ESL Lesson Idea: Describing Symptoms

Your students need to be able to talk about symptoms when they are occurring so that they can describe them to a health worker.

• Student Handout: Describing Symptoms

• Using the Describing Symptoms handout, ask students the following questions:
  “What’s the matter?”
  “Has this ever happened to you?”
  “What did you do?”
  “What other words do you know when you are not feeling well?”
• Write the sample conversation below on the board. Students will practice the conversation in pairs. Use the pictures of symptoms to practice each one.
  A: “What’s the matter?"
  B: “I have a headache.”
  A: “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you feel better soon.”
  B: “Thanks.”
• For more practice, have students practice dialogues that might occur in the doctor’s office or emergency room, asking and answering questions such as:
  "Where does it hurt?"
  "How long have you felt like this?"
  "Are you taking any medication?"
  "What kind of medical insurance do you have?"
• With more advanced students, have students practice writing down the symptoms and/or questions in a letter to take to the doctors’ office. Explain that this will help them to remember everything important and to be better understood.
• Related lessons: Calling in Sick, Late, or Absent and Reporting Emergencies