Table 1.

Health literacy as skill and practice: Influences on the ESL curriculum

ESL Classroom Content	Focus on health literacy as skill	Focus on health literacy as practice
Learning about DM2 Risk Factors	Vocabulary: risk, at risk, pre- diabetes, body parts Identify symptoms of DM2 Identify risk factors Identify key DM2 preventive strategies	Role-play interactions with doctors, family, and friends about DM2 risk Share personal views about risk, in cross-cultural exchange (Group work, Identifying sources of ‘reliable’ health information: Friends? Doctors? Internet?
Taking the ADA Risk Self-Assessment	Calculate body weight, height Read height and weight charts Calculate and interpret risk scores	How to talk about risk with peers, family members – who wants to get screened, who doesn’t, and why Learn to ask questions about what risk scores means Learn to ask for support and resources
Healthy eating, nutrition	Understand the “Healthy Plate” graphic Read nutrition labels Vocabulary: carbohydrate, protein, grain	Share ideas of what it means to be “healthy” Talk about the applications and limitations of “Healthy Plate” in real-life Tell stories of food memories in home country, versus food habits in the U.S.
Getting physically active	Understand effects of exercise on body Identify different intensity levels Identify different types of exercise	Identify common barriers to exercise Discuss what kinds of exercise routines are realistic – what you can do alone, what you can do with others

Note. For sample lesson materials, contact first author.