Level: B1 (OET Medicine)
Duration: 50 minutes
Skills: Reading & Writing
Theme: Lifestyle factors – identifying risks & giving recommendations
Real-life Scenario: A GP reviewing a patient form and writing lifestyle advice
Objectives (new)
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Write notes about lifestyle-related risk factors using gerunds
- Write clear lifestyle recommendations using imperatives and modal verbs.
- Use patient-friendly vocabulary to advise on diet, exercise, and lifestyle.
Objectives (reviewed from Session 1):
- Describe symptoms using severity (mild, moderate, severe/acute) and frequency (intermittent, constant/persistent, chronic) vocabulary.
- Ask about frequency (How often, how many times a day/week).
| Concept | Definition | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| smoking cessation | stopping smoking | We recommend smoking cessation support groups. | الإقلاع عن التدخين |
| sedentary lifestyle | sitting too much, not active | Working at a desk all day leads to a sedentary lifestyle. | أسلوب حياة خامل |
| risk factor | something that increases chance of illness | Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease. | عامل خطر |
| portion | the amount of food served at one time | Try to reduce your portion size at dinner. | حصة طعام |
| moderate exercise | safe, regular physical activity | Walking 30 minutes a day is moderate exercise. | تمارين معتدلة |
| hydration | keeping the body supplied with water | Good hydration helps kidney health. | ترطيب الجسم |
| dietary intake | the food and drinks a person usually has | His dietary intake includes too much sugar. | المدخول الغذائي |
| alcohol consumption | how much alcohol someone drinks | Her alcohol consumption is higher than safe limits. | استهلاك الكحول |
Recap Session 1:
- How do you ask about frequency?
- How can you describe the severity and frequency of a symptom?
Last time, we asked about and described symptoms. Today, we’ll look at lifestyle factors that affect health and how doctors give advice.
What lifestyle questions do doctors usually ask?
Reading Input – Patient Lifestyle Form
Scan the following lifestyle questionnaire and look for key risk factors.
Doctor notes identifying key risk factors
- Physical activity: sits 12 hours a day → sedentary lifestyle
- Sleep routine: persistent late bedtime → fatigue and weakness
- Diet: lots of snacks → overweight and obesity
- Diet: poor dietary intake → underweight
- Smoking: 10 cigarettes/day → severe lung diseases
Write a note about the risk to the patient
- Sitting 12 hours a day constantly can lead to a sedentary lifestyle and severe stiffness.
- Sleeping late persistently can lead to moderate fatigue and weakness.
- Eating large portions and lots of snacks can lead to obesity.
- Smoking can lead to chronic lung diseases and dehydration.
Pronunciation focus:
- sedentary (/ˈsed.ən.tər.i/) → stress on sed
- portion (/ˈpɔːr.ʃən/)
- hydration (/haɪˈdreɪ.ʃən/)
Grammar & Functional Language – Giving Advice (polite vs direct)
- Imperatives:
- Eat more vegetables.
- Avoid snacks.
- It’s important to ______.
- Modals:
- You should reduce alcohol.
- You must stop smoking.
- You could try walking after work.
Take one factor from the doctor notes and write advice:
- Sitting 12 hours a day can lead to a sedentary lifestyle. You should do moderate exercise.
- Sleeping late can lead to fatigue and weakness. You could try sleeping early and reducing screen time before bedtime.
Read a second patient form and highlight risk factors
Fill in a chart in your notebook
Lifestyle Factor → Risk → Advice
Transform chart notes into recommendations
- ______ can lead to (severity) (risk). You should ______.
- ______ can lead to (severity) (risk). It’s important to ______.
- ______ can lead to (severity) (risk). Try to ______.
Example:
No exercise → sedentary lifestyle → do moderate exercise
Written recommendation:
Not exercising can lead to persistent stiffness. You should do moderate exercise at least 3 times per week.
Write a short paragraph (4–5 sentences) giving lifestyle advice to the patients (Fiona Packer and Simon Smith). Must include:
- at least 4 glossary terms (new/reviewed)
- at least 3 imperatives/modals
- at least 3 gerunds
Example Paragraph
Your lifestyle shows several risk factors. Smoking can lead to severe lung disease. You must stop smoking and try smoking cessation support. Drinking alcohol can lead to severe health problems. Reduce alcohol consumption to safe limits.
Can-do Checklist
☐ Use gerunds to begin sentences.
☐ Write advice using modals and imperatives.
☐ Write a 4-line paragraph about risk factors and advice.
☐ Choose patient-friendly words.
☐ Avoid grammar and spelling mistakes.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.