Get Well Soon
This health and illness ESL lesson teaches students to describe common symptoms and ask 'What hurts?' Learners mime aches, match symptoms to body parts and practise 'My head hurts' and 'I don't feel well.' They complete a Sick Day Diary and perform a doctor-patient roleplay using simple advice and remedies.
7-day trial · Card required · €0 today · Cancel before renewal
Lesson format
2 × 45 minutes
Level
Elementary
Age group
Ages 8–11
Main focus
Speaking first
What students will learn
Lesson flow
Children touch named body parts and mime aches, watch an aches-and-pains song pausing to ask 'What hurts?', and practise 'My arm hurts' in pairs. The second lesson roleplays 'What's wrong?' with illness cards, makes a Sick Day Diary drawing a sick face and writing what hurts, and performs a doctor's-office roleplay giving simple advice like 'Drink warm tea and rest!'
Target language
- • 'What hurts?'
- • 'My ___ hurts'
- • 'Do you have a fever?'
- • 'I'm sick / I don't feel well'
Key vocabulary
- cold
- flu
- headache
- stomachache
- sore throat
- fever
- medicine
- doctor
- rest
- hospital
Speaking questions students answer
- • What hurts?
- • Do you have a fever?
- • What's wrong?
- • Does he have a cough?
- • What did the doctor say?
Recommended teaching contexts
Why this lesson works
The lesson follows a clear progression: Guess symptoms in a Body Check game, ask 'What's wrong?' in a pair activity, make a Sick Day Diary and roleplay a doctor's visit. Teachers can open the materials and start immediately, while students move from supported vocabulary practice to purposeful spoken English.