Breaking News English Lesson on Mental Illness

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Up to half of adults suffer from mental illness (18th January, 2016)

The Reading / Listening - Level 6

Britain's National Health Service (NHS) suggests that up to half of adults have suffered from some form of mental illness at some stage in their life. Data from the Health Survey for England reveals that 25 per cent of all adults have been diagnosed with a mental health problem, while a further 18 per cent believe they have suffered from one but have not seen a doctor for diagnosis. Mental health expert Andy Bell said more needed to be done for people to get the help they need: Mr Bell said: "[These] figures are another wake-up call for the NHS to ensure that mental health support is available for people who need it when they need it. Timely access to effective mental health treatment saves lives."

Researchers questioned 5,000 adults about their experiences. They found that 26 per cent of people said they had received a mental health illness diagnosis. According to the survey, depression was the most common form of mental illness, with 19 per cent of people saying they had suffered from the condition. Women are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than men. Over 40 per cent of middle-aged women have been diagnosed with an illness at some point in their life. A spokeswoman from the mental health charity Sane bemoaned the survey's findings. She said: "These are shocking figures…because the scale of mental illness is already known but too often ignored."

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

Level 4 or Level 5

Sources

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/nhs/12101811/Almost-half-of-adults-have-suffered-mental-illness-NHS-stats-suggest.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35322354
http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/one-four-diagnosed-mental-illness-7187621

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The 40 Lesson Activities on the PDF Handout

WARM-UPS

1. MENTAL HEALTH: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about mental health. Change partners often and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?

health service / suffered / mental illness / diagnosed / expert / wake-up call / effective / researchers / experiences / depression / middle-aged / charity / survey / shocking

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. MENTAL ILLNESSES: What do you know about these illnesses and what can be done about them? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

	What I know	What to do
Depression
Schizophrenia
Paranoia
Bulimia
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

4. IMPORTANT: Students A strongly believe mental health is more important than physical health; Students B strongly believe the opposite. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

5. HELP: Rank these with your partner. Put the best ways of helping people with a mental illness at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

• medicine

• education

• friendship

• exercise

• talking about the problem

• join a support group

• therapy

• lifestyle changes

6. HEALTH: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "health". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	Britain's health service said half of British people are mentally ill.	T / F
b.	Most people in Britain have had an undiagnosed mental illness.	T / F
c.	A mental health expert said people needed to wake up.	T / F
d.	Effective mental health treatment saves people's lives.	T / F
e.	Researchers surveyed 5,000 in a survey on mental health.	T / F
f.	The most common mental health problem in Britain is depression.	T / F
g.	Men in Britain suffer more mental health problems than women.	T / F
h.	A charity worker said mental health issues are often ignored.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.	reveals	a.	period
2.	stage	b.	care
3.	form	c.	illness
4.	available	d.	shows
5.	treatment	e.	disregarded
6.	questioned	f.	kind
7.	common	g.	lamented
8.	condition	h.	asked
9.	bemoaned	i.	accessible
10.	ignored	j.	prevalent

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1.	some form	a.	common form
2.	seen a doctor for	b.	done for people
3.	more needed to be	c.	for people who need it
4.	support is available	d.	aged women
5.	effective mental health treatment	e.	charity
6.	Researchers questioned	f.	of mental illness
7.	depression was the most	g.	in their life
8.	40 per cent of middle-	h.	5,000 adults
9.	at some point	i.	saves lives
10.	mental health	j.	diagnosis

GAP FILL

Britain's National Health Service (NHS) suggests that (1) ____________ to half of adults have suffered from some (2) ____________ of mental illness at some stage in their life. Data from the Health Survey for England reveals that 25 per cent of all adults have been (3) ____________ with a mental health problem, while a further 18 per cent believe they have (4) ____________ from one but have not seen a doctor for diagnosis. Mental health expert Andy Bell said more needed to be (5) ____________ for people to get the help they need. Mr Bell said: "[These] (6) ____________ are another wake-up call for the NHS to ensure that mental health support is (7) ____________ for people who need it when they need it. Timely access to effective mental health treatment (8) ____________ lives."

done
suffered
form
available
up
saves
diagnosed
figures

Researchers questioned 5,000 adults about their (9) ____________. They found that 26 per cent of people said they had received a mental health illness (10) ____________. According to the survey, depression was the most (11) ____________ form of mental illness, with 19 per cent of people saying they had suffered from the (12) ____________. Women are more (13) ____________ to suffer from mental health problems than men. Over 40 per cent of middle-aged women have been diagnosed with an illness at some (14) ____________ in their life. A spokeswoman from the mental health charity Sane bemoaned the survey's (15) ____________. She said: "These are shocking figures…because the scale of mental illness is already known but too often (16) ____________."

diagnosis
likely
experiences
findings
condition
ignored
common
point

LISTENING - Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)	half of adults have suffered from some form of mental illness at some stage ______
	a. at their life b. in their life c. on their life d. by their life
2)	a further 18 per cent believe they have suffered from one but have not seen a ______
	a. doctor from diagnosis b. doctor four diagnosis c. doctor fore diagnosis d. doctor for diagnosis
3)	Mental health expert Andy Bell said more needed to be done for people to get the ______
	a. helping they need b. helps they need c. help they need d. helped they need
4)	ensure that mental health support is available for people who need it when _______
	a. they needing it b. they kneed it c. they knead it d. they need it
5)	Timely access to effective mental health treatment ______
	a. saves life b. saves lives c. saves livings d. saves leaves
6)	They found that 26 per cent of people said they had received a mental health ______
	a. illness diagnosis b. illness diagnostic c. illness die agnostic d. illness dye agnostic
7)	According to the survey, depression was the most common ______ illness
	a. from of mental b. form of mental c. firm of mental d. farm of mental
8)	Women are more likely to suffer from mental health ______
	a. problems that men b. problems than men c. problems then men d. problems them men
9)	40 per cent of middle-aged women have been diagnosed with an illness at some point ______
	a. on their life b. in their life c. and there life d. in there life
10)	the scale of mental illness is already known but ______
	a. to often ignored b. too often ignore c. to often ignore d. too often ignored

LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps

Britain's National Health Service (NHS) suggests (1) ___________________ of adults have suffered from some form of mental illness (2) ___________________ their life. Data from the Health Survey for England reveals that 25 per cent of all adults have been (3) ___________________ a mental health problem, while a further 18 per cent believe they have suffered from one but have not seen a doctor for diagnosis. Mental health expert Andy Bell said more needed (4) ___________________ people to get the help they need. Mr Bell said: "[These] figures are another wake-up call for the NHS (5) ___________________ mental health support is available for people who need it when they need it. Timely access to effective mental health (6) ___________________."

Researchers questioned 5,000 (7) ___________________ experiences. They found that 26 per cent of people said they had received a mental health illness diagnosis. (8) ___________________ survey, depression was the most common form of mental illness, with 19 per cent of people saying they (9) ___________________ the condition. Women are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than men. Over 40 per cent of middle-aged women have been diagnosed with (10) ___________________ some point in their life. A spokeswoman from the mental health charity Sane bemoaned the survey's findings. She said: "These (11) ___________________…because the scale of mental illness is already known but (12) ___________________."

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.	What did the NHS say up to half of adults have suffered from?
2.	What percentage of adults was found to have had a mental illness?
3.	How many people in the survey think they had undiagnosed illnesses?
4.	What kind of call did Andy Bell say the survey was?
5.	What does the article say timely access to treatment saves?
6.	How many participants were there in the survey?
7.	What was the most common mental illness?
8.	What percentage of middle-aged women have had mental illnesses?
9.	What mental health charity was mentioned at the end of the article?
10.	How did a charity spokeswoman describe the figures in the survey?

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ

1.	What did Britain's health service say up to half of adults have suffered from?	6.	How many participants were there in the survey?
	a) fatigue b) a computer virus c) mental illness d) depression		a) just over 5,000 b) 5,000 c) lightly below 5,000 d) about 5,000
2.	What percentage of adults was found to have had a mental illness?	7.	What was the most common mental illness?
	a) 25% b) 18% c) 40% d) 50%		a) insomnia b) schizophrenia c) paranoia d) depression
3.	How many people in the survey think they had undiagnosed illnesses?	8.	What percentage of middle-aged women have had mental illnesses?
	a) 17% b) 16% c) 19% d) 18%		a) around 40% b) over 40% c) just under 40% d) exactly 40%
4.	What kind of call did Andy Bell say the survey was?	9.	What mental health charity was mentioned at the end of the article?
	a) a curtain call b) a wake-up call c) a close call d) a hoax call		a) Sane b) Mind c) Level d) Calm
5.	What does the article say timely access to treatment saves?	10.	How did a charity spokeswoman describe the figures in the survey?
	a) time b) electricity c) lives d) money		a) salutary b) sobering c) surprising d) shocking

ROLE PLAY

Role A – Medicine

You think medicine is the best way to help someone with a mental health problem. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their ways aren't so good. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): exercise, therapy or a lifestyle change.

Role B – Exercise

You think exercise is the best way to help someone with a mental health problem. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their ways aren't so good. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): medicine, therapy or a lifestyle change.

Role C – Therapy

You think therapy is the best way to help someone with a mental health problem. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their ways aren't so good. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): exercise, medicine or a lifestyle change.

Role D – Lifestyle change

You think a lifestyle change is the best way to help someone with a mental health problem. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their ways aren't so good. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): exercise, therapy or medicine.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words 'mental' and 'health'.

mental

health

Share your findings with your partners.

Make questions using the words you found.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

up
stage
18
done
wake
save

5,000
26
19
40
charity
often

MENTAL ILLNESS SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about mental illness in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

MENTAL ILLNESS DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1)	What did you think when you read the headline?
2)	What springs to mind when you hear the term 'mental health'?
3)	What do you think about what you read?
4)	Do you ever worry about your mental health?
5)	Should more money be spent helping people with mental health problems?
6)	What mental health conditions do you know about?
7)	How can we stay healthy mentally?
8)	How does depression affect people's lives?
9)	How do you know if you have a mental illness?
10)	"Mental health needs a great deal of attention. It's the final taboo and it needs to be faced and dealt with." (Adam Ant) What do you think?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

11)	Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
12)	Why do governments ignore mental health?
13)	How serious are mental health issues?
14)	Why are women more likely to develop mental health problems?
15)	What everyday things can affect our mental health?
16)	Why are older people more likely to develop mental health problems?
17)	What is the care like for people with mental health in your country?
18)	How would improving mental health care improve a country?
19)	Mental health is often missing from public health debates even though it's critical to wellbeing. (Diane Abbott) What do you think?
20)	What questions would you like to ask a mental health expert?

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

LANGUAGE - CLOZE

Britain's National Health Service (NHS) suggests that (1) ____ to half of adults have suffered from some form of mental illness at some stage (2) ____ their life. Data from the Health Survey for England reveals that 25 per cent of all adults have been diagnosed with a mental health problem, while a (3) ____ 18 per cent believe they have suffered from one but have not seen a doctor for diagnosis. Mental health expert Andy Bell said more needed to be (4) ____ for people to get the help they need. Mr Bell said: "[These] figures are another (5) ____-up call for the NHS to ensure that mental health support is available for people who need it when they need it. (6) ____ access to effective mental health treatment saves lives."

Researchers questioned 5,000 adults about their experiences. They found that 26 per cent of people said they had received a mental health illness (7) ____. According to the survey, depression was the most (8) ____ form of mental illness, with 19 per cent of people saying they had suffered from the condition. Women are more (9) ____ to suffer from mental health problems than men. Over 40 per cent of middle-aged women have been diagnosed with an illness at some (10) ____ in their life. A spokeswoman from the mental health charity Sane (11) ____ the survey's findings. She said: "These are shocking figures…because the scale of mental illness is already known but too (12) ____ ignored."

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	high	(b)	up	(c)	rise	(d)	above
2.	(a)	on	(b)	to	(c)	as	(d)	in
3.	(a)	more	(b)	further	(c)	additional	(d)	extra
4.	(a)	did	(b)	doing	(c)	done	(d)	does
5.	(a)	wake	(b)	woke	(c)	waken	(d)	waking
6.	(a)	Timely	(b)	Timed	(c)	Times	(d)	Timeline
7.	(a)	diagonals	(b)	diagnostics	(c)	diagnostic	(d)	diagnosis
8.	(a)	commonly	(b)	commoner	(c)	common	(d)	commonest
9.	(a)	like	(b)	liking	(c)	likable	(d)	likely
10.	(a)	spot	(b)	tip	(c)	sharp	(d)	point
11.	(a)	bemoaned	(b)	demoted	(c)	repealed	(d)	preordered
12.	(a)	many	(b)	regular	(c)	often	(d)	really

SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	eerusffd from some form of mental illness
2.	25 per cent of all adults have been adogsndie
3.	Mental health pxeret
4.	baevlaali for people who need it
5.	timely access to fitvfeeec…
6.	mental health teaetnmtr saves lives
Paragraph 2
7.	esrehrrecas questioned 5,000 adults
8.	odicgrnca to the survey
9.	rdenopessi was the most common form
10.	the mental health ychairt
11.	These are shocking gsriufe
12.	too often genirdo

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	form of mental illness, with 19 per cent of people saying they had suffered from the condition. Women are more
( )	aged women have been diagnosed with an illness at some point in their life. A spokeswoman from the mental health
( 1 )	Britain's National Health Service (NHS) suggests that up to half of adults have suffered from some form of mental illness at
( )	one but have not seen a doctor for diagnosis. Mental health expert Andy Bell said more needed to be done
( )	up call for the NHS to ensure that mental health support is available for people
( )	likely to suffer from mental health problems than men. Over 40 per cent of middle-
( )	who need it when they need it. Timely access to effective mental health treatment saves lives."
( )	received a mental health illness diagnosis. According to the survey, depression was the most common
( )	charity Sane bemoaned the survey's findings. She said: "These are shocking
( )	for people to get the help they need. Mr Bell said: "[These] figures are another wake-
( )	diagnosed with a mental health problem, while a further 18 per cent believe they have suffered from
( )	Researchers questioned 5,000 adults about their experiences. They found that 26 per cent of people said they had
( )	some stage in their life. Data from the Health Survey for England reveals that 25 per cent of all adults have been
( )	figures…because the scale of mental illness is already known but too often ignored."

PUT THE WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER

1.	from some form Up to half of adults have suffered .
2.	get to people for done be to needed More help the .
3.	NHS the for call up - wake another are figures These .
4.	it Available for people who need it when they need .
5.	to saves effective lives mental health Access treatment .
6.	that found They had they said people of cent per 26 .
7.	form illness was common mental Depression most of the .
8.	to suffer from mental health problems Women are more likely .
9.	life Diagnosed with an illness at some point in their .
10.	is scale already of known mental illness The .

CIRCLE THE CORRECT WORD (20 PAIRS)

Britain's National Health Service (NHS) suggests / suggesting that up to half of adults have suffered from some firm / form of mental illness at some stage in their life / live. Data from the Health Survey for England reveals that 25 per cent of all adults have been diagnosis / diagnosed with a mental health problem, while a further / farther 18 per cent believe they have suffered from one but have not seen / seeing a doctor for diagnosis. Mental health expert Andy Bell said more needed to be done / doing for people to get the help they need. Mr Bell said: "[These] figures / figure are another wake-up call for the NHS to ensure that mental health support is available / availability for people who need it when they need it. Timely excess / access to effective mental health treatment saves lives."

Researchers questioned 5,000 adults about their experienced / experiences. They found that 26 per cent of people said they had received / receiving a mental health illness diagnosis. According by / to the survey, depression was the most common form of mental illness, with 19 per cent of people saying they had suffered from / as the condition. Women are more liked / likely to suffer from mental health problems than / over men. Over 40 per cent of middle-aged women have been diagnosed with an illness at same / some point in their life. A spokeswoman from the mental health charity Sane bemoaned / moaned the survey's findings / finds. She said: "These are shocking figures…because the scale of mental illness is already known but too often ignores / ignored."

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

INSERT THE VOWELS (a, e, i, o, u)

Br_t__n's N_t__n_l H__lth S_rv_c_ (NHS) s_gg_sts th_t _p t_ h_lf _f _d_lts h_v_ s_ff_r_d fr_m s_m_ f_rm _f m_nt_l _lln_ss _t s_m_ st_g_ _n th__r l_f_. D_t_ fr_m th_ H__lth S_rv_y f_r _ngl_nd r_v__ls th_t 25 p_r c_nt _f _ll _d_lts h_v_ b__n d__gn_s_d w_th _ m_nt_l h__lth pr_bl_m, wh_l_ _ f_rth_r 18 p_r c_nt b_l__v_ th_y h_v_ s_ff_r_d fr_m _n_ b_t h_v_ n_t s__n _ d_ct_r f_r d__gn_s_s. M_nt_l h__lth _xp_rt _ndy B_ll s__d m_r_ n__d_d t_ b_ d_n_ f_r p__pl_ t_ g_t th_ h_lp th_y n__d. Mr B_ll s__d: "[Th_s_] f_g_r_s _r_ _n_th_r w_k_-_p c_ll f_r th_ NHS t_ _ns_r_ th_t m_nt_l h__lth s_pp_rt _s _v__l_bl_ f_r p__pl_ wh_ n__d _t wh_n th_y n__d _t. T_m_ly _cc_ss t_ _ff_ct_v_ m_nt_l h__lth tr__tm_nt s_v_s l_v_s."

R_s__rch_rs q__st__n_d 5,000 _d_lts _b__t th__r _xp_r__nc_s. Th_y f__nd th_t 26 p_r c_nt _f p__pl_ s__d th_y h_d r_c__v_d _ m_nt_l h__lth _lln_ss d__gn_s_s. _cc_rd_ng t_ th_ s_rv_y, d_pr_ss__n w_s th_ m_st c_mm_n f_rm _f m_nt_l _lln_ss, w_th 19 p_r c_nt _f p__pl_ s_y_ng th_y h_d s_ff_r_d fr_m th_ c_nd_t__n. W_m_n _r_ m_r_ l_k_ly t_ s_ff_r fr_m m_nt_l h__lth pr_bl_ms th_n m_n. _v_r 40 p_r c_nt _f m_ddl_-_g_d w_m_n h_v_ b__n d__gn_s_d w_th _n _lln_ss _t s_m_ p__nt _n th__r l_f_. _ sp_k_sw_m_n fr_m th_ m_nt_l h__lth ch_r_ty S_n_ b_m__n_d th_ s_rv_y's f_nd_ngs. Sh_ s__d: "Th_s_ _r_ sh_ck_ng f_g_r_s…b_c__s_ th_ sc_l_ _f m_nt_l _lln_ss _s _lr__dy kn_wn b_t t__ _ft_n _gn_r_d."

PUNCTUATE THE TEXT AND ADD CAPITALS

britain's national health service (nhs) suggests that up to half of adults have suffered from some form of mental illness at some stage in their life data from the health survey for england reveals that 25 per cent of all adults have been diagnosed with a mental health problem while a further 18 per cent believe they have suffered from one but have not seen a doctor for diagnosis mental health expert andy bell said more needed to be done for people to get the help they need mr bell said "[these] figures are another wake-up call for the nhs to ensure that mental health support is available for people who need it when they need it timely access to effective mental health treatment saves lives"

researchers questioned 5000 adults about their experiences they found that 26 per cent of people said they had received a mental health illness diagnosis according to the survey depression was the most common form of mental illness with 19 per cent of people saying they had suffered from the condition women are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than men over 40 per cent of middle-aged women have been diagnosed with an illness at some point in their life a spokeswoman from the mental health charity sane bemoaned the survey's findings she said "these are shocking figures…because the scale of mental illness is already known but too often ignored"

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Britain'sNationalHealthService(NHS)suggeststhatuptohalfofadults
havesufferedfromsomeformofmentalillnessatsomestageintheirlife.
DatafromtheHealthSurveyforEnglandrevealsthat25percentofalladu
ltshavebeendiagnosedwithamentalhealthproblem,whileafurther18
percentbelievetheyhavesufferedfromonebuthavenotseenadoctorfo
rdiagnosis.MentalhealthexpertAndyBellsaidmoreneededtobedonef
orpeopletogetthehelptheyneed.MrBellsaid:"[These]figuresareanot
herwake-upcallfortheNHStoensurethatmentalhealthsupportisavaila
bleforpeoplewhoneeditwhentheyneedit.Timelyaccesstoeffectiveme
ntalhealthtreatmentsaveslives."Researchersquestioned5,000adult
sabouttheirexperiences.Theyfoundthat26percentofpeoplesaidthey
hadreceivedamentalhealthillnessdiagnosis.Accordingtothesurvey,d
epressionwasthemostcommonformofmentalillness,with19percento
fpeoplesayingtheyhadsufferedfromthecondition.Womenaremorelik
elytosufferfrommentalhealthproblemsthanmen.Over40percentofm
iddle-agedwomenhavebeendiagnosedwithanillnessatsomepointint
heirlife.AspokeswomanfromthementalhealthcharitySanebemoaned
thesurvey'sfindings.Shesaid:"Theseareshockingfigures…becauseth
escaleofmentalillnessisalreadyknownbuttoooftenignored."

FREE WRITING

Write about mental illness for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

ACADEMIC WRITING

People should stop treating mental health as a taboo subject. Discuss.

_____________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about mental illness. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MENTAL ILLNESS: Make a poster about treatment for mental illnesses. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. DEPRESSION: Write a magazine article about depression. Include imaginary interviews with people who suffer from depression and from mental health experts.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on mental health. Ask him/her three questions about mental illness. Give him/her three ideas on how to help people. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

A Few Additional Activities for Students

Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

Also...

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

News
Warm ups
Pre-reading / Post-reading
Using headlines
Working with words
While-reading / While-listening
Moving from text to speech
Post-reading / Post-listening
Discussions
Using opinions
Plans
Language
Using lists
Using quotes
Task-based activities
Role plays
Using the central characters in the article
Using themes from the news
Homework

Buy my book

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ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE (p.4)

a

F

b

F

c

F

d

T

e

T

f

T

g

F

h

T

SYNONYM MATCH (p.4)

1.	reveals	a.	shows
2	stage	b.	period
3.	form	c.	kind
4.	available	d.	accessible
5.	treatment	e.	care
6.	questioned	f.	asked
7.	common	g.	prevalent
8.	condition	h.	illness
9.	bemoaned	i.	lamented
10.	ignored	j.	disregarded

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (p.8)

1.	A mental illness
2.	25%
3.	18%
4.	A wake-up call
5.	Lives
6.	5,000
7.	Depression
8.	Over 40%
9.	Sane
10.	Shocking

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ (p.9)

1.

c

2.

a

3.

d

4.

b

5.

c

6.

d

7.

b

8.

d

9.

a

10.

d

ALL OTHER EXERCISES

Please check for yourself by looking at the Article on page 2.
(It's good for your English ;-)

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Breaking News English Lesson on Mental Illness

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Up to half of adults suffer from mental illness (18th January, 2016)

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