At the doctor's and talking about health problems
The most useful health English is the language for explaining what is wrong. These lessons build it in steps, from naming parts of the body to helping a stranger in an emergency:
| Situation | Lesson | Level |
| Naming parts of the body | From Head to Toe | A1-A2 |
| Seeing a doctor | At The Doctor's | A2-B1 |
| Looking after yourself when you're ill | Non-negotiables When You're Sick | A2-B1 |
| At the dentist's | Dental Health | B1-B2 |
| Describing injuries and illnesses | Health Issues | B2-C1 |
| Helping in an emergency | First-Aid Skills | B2-C1 |
From Head to Toe works as a body parts lesson plan ESL adults can enjoy, with games and matching instead of children's songs. At The Doctor's is a going to the doctor ESL lesson plan that starts from students' own experience of appointments. Health Issues covers ESL health problems from a mild headache to a dislocated ankle, and the free First-Aid Skills lesson follows a video about what to do when a person suddenly collapses. It is first aid in English, not a medical course, but it gives students the words they would need in an emergency, from calling for help to describing what happened.
Healthy habits, sleep and diet
An ESL lesson plan on a healthy lifestyle works best when it asks what students actually do, not what they should do. Healthy Lifestyle is a B2-C1 lesson with an authentic article on bad habits, and students practice giving advice. Sleep Talk uses a street interview about sleep, and Do You Diet? asks A2-B1 students about the diets they have tried. Morning Yoga and Bedtime Routine cover the start and end of the day.
More lessons about routines are on the daily life page, and lessons about stress and mental health are on the emotions and mental health page.
If you are building an ESL lesson plan healthy lifestyle unit for a whole month, start with sleep, move to food and finish with exercise. Each lesson can reuse the vocabulary of the one before, and students notice their own progress when the same words come back.
Sports lessons for every level
Sport is a topic students talk about with real feeling, even the ones who never play it. The lessons cover watching sport as well as doing it:
- Paddle Boarding and My Favourite Sport (A1-A2): summer sports and a street interview about favorite sports
- Formula 1 (A2-B1): cars, races and rules, and the most popular lesson on the page
- Extreme Adventures (A2-B1): vacations built around adrenaline instead of the beach
- Why Is Tennis So Popular?, Runner's High and Cardio or Weights (B1-B2): sport trends, running culture and the best workout
- Wearable Devices (B1-B2): smart rings and fitness trackers, with relative clauses
For a sports ESL lesson plan intermediate students will argue about, Cardio or Weights asks a question with no single answer. Extreme Adventures also works as an extreme sports ESL lesson plan for students who prefer climbing to sunbathing.
Students who don't do any sport still have plenty to say. Ask them about team sports they watch, an athlete they admire or a game their family plays, and the lesson works for the whole group.
Health topics for discussion at B2 and above
At higher levels, health becomes a question for society. Ozempic Culture looks at weight-loss medication, celebrities and changing beauty standards, and Not Just PMS brings women's health into the conversation. Treat these topics with care: let students discuss the issue in general and keep their own health private if they wish.
These lessons work well as a debate. Give one half of the class the arguments for a new health rule and the other half the arguments against, then let them swap sides halfway. Students practice the language of opinion while the topic stays general.
Questions about health and sport
These questions go from easy to B2. Use them before any health ESL lesson plan on the page, or as a short speaking task at the end:
- What do you do to stay healthy?
- How many hours do you sleep on a normal night?
- What do you do when you have a cold?
- Do you play a sport, or do you prefer watching it?
- Which sport would you like to try?
- Is it easier to eat healthily at home or at work?
- Do fitness trackers help people, or do they make them anxious?
- Should famous athletes be role models?
Health and sport lessons FAQ
Do students need medical vocabulary first?
No. Each lesson teaches the words it needs, starting with From Head to Toe and At The Doctor's for lower levels.
Which level should I start with?
A1-A2 students can start with From Head to Toe, Paddle Boarding or My Favourite Sport. From A2-B1, At The Doctor's and Formula 1 work well.
Are any of the lessons free?
Yes. Wearable Devices, From Head to Toe and First-Aid Skills are free to try. More are on the free lessons page.
Are these lessons medical English?
No. They are general English about health and sport for everyday life, which also helps students who go to the doctor abroad.
Every health ESL lesson plan on this page comes with a teacher subscription, together with the rest of the library.