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Lesson Plan: Describing Position and Movement

Describing-Position-and-Movement
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This lesson plan teaches the vocabulary used to describe position and movement when conducting an examination.

B1-B2 level

Teacher Notes

●      Topic: the body – position and movement

●      Timing: about 30 minutes

●      Lesson Type/Focus: speaking & vocabulary

Aims

●    Speaking: discuss language commonly used to describe position and movement during an examination.

●     Vocabulary: medical and layman’s terms for the body anterior.

●     Speaking: practice using the target vocabulary.

Overview

The focus of the lesson is vocabulary used to describe position and movement when conducting an examination. The speaking gives the opportunity for students to share ideas and experiences as well as vocabulary. The vocabulary activity will give the students practice for using medical and layman’s terms and the speaking activity will allow them to practice using the target vocabulary.


Note: This lesson uses material from SLC’s course, ‘English for Doctors: Advanced Communication Skills’.

Teaching Guide & Answer Key

Part 1: speaking

Put students into small groups and ask them to brainstorm language that may typically be used in an examination when asking a patient to get into a certain position or move a part of their body.


Elicit ideas and discuss as whole group.


Write elicited ideas on board for later analysis.

Suggested answers

Can you show me where it hurts? I’d just like to take a look. Could you try and touch your toes please? If you’d just like to pop yourself up on the bed…


Discuss possible answers and correct as appropriate.

Part 2: Vocabulary

Section A

Put students in pairs or small groups. Ask them to complete the sentences, so adding either a term or completing the definition.
Elicits answers and correct as necessary.

Answers

1. face up     2. prone     3. side     4. sitting     5. abducted     6. toward     7. bent     8. extended     9. facing upwards     10. down

Section B

Students then look at the directional phrases used during an examination and complete the sentences with a word from the box.

Answers

1.back     2. look     3. open     4. deep     5. over     6. up     7. facing     8. ceiling      9. side     10. towards     11. middle     12. bend      13. straight      14. Straighten      15. palm      16. Rotate     17. pop

Download the complete lesson plan and student worksheet:

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