Vocabulary lesson for going to the doctor’s office

Visiting the doctor is a common experience, whether for a routine check-up or to address a specific health concern. Being able to communicate effectively in these situations is essential, especially for English language learners who may need to navigate healthcare settings in English-speaking environments.

This lesson plan is designed to teach learners at basic and advanced levels how to discuss doctor visits confidently. For beginners, we focus on simple vocabulary and phrases to describe symptoms and basic interactions. For intermediate learners, we introduce more complex terms and sentence structures to discuss diagnoses, treatments, and specific concerns.

Through vocabulary practice, useful phrases, realistic dialogues, and interactive activities, learners will build practical language skills for real-world medical scenarios. Let’s get started by exploring the key words and expressions needed to talk about a visit to the doctor’s office!

Basic Level: Teaching how to talk about going to the doctor’s office

Start with simple, commonly used words related to visiting the doctor’s office that beginners can easily understand and apply.

Basic vocabulary

• Doctor: A medical professional who treats patients.
• Nurse: A healthcare worker who assists the doctor.
• Clinic: A place where doctors see patients.
• Appointment: A scheduled visit with the doctor.
• Symptom: A sign of illness (e.g., cough, fever).
• Pain: Physical discomfort (e.g., headache, stomach pain).
• Medicine: Drugs or pills to treat an illness.
• Prescription: A doctor’s written order for medicine.
• Check-up: A routine visit to monitor health.
• Sick/ill: Feeling unwell.
• Temperature/fever: Body heat or high body temperature.
• Cough: A sudden expulsion of air from the lungs.
• Headache: Pain in the head.
• Waiting room: The area where patients wait to see the doctor.
• Pharmacy: A place to buy medicine.

If you need more advanced terminology, see these two articles:

• Medical doctor vocabulary
• English vocabulary for the pharmaceutical industry with common abbreviations

Teaching tips

• Use visuals like pictures of a doctor’s office, a prescription, or a thermometer to connect vocabulary to real contexts.
• Practice pronunciation of terms like “symptom” (SIMP-tum) or “prescription” (pri-SKRIP-shun).
• Create flashcards with words on one side and images or definitions on the other for quick recall.

Basic phrases

Teach simple sentence structures for discussing a visit to the doctor’s office. These should be easy to adapt for beginners.

Key phrases

1. Talking about visiting the doctor
   • “I have an appointment with the doctor.”
   • “I’m going to the clinic today.”
   • “I feel sick.”
   • “I need to see a doctor.”
2. Describing symptoms
   • “I have a [cough/headache/fever].”
   • “It hurts when I [move/breathe].”
   • “I’ve been sick for [number] days.”
   • “My [body part] hurts.”
3. Expressing needs or opinions
   • “I need medicine for my [symptom].”
   • “I don’t like going to the doctor because [reason].”
   • “The doctor was very kind.”
4. Asking questions
   • “Do I need a prescription?”
   • “When can I see the doctor?”
   • “Is it serious?”
   • “Can you help me with my [symptom]?”

Teaching tips

• Write phrases on a board or handout and model their use (e.g., “I have a headache. I need to see a doctor.”).
• Have learners substitute their own symptoms or experiences into the phrases.
• Practice polite forms (e.g., “Can you…” or “I need…”) to emphasize courtesy in medical settings.

Basic example conversations

Provide short, realistic dialogues to model how to talk about going to the doctor’s office at a beginner level.

Conversation 1: Basic exchange

Patient (Anna): Hello, I have an appointment with Dr. Smith.
Receptionist (Tom): Okay, please wait in the waiting room.
Anna: Thank you. I have a cough and a fever.
Tom: The doctor will see you soon.

Doctor: Hi, Anna. What’s wrong?
Anna: I feel sick. I have a headache and a cough.
Doctor: Okay, let me check your temperature.

Conversation 2: Adding details

Patient (Sara): Hi, I need to see a doctor.
Receptionist (Juan): Do you have an appointment?
Sara: No, but I have a stomach pain.
Juan: Okay, please fill out this form and wait.

Doctor: Sara, what’s the problem?
Sara: I’ve had a stomach pain for two days.
Doctor: I’ll check you. You may need medicine.

Teaching tips

• Role-play these dialogues with the learner, switching roles to practice both patient and doctor/receptionist perspectives.
• Encourage learners to adapt the dialogues using their own symptoms or experiences.
• In group settings, pair students to practice, prompting them to ask at least one follow-up question.

Advanced level: Teaching how to talk about going to the doctor’s office

Advanced vocabulary

Introduce more specific and nuanced words related to visiting the doctor’s office for intermediate learners to discuss the topic in greater detail.

Vocabulary list

• Diagnosis: The doctor’s identification of an illness.
• Treatment: The method to cure or manage an illness (e.g., medicine, rest).
• Allergy: A reaction to a substance (e.g., penicillin allergy).
• Blood pressure: The force of blood in the arteries (e.g., high blood pressure).
• X-ray: An image to check bones or internal organs.
• Injection: A shot of medicine given with a needle.
• Chronic: A long-term health condition (e.g., chronic pain).
• Specialist: A doctor with expertise in a specific area (e.g., cardiologist).
• Insurance: A plan to cover medical costs.
• Follow-up: A second visit to check progress.

Teaching tips

• Use visuals like an X-ray image or a blood pressure monitor to illustrate advanced terms.
• Practice pronunciation of terms like “diagnosis” (dy-ag-NO-sis) or “chronic” (KRON-ik).
• Create a matching game where learners pair advanced words with their meanings (e.g., “specialist” with “expert doctor”).

Advanced phrases

Teach more complex sentence structures for discussing doctor visits, suitable for intermediate learners to add depth to their conversations.

Key phrases

1. Talking about visiting the doctor
   • “I’ve had an appointment with a specialist for my [condition].”
   • “I visited the clinic because of a chronic [symptom].”
   • “The doctor gave me a diagnosis of [condition].”
   • “I need a follow-up appointment next week.”
2. Describing symptoms or treatment
   • “My symptoms started [time] ago and include [symptoms].”
   • “The doctor prescribed [medicine/treatment] for my condition.”
   • “I had an X-ray to check my [body part].”
   • “I’m allergic to [substance], so I need a different medicine.”
3. Expressing opinions or concerns
   • “I’m worried that my [symptom] might be serious.”
   • “The treatment is helping, but it’s [slow/expensive].”
   • “I prefer seeing a specialist for this issue.”
   • “My insurance covers most of the visit.”
4. Asking questions
   • “What’s the diagnosis for my symptoms?”
   • “Will I need an injection or surgery?”
   • “Does my insurance cover this treatment?”
   • “How long will it take to recover?”

Teaching tips

• Model advanced phrases with examples (e.g., “I had an X-ray for my back pain. The diagnosis was a muscle strain.”).
• Encourage learners to use specific details, like their symptoms or a recent doctor visit.
• Practice forming complex questions to promote deeper discussions.

Advanced example conversations

Provide more detailed dialogues to model how to talk about going to the doctor’s office at an intermediate level.

Conversation 1: Detailed exchange

Patient (Mark): Hi, I have an appointment with Dr. Lee for a check-up.
Receptionist (Lisa): Welcome, Mark. Do you have insurance?
Mark: Yes, it covers this visit. I’ve had a cough for a week.
Lisa: Okay, the doctor will see you soon. Please wait.

Doctor: Mark, what’s been going on?
Mark: I’ve had a chronic cough and some chest pain for a week.
Doctor: Let’s check your blood pressure and do an X-ray.

Conversation 2: More advanced

Patient (Sara): Hello, I need to see a specialist for my back pain.
Receptionist (Juan): Do you have a referral or insurance?
Sara: Yes, my insurance covers it. The pain is chronic and started months ago.
Juan: Alright, Dr. Patel can see you. Fill out this form.

Doctor: Sara, can you describe your symptoms?
Sara: The pain is in my lower back, worse when I sit. I’m worried it’s serious.
Doctor: We’ll do an X-ray and discuss treatment. You might need a follow-up.

Teaching tips

• Role-play these dialogues, emphasizing natural intonation and detailed responses.
• Encourage learners to incorporate advanced vocabulary (e.g., “diagnosis,” “chronic”) into their dialogues.
• In group settings, have students create their own dialogues about a specific doctor visit.

Teaching strategy (Combined for basic and advanced)

Here’s a step-by-step lesson plan to teach both levels effectively (approximately 60 minutes to cover both):

Step 1: Warm-up (5 minutes)

• Ask: “When was the last time you went to the doctor? Why?” to spark interest.
• Show a picture or short video clip of a doctor’s office (e.g., a waiting room or a doctor checking a patient) and describe it (e.g., “This is a clinic. People go here when they’re sick.”).

Step 2: Vocabulary introduction (15 minutes)

• Basic (7 minutes): Present the basic vocabulary list using visuals (e.g., a thermometer or prescription). Practice pronunciation and play a quick game: Say a word (e.g., “symptom”), and learners name a related word (e.g., “cough”).
• Advanced (8 minutes): Introduce advanced vocabulary with visuals like an X-ray or blood pressure monitor. Practice pronunciation and match terms to their meanings (e.g., “diagnosis” with “identifying an illness”).

Step 3: Phrase practice (15 minutes)

• Basic (7 minutes): Display basic phrases and model them (e.g., “I have a fever. I need to see a doctor.”). Have learners practice by filling in blanks (e.g., “I have a ____.”).
• Advanced (8 minutes): Display advanced phrases and model them (e.g., “I’ve had chronic back pain for months. I need a specialist.”). Have learners practice with specific details (e.g., their symptoms or a visit).

Step 4: Conversation practice (20 minutes)

• Basic (10 minutes): Read a basic conversation aloud, emphasizing natural tone. Pair learners (or role-play) to practice, encouraging personalization (e.g., their symptoms).
• Advanced (10 minutes): Read an advanced conversation, focusing on detailed responses. Have learners practice and create their own dialogues using advanced vocabulary.

Step 5: Wrap-up and personalization (5 minutes)

• Have each learner share one or two sentences about a doctor visit (basic: “I went to the doctor for a cough”; advanced: “I saw a specialist for my chronic headache and got a prescription.”).
• Provide feedback on vocabulary and phrase use.
• Assign homework: Write 3-5 sentences about a doctor visit (basic) or a diagnosis/treatment experience (advanced).

Additional tips

• Cultural sensitivity: Be aware that healthcare systems vary by country (e.g., insurance vs. free care). Discuss differences if relevant, and allow learners to share local practices.
• Visual aids: Use images or videos of a doctor’s office, medical tools, or a check-up to make the lesson engaging.
• Listening practice: Play a short audio or video clip (e.g., from YouTube or ESL resources) of a doctor-patient interaction to expose learners to different accents.
• Adapt for level: Ensure beginners stick to simple vocabulary and phrases, while intermediate learners use advanced terms and complex sentences.
• Incorporate technology: If teaching online, share a screen with a clinic image or use a virtual whiteboard to highlight vocabulary.

Common mistakes to address

• Grammar: Beginners may say “I go doctor” instead of “I go to the doctor.” Emphasize prepositions. Advanced learners may struggle with the past tense (e.g., “I see the doctor” instead of “I saw”). Review verb forms.
• Pronunciation: Terms like “prescription” or “diagnosis” may be mispronounced. Practice these explicitly.
• Word choice: Clarify “check-up” (routine visit) vs. “appointment” (any scheduled visit) for advanced learners.

Example activity: “Doctor visit role-play”

For group classes, try this interactive activity:

• Set up a mock doctor’s office with props (e.g., a clipboard for a prescription or a toy stethoscope).
• Assign roles (patient, doctor, receptionist) and give learners a scenario (e.g., “You have a fever. Describe your symptoms.”).
• Learners act out the visit, using vocabulary and phrases, while others ask questions (e.g., “What medicine did you get?”).

Homework or follow-up

• Writing
  • Basic: Write 3-5 sentences about a time you went to the doctor or why you might go.
  • Advanced: Write a short paragraph about a doctor visit, including diagnosis and treatment, using at least 5 advanced vocabulary words.
• Speaking: Record a 30-second audio or video describing a doctor visit (basic: symptoms; advanced: diagnosis or treatment).
• Research: Find a picture or video of a doctor’s office and describe it in 2-3 sentences in English.