First Aid
Senior 4 · English
First Aid
Lesson 2 of 5
25 min
Let's begin
In an emergency, people rarely say "I have a medical problem." They say "There's blood everywhere!" or "She just fell down!" A good first aider listens through the panic for three things: what happened, how the person is now, and what has already been done. In this lesson you listen to a radio phone-in in which three callers describe real-life situations to a trained first aider. Then you practise giving advice yourself, in the clear, calm, step-by-step English that a frightened person can follow.
| Caller | What happened | What the first aider says to do | When to get more help |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Mrs Uwera | |||
| 2. Coach Habimana | |||
| 3. Teta |
Important
Listening script: for a teacher and three classmates to read aloud
Five readers: the presenter, the first aider and three callers. Only they open the script. About four minutes. Everyone in it is imagined; the advice follows current first aid guidance (see the sources).
Presenter: Good morning and welcome to Ask the First Aider. With me in the studio is Mr Gakwaya, a trained first aid volunteer. The lines are open. Our first caller is Mrs Uwera. Go ahead.
Mrs Uwera: Good morning. This morning my son, he's twelve, knocked a cup of hot tea over his hand. The skin's gone red and he's crying. I put toothpaste on it, because my mother always did that. Was that right?
Mr Gakwaya: I'm sorry to hear that, and I understand why you did it, but toothpaste doesn't help. Here's what to do. Wash the toothpaste off gently, then hold his hand under cool running water, not ice, for at least twenty minutes. Twenty minutes feels long, so use a clock. Take off any ring or watch on that hand before it starts to swell. When you've finished cooling, cover the burn loosely with cling film or a clean cloth. Burns on the hands, face or feet, burns bigger than the person's own hand, and burns where the skin looks white or charred should all be checked by a health worker. His burn is on his hand, so after cooling, take him to the health centre.
Mrs Uwera: Thank you. I'll do that now.
Presenter: Our next caller is a football coach. Coach Habimana?
Coach Habimana: Hello. Yesterday one of my players got a nosebleed in training. Nobody hit him; it just started. The other boys told him to lie on his back and look up at the sky. It took ages to stop.
Mr Gakwaya: That's a very common mistake. When you tip the head back, the blood runs down the throat, and it can make the person feel sick. Next time, sit him down and ask him to lean forward. Then pinch the soft part of his nose, just above the nostrils, firmly, for at least ten minutes, without letting go to check. If it's still bleeding, pinch for another ten minutes. Tell him not to blow his nose or play again that day. And if it goes on for more than half an hour, or if it started after a blow to the head, he needs medical help.
Presenter: And finally, Teta, a student.
Teta: Hi. At assembly on Monday, while the head teacher was speaking, a girl in my class suddenly went pale and fell down. Everyone stood around and nobody knew what to do. After a minute she opened her eyes. What should we have done?
Mr Gakwaya: It sounds as if she fainted, which often happens to people standing for a long time in a warm place. If someone looks as if they're going to faint, help them down gently so they don't hurt themselves. Lay her on her back and, if you can, raise her legs. When she feels better, help her to sit up slowly, and check whether she hurt herself when she fell. But if she doesn't wake up quickly, treat her as unresponsive: shout for help, call 912, and follow the call-taker's instructions.
Presenter: Thank you, Mr Gakwaya. Any last words for our listeners?
Mr Gakwaya: Just one. In every case today, someone was there who wanted to help. The difference between wanting to help and being able to help is a few hours of training. Find a first aid course, and take a friend with you.
Match each caller to the problem: a burn · a faint · a nosebleed.
Definition
Advice in an emergency must be short, ordered and certain. Begin with reassurance, give one instruction at a time, check that it has been done, and say when to get more help.
| Purpose | Useful language |
|---|---|
| Reassuring | You're doing the right thing. · Stay calm; I'll help you. · Help is on the way. |
| Giving instructions | First, … · Now … · Keep pressing. · Don't let go. · Make sure (that) … |
| Advising | You should … · You'd better … · It's best to … · Try to … |
| Warning | Don't … · Never … · Be careful not to … |
| Checking | Can you see …? · Is she breathing normally? · Tell me when you've done that. |
| When to get help | If …, call 912. · If it doesn't stop in …, take him to the health centre. |
In pairs, one student is a frightened caller and the other a trained first aider. Use the advice from Lessons 1 and 2. Swap roles after each card.
| Card | Situation | Key advice the first aider must give |
|---|---|---|
| A | Your little brother cut his finger on a tin. It is bleeding a little and is dirty. | Rinse under clean running water (not river or lake water); pat dry; cover with a clean dressing or plaster. |
| B | Your aunt burned her arm on a charcoal stove. | Cool under cool running water for at least 20 minutes; no ice or remedies; remove bracelets; cover loosely; health centre if bigger than her hand, white or charred, or unsure. |
| C | A classmate has a nosebleed in the library. | Sit, lean forward, pinch the soft part of the nose for at least 10 minutes; help if over 30 minutes or after a blow to the head. |
| D | A man at a wedding suddenly can't speak or breathe after eating. | Ask "Are you choking?"; encourage coughing; up to 5 back blows; up to 5 abdominal thrusts; call 112 or 912 if not cleared. |
| E | A worker has a deep cut on his leg and is bleeding heavily. | Call 112 or 912; press firmly on the wound; add pads, don't remove them; keep pressing until help arrives. |
Worked example
A model exchange, card B, with its moves labelled
Caller: Help! My aunt burned her arm on the stove!
First aider: Okay, you're doing the right thing by asking. [reassure] First, is she away from the stove now? [check safety]
Caller: Yes, she's sitting down.
First aider: Good. Hold her arm under cool running water, from a tap or a jerrycan, and keep it there for at least twenty minutes. Don't use ice. [one instruction, with a warning] Is she wearing a bracelet or a watch on that arm?
Caller: A bracelet.
First aider: Take it off now, before the arm swells. [instruction] Don't put anything on the burn, no oil, no toothpaste. When the twenty minutes are up, cover it loosely with cling film or a clean cloth. [order of steps] If the burn is bigger than her hand, if the skin looks white or charred, or if you're not sure, take her to the health centre. [when to get help]
Tip
One instruction, one breath. A frightened person can follow one short instruction at a time. Say it, wait, check it has been done, then give the next. Long sentences full of and and maybe get lost.
Warning
First aid for someone who is choking, British Red Cross (about 4½ minutes, 2024). Made for the UK, where the emergency number is 999; in Rwanda, call 112 or 912. Listen to the instructions the narrator gives and note every imperative verb.
Practice
Key points
Sources and credits
Quick check
Match each situation to the first thing the first aider advised.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
