Speaking tips for OET. Hope you will find it helpful PDF

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OET speaking test tips . Speaking tips for OET. Hope you will find it helpful . Speaking tips for OET. Hope you will find it helpful...

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OET Blog Speaking

Think about whether the language you currently use is the best How to avoid ‘I understand your concerns’ While grammatically this is correct, it is an overused phrase. When said multiple times in one conversation, it loses any impact. When a patient tells you something that is worrying them, try to say something in response that relates to what they have just said e.g. I’m worried that I won’t be able to manage by myself when I’m discharged → It’s very natural that you would be worried about that… OI don’t like this new medication. It makes me feel dizzy → I’m sorry to hear that you’re experiencing some side effects.

Appreciate is a good alternative to understand I appreciate this is difficult for you

Empathy. Can you get it right? it means to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.

Direct empathy Sometimes, you can literally put yourself in someone else’s shoes because you have experienced the same thing. In these case, you can use direct language to show empathy:

I understand your concerns about choosing whether to opt for pain-relief during labour. I faced the same decision myself before I was due to give birth. Or:

In my experience, the best relief for the symptoms of tennis elbow is complete rest from the action which caused the injury in the first place.

Indirect empathy you have not experienced it for yourself. These situations therefore require different more indirect language to show empathy:

I can’t begin to imagine how you are feeling to receive this news. Please know we did everything we possibly could to save your family member. It can be a small difference such as the replacement of ‘understand’ with ‘appreciate’. Understand suggests knowledge of something while appreciate is simply awareness that something is possible.

Making patients feel important It is human nature that we like to feel that our problem is unique to us. Being spoken to like we are just one of a crowd has the impact of making us feel insignificant and unimportant. Choosing the right empathetic phrase can avoid this for your patient.

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Do you know what it means to ‘soften’ your language? In English, we often try to soften language to avoid offence or discomfort. In healthcare, it’s important to be able to make your patient feel safe when they’re with you. Soft language tends to involve two specific aspects: Non-judgemental language and softening words.

How can I soften my language? Softening your language involves two actions: 1. Choose language which is not judgemental e.g. overweight, rather than too fat or obese. At the core of soft language is using non-judgmental words and phrases. It can be hard to determine what is and what is not judgmental. However, the best way to approach this is to treat your patient as a human being. More you ask a patient what they think, the better off you will be. 2. Add words that soften the meaning e.g. a bit, quite, just, please, should/could etc.. One way to overcome this is to introduce words that cushion the meaning of the sentence or conversation. This is particularly important when you talk with patients about their lifestyle choices. On a more general level, these types of words can help you avoid framing statements and sentences in absolute terms when you don’t mean too.

Examples: In place of the two sentences in the image, you can soften your language and sound empathetic by saying: “You are quite overweight. You need to try to lose some weight.” We can also go beyond this by adding a whole softening phrase before the first sentence e.g. “I know this is not something you want to hear but, you are quite overweight…” If you are able to listen to native speakers talking, listen to how they soften the language of unpleasant or uncomfortable content. Here’s another example: Why haven’t you taken the medication as instructed?

The type of language used in this sentence makes it sounds a sentence. Instead, you could ask a question or make a statement that elicits more information. “Please, can you explain how you have been taking your medication?” (patient’s response) “It’s just that it’s important to take the medication as prescribed if it is going to work effectively.”

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Is this one of your queries about the Speaking test? I’m worried about the patient’s name in the role-play. Do I need to ask the interlocutor for a name? The answer is: No, you don’t. Instead, what you can do is one of 3 things: 1. Use the interlocutor’s name which they tell you when you meet them in the Speaking test room. 2. During the preparation time before the role-play, ask the interlocutor which name they would like you to use. 3. Choose a name for the patient and use it at the start of the roleplay. The interlocutor will accept this and respond to it. Of course, you can ask the patient their name during the role-play but remember you have a time limit. OET recommends not spending time on this minor detail but rather to give as much time as you can to completing the tasks.

Give the assessor proof of your ability The communication criterion for Speaking, relationship building, requires you to demonstrate that you can initiate the conversation appropriately you can start each role-play in a different way e.g.  You are speaking to a patient who underwent a colonoscopy last week and has returned for the results [This situation is likely to be non-urgent and suggests you have met the patient before]

Hi Dawn, thanks for coming back for your results today. How have you been this last week? You are speaking to the parent of a 3-year-old admitted an hour ago with breathing difficulties. [This situation is likely to have caused anxiety for the mother and you are unlikely to have met him/her before] 

Hello Steph, my name’s Greeta, I’m one of the nurses who’s been caring for your daughter. I’ve come to give you an update but also to find out some more background information from you. Is that OK? ___________________________________________________ __________

Communicate with patient in their words Mobilise vs. Walk This is another example of a verb which is common to healthcare professionals but not to patients.

taken out Take out is a common phrasal verb used with parts of the body including tonsils, teeth and the appendix. It’s great to use when speaking to patients as it’s a phrase they will be familiar with. In a formal letter, it would be more appropriate to use ‘remove’:

Removing Sam’s tonsils was recommended as the best course of action.

How would you modify: “we need to intubate” into patient language? we need to put a tube in his air pipe If you work in surgery or an emergency ward, this verb will be one you are familiar with. It is not something the patient or, perhaps more importantly, their family are likely to be familiar with. If you were to say to the family the sentence in the image above, they would probably understand the urgency of the situation because of the word crashing. They would not understand what you mean by ‘intubate’. It’s important to modify your language when talking to patients and their families so that you are providing clear communication.

spend a penny(do number 2) = to urinate under the weather= they feel ill tickled pink(tickled to death))=very pleased: lah-di-dah=

old-fashioned informal

higgledy-piggledy=mixed up and in no particular order:

spick-and-

My clothes are all higgledy-piggledy in my drawers

span=very clean and neat back passage=polite expression for rectum specialized

______________________________ ______ How familiar are you with the different meanings of tested?

______________________________ ______ Would you know what this patient’s cause of embarrassment was? When saying ‘down below’ can reduce embarrassment Patients often find it difficult to talk about conditions they feel to be embarrassing or personal. This is particularly true for conditions relating to the genitalia. To cover their embarrassment, patients will often use euphemism (everyday words used to avoid more direct or shocking words). Down below is an example as well as ‘lady parts’ and even ‘my bits’. Euphemism is really difficult to interpret for non-native speakers so it’s worth learning a few of the most common ones. To reduce patients’ embarrassment, it’s best to repeat their euphemism when you discuss the condition rather than to replace it with the correct medical or anatomical term. For example, if your patient said the sentence in the image above, a sensitive response would be:

How long have you had these problems down below?

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Why you don’t have to be afraid of using this phrase Are you familiar with this use of ‘afraid’? In this example, it doesn’t mean that the health professional is scared (the most common meaning of afraid). Instead, in combination with I’m or We’re, it means ‘sorry’. Appropriate use is when a patient is requesting something you understand is important to them but which you can’t agree to. It demonstrates your empathy and regret that you can’t meet the request. Here’s another example:

Patient: Will I be able to return to playing sports by next month? Doctor: It’s unlikely, I’m afraid. Even with regular physio. There’s too much risk for a repeat of the injury. In the second example, the doctor continues from saying ‘I’m afraid’ to provide a reason. This adds to the empathy provided by the phrase and helps the patient to understand your use of

_____________________________ _______ ‘On the mend’, a great

it.

natural expression to boost your vocabulary ‘On the mend’ is a useful phrase which you can use as a healthcare professional. It is also something patients may say to you, so it’s good to be familiar with it for that reason too e.g.

How long do you think it will be before I’m on the mend? Mend as a verb means to fix something which is broken. Some healthcare professionals might assume it is primarily used to describe the healing of broken bones. The two examples above show it can also be used more widely to describe the improvement of a patient’s ‘broken’ health.

______________________________ _____ Did you get the flu shot/ jab this year? Flu shot or flu jab? Do you say shot, jab, injection or vaccination? Maybe you use another word? These words are one of many examples of local variation in English.

____________________________________ Have you ever bewildered a patient? patient: I am sorry. I’m feeling bewildered. I wasn’t expecting this. What to do if your patient is bewildered? Sometimes, when you give patients unexpected news they don’t quite know how to process the information they have received. They might describe themselves as feeling ‘bewildered’. It relates to a previous word of the week, stunned, but is not so strong: it is closer to confusion than stunned or shocked. If a patient describes themselves in this way, you might need to suggest they take a break for a few minutes to collect their thoughts and then talk them through the information again, slowly and carefully. Checking their understanding while you do this will also help them to feel less confused. Check out the previous post on stunned.

How does a stunned person feel? I am having twins? wow! I am stunned. Patients may use the word stunned to show disbelief at some news they have just heard. It is similar to shock but to understand the difference, it is good to understand the other use of ‘stun’.

To stun someone means to knock them unconscious perhaps by a blow to the head. They become temporarily unconscious.

When stunned is used as an adjective, it is giving a similar impression. For a few seconds or even minutes, the person is motionless while they attempt to process the news they have received. Stunned can be used for positive news as in the example above but also negative news such as when you hear news of the unexpected death of an acquaintance. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________

Speak in a way your patients will be happy with Variety of English. Hi Sally, how’s everything been going recently? Hello Mrs Stevens. How are you feeling? After reading these sentences, could you tell which patient is elderly?

Sally, we need to talk about your levels and the possibility of insulin injections. Sally, I need to discuss something called insulin with you as a way of stabilising your blood sugar levels. What about with these sentences. Can you tell which patient has had diabetes for some time?

I’m guessing you answered ‘yes’ to both questions. That’s because, when we use English to its full variety, it’s possible to speak respectfully to patients of different ages and with different understanding of their healthcare condition. Each patient is different and as such needs speaking to in a different way. Selecting the most appropriate vocabulary is a really important part of this.

It’s not just about words As well as choosing the most appropriate words for the patient you are speaking to, you also need to consider the other aspects of spoken communication: your speed and tone in particular. Would you speak at normal speed or a slower speed to someone who :  you are giving new information to?  is experiencing an emergency situation?  is attending an annual review of their medication? Probably you answered ‘slower speed’ to the first two options and ‘normal speed’ to the last. The speed you speak at makes a huge difference to your patient’s understanding. Some non-native speakers mistakenly believe fluency = speaking fast. Speaking fast can actually have the opposite effect in the wrong situation, leaving your patient bewildered and upset. Tone too can make a big difference to your patient. If you are negotiating lifestyle changes with a patient who is reluctant to make them, you tone needs to be firm so the patient understands how important you believe the recommendations you are making to be. If you are giving the patient some bad or unexpected news, your tone needs to be much softer to demonstrate empathy.

How can you practise? A really good way to put all of this into practice is to replay conversations you have had in the mirror or in your head (or with a friend if you can) but to change the age or situation of the person you were speaking to. For example, if you have a conversation at work with an elderly patient who needs a change in medication to combat the side effects they are experiencing; later that day, replay the conversation but this time make the patient younger and the medication new rather than changed. It should make quite a difference to the language you choose, your fluency and tone. There are hundreds of combinations you can try so do it as often as you can to really expand and improve your spoken communication.

______________________________ ______ An expression for breaking bad news “Okay,” I said. “We have a lot to talk about. If you don’t mind, can you tell me what you understand is happening. It’s always helpful for me to hear, to make sure I don’t leave anything unanswered.” __________________________________________________________________________ _______________

When swapping words is the best idea Seizure is a difficult word for many non-native speakers to pronounce. It can come out sounding like scissors \ ˈsi-zərz \. If you find a word difficult to pronounce in English, your natural response is to avoid using it or to become anxious when you are about to say it. This can cause you to say the problematic word very fast or slow as compensation. A better idea is to find an alternative word you can pronounce easily and confidently. ‘Convulsion’ is one alternative as well as ‘spasm’ and possibly ‘fit’, although the other options are more medically accurate.

______________________________ _____ Did you know ‘funny’ can have a serious meaning? (I felt a bit funny this morning) mean strange or ‘not quite right’. If your patient is saying this to you, it’s because they are concerned about their symptoms and are looking for some empathy from you. A good response would be:

That’s not good. Can you describe how you’re feeling to me?

______________________________ ______ Have you ever cared for a squeamish patient? (I can’t look. I am squeamish) easily upset or shocked by things that you find unpleasant or that you do not approve of: She's really squeamish and can't stand the sight of blood. Do you have any idea how a squeamish patient is feeling? What about if you know the context is a nurse cleaning a deep leg wound after the patient tripped and fell at work. Removing the bandage there is a lot of blood.

Squeamish patients are easily shocked. Often it’s the sight of blood or the thought of having an injection that can make them feel this way. They are likely to make a face and turn away when they think or know either of these situations are likely. ___________________________________________________________________________

Do you know there are different meanings of ‘sick’?

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1-In the UK, ‘sick’ describes the action of vomiting. (I have been sick every morning this week) 2-Americans and Australians would say, in the same situation,:

‘I’ve vomited every morning this week.’ This is another example of how English is used differently in English speaking countries.

Americans use ‘sick’ to explain the way they are feeling. For this meaning, British English speakers would say ‘ill’ or ‘unwell’. Australians, on the other hand might say ‘crook’. Isn’t it confusing! Here are 3 examples to help:

_American. Jacquie has phoned in sick. She has a bad cold. _British. Jacquie is unwell today. She has a bad cold. _Australian. Jacquie is crook. She has a bad cold.

Can you think of other ways of saying someone is sick, unwell or crook? There are lots of alternatives. ___________________________________________________________________________ _______________

Do you worry about the topic of the Speaking test? Don’t! Remember OET is a test of your English not your healthcare knowledge. 1.

In the test, you can invent details about the roleplay situation or treatment without penalty. For example, if you are discussing treatment for conjunctivitis with the parent of a child with the condition and one of the tasks is:

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explain how the parent can avoid the infection spreading.

You could mention: preventing the child touching the eye area, washing hands before and after bathing the eye/ applying ointment. However, you could also tell the parent that the child should wear swimming goggles to prevent the infection spreading to the other eye. Ludicrous? Yes, it might be from a healthcare point of view, but if it’s said in perfect English it will be good for your score. The key is to remember that you are trying to demonstrate your communication skills in English. Good preparation is always recommended but once you are in the test, focus on communication rather than healthcare accuracy.

______________________________ _____ Is it sometimes easy to forget that your patient is going through something for the first time that you have been part of many times? What’s the best way to reassure patients who feel like this?

______________________________ ______ How much do you know about the interlocutor? Here are some other key facts about the role of the interlocutor:  You can ask them questions during the preparation time. For example, if there is anything you do not understand on your role card, you can ask for a definition.  They will tell you when to start and stop the role play.  If the interlocutor does not understa...