Designed around learners’ desires to be able to look after their own health and the health of their families better, Creative English for Health includes activities to improve health literacy, language and understanding of the health system.
I was ignoring the letter about mammograms. I was apprehensive and not sure what to do. After covering it in the session, I now feel like I can book my appointment and go informed.
With two terms of material, Creative English for Health covers a range of health topics.
Sessions include games and exercise to improve health literacy and opportunities to practice talking to health professionals and others who can improve health outcomes, including landlords and teachers.
Example session topics
- Going to the doctor
- Going to the pharmacy
- Child respiratory health and using NHS 111
- Vaccinations
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Healthy eating
- Going for screening checks
- The health impacts of a damp house and dealing with your landlord
- Going to the hospital: inpatients
- The menopause
- NHS health checks
- Exercise and using a leisure centre
- Quitting smoking and COPD
- Going to the dentist
Delivery of Creative English for Health funded by Birmingham City Council was evaluated by Coventry University in 2023.
In addition to the main Creative English for Health programme, we also have a suite of shorter programmes that have been designed to target specific health outcomes.
These programmes were developed at the request of Public Health teams in Birmingham and Greater Manchester, where we’ve seen outstanding results.