Antibiotics vs superbugs

This ESL lesson is best suited for B2 level learners. It explores the critical issue of antibiotic resistance and its growing impact on public health, science, and modern medicine. Through a structured sequence of vocabulary development, listening comprehension, speaking tasks, and collaborative activities, learners examine how antibiotics work, what causes resistance, and what can be done to combat the rise of so-called superbugs. Other lessons you might like are: “Health myths”, “First aid“, “Superfoods“, “Phrasal verbs: health“, “Idioms: health“.

The lesson opens with a set of conversation questions that activate prior knowledge and stimulate curiosity about how antibiotics are used—and misused.

Vocabulary: Students learn verb+ noun and adjective + noun collocations related to the topic (e.g. life-threatening infection,  drug-resistant bacteria, to treat an infection, to develop resistance). Controlled practice exercises reinforce understanding and encourage accurate usage.

Listening: Students watch a TED talk titled “How can we solve the antibiotic resistance crisis?”.  Split into three segments, the listening tasks guide students through the history of antibiotic development, challenges facing pharmaceutical companies, and innovative solutions including vaccines and phage therapy. Students summarize key points, answer comprehension questions, and make predictions—all with built-in support for classroom discussion and critical thinking.

Speaking: Post-listening speaking tasks invite learners to evaluate the role of government, industry, and public behavior in solving the crisis.

Vocabulary review: A vocabulary chain activity challenges students to apply new expressions in a connected dialogue, encouraging fluency, collaboration, and retention.

For more speaking practice, you can check the conversation cards.

This worksheet is ideal for upper-intermediate ESL learners interested in science, healthcare, or global issues.