptionist:
- Making an appointment:
- ESL Rural Routes:
- Going to the doctor, Lesson 2 (scheduling an appointment and listening to messages)
- Going to the doctor, Lesson 3 (scheduling an appoinment and filling in a medical history)
- Learning Chocolate: Make an appointment
- Marissa Chalker: Making a Doctor’s Appointment ESL Dialog Presentation video
- TCDSB Adult Education:
- Communicate about a doctor’s appointment CLB 1/2 (Tutela is a resource-sharing site for ESL teachers. The site is free, but you need to create an account.)
- Make an appointment CLB 3/4 (Tutela is a resource-sharing site for ESL teachers. The site is free, but you need to create an account.)
- Youtube channel playlists (This series of videos includes several on making a doctor’s appointment.)
- ESL Rural Routes:
- Talking with the doctor
- ELSANetCanada: Clinic-H mov (A video about a doctor’s visit. For more activity suggestions, see Accessing Community Health Services. Video: Walk in Clinic. ELSA Level 2 Teaching resource: Lesson Plan and Teacher’s Notes. Retrieved from https://www.amssa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Walk-in-Clinic-Teachers-Guide.pdf.)
- ESL Rural Routes: Lesson 4 (Explaining pain level and symptoms to a doctor.)
- TCDSB Adult Education: Youtube channel playlists (This series of videos includes several on talking with a doctor.)
- The Canadian health care system:
- Government of Canada: Learn about health care in Canada (Information about public health care, health insurance, finding a doctor or dentist, getting support for mental health, and ways to stay healthy.)
Going to the pharmacist
Lesson plans
Reading prescription labels
Learn the basic vocabulary printed on most prescription labels.
Understanding over-the-counter medications
Learn about over-the-counter medications, including matching medications with illnesses.
Filling a prescription
Practice speaking with a pharmacist while filling a prescription.
Resources
Links to helpful external resources …
- CALP Portal: Going to the pharmacy (Illustrated questions and answers.)
- Conestoga College. LB 2.3 Reading Assessment Prescription Labels. (PDF document available on Tutela, a free resource-sharing site for ESL teachers. You will need to create an account to access this resource.)
- Janis’ ESL/ISS of BC: Medicine and pharmacy (Links to many external sources.)
- Lanternfish: At the pharmacy worksheets and teaching resources (A series of audio exercises and other activities.)
- Learn2Teach: (LINC 2): Ask the pharmacist
- Learning Chocolate: Prescription labels
- LINC Videos: English in Vancouver, Reading a prescription label
- Marina Zaccheo: (2018). At the Pharmacy Module CLB 1-2. (PDF document available on Tutela, a free resource-sharing site for ESL teachers. You will need to create an account to access this resource.)
- Oxford Picture Dictionary videos: A pharmacy
- Single Step English: Role play at a drug store or pharmacy (video)
- TCDSB Adult Education: Get help from a pharmacist CLB 1/2 (This Tutela resource is free but requires an account.)
Visiting your dentist
Lesson plans
Making an appointment with your dentist
Learn the basic vocabulary needed to set up a dentist’s appointment.
Checking in at the dentist’s office
Learn the basic vocabulary needed to check in with a dental receptionist.
A check-up with the dentist
Learn the basic vocabulary needed to speak with a dentist during a check-up.
Resources
Links to helpful external resources …
- BBC Learning English: Phoning the dentist
- Hello English: At the dentist
- Janis’ ESL/ISS of BC:
- Dental care (Listening activities with teacher’s resources.)
- Dental care (Multiple links to external resources.)
- Lanternfish ESL:
- The toothache (Beginning listening and comprehension activities.)
- Dental check-up (Intermediate listening and comprehension activities.)
- Learning Chocolate: Dental health (Dental vocabulary.)
- Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab: Dental care (Audio, vocabulary, practice.)
- Thoughtco: Dental Receptionist Dialogue for Medical Purposes (Role play and vocabulary.)
- Discussion questions:
Calling 811
Lesson plans
Calling 811 in Alberta
Learn the basic vocabulary related to calling the 811 health advice number.
Emergencies and hospital procedures
Lesson plans
Calling 911
Learn how to speak with the 911 operator in an emergency.
Going to the hospital
Learn basic vocabulary for procedures that happen in hospitals
Resources
Links to helpful external resources …
- Calling 911
- AMSSA video and teacher’s guide:
- 911 video (scroll down to video)
- Teacher’s guide for 911 video
- Hospital English.com: English for the medical professional (“Hospital English contains free teaching materials for medical English vocabulary, English conversations in the hospital, and lesson plans based around various medical procedures.”)
- TCDSB Adult Education:
- Calling 911 video series (open access on YouTube):
- Youtube channel: Health videos (This series of TCDSB Adult Education videos include many on emergency situations.)
- Talk to a health practitioner in an emergency situation CLB 3/4 (Tutela is free but requires an account.)
- AMSSA video and teacher’s guide:
Going to the eye doctor
Lesson plans
Visiting the eye doctor
Practice the basic vocabulary needed to visit an eye doctor.
Resources
Links to helpful external resources …
- CALP Portal:
- Getting glasses (Audio and illustrated dialogue with an optician.)
- Having an eye exam (Audio and illustrated dialogue with an optometrist.)
- Language Snaps: Going to the optometrist (Simple dialogue for beginners.)
RELATED PAGES
Making an appointment with your doctor
This lesson plan for your beginner ESL students teaches the basic vocabulary for making a doctor’s appointment, particularly over the phone.…
Keep reading
Making an appointment with your dentist
This lesson plan for beginner ESL students teaches basic vocabulary for making a dentist’s appointment. The lesson plan includes activities such…
Keep readingHEALTH YOUTUBE PLAYLIST
Click on the small right arrow at the top of this video to watch the videos or go to the YouTube Health Playlist.
HEALTH WORDWALL ACTIVITIES
Wordwall is a very useful interactive lesson-creation site. If you sign up for a free Wordwall account, you will be able to see our “Health” folder, which includes ESL Directions activities that you can add to your lessons.
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ABOUT ESL DIRECTIONS
ESL teacher, movie buff, constant reader, and former editor and communications pro. Now a graduate of the Teaching English as a Second Language program at the University of Manitoba and a TESL Canada certified ESL teacher in Edmonton, Alberta, I specialize in teaching online classes of beginner ESL students.
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