There’s a moment that comes up in almost every OET Speaking role play: the patient says something you can’t just agree with. Common examples include: minimizing the severity of their condition, pushing back on a recommendation, asking for something you can’t provide, or they might even express a belief about their health that isn’t clinically accurate. What you do in that moment is one of the things OET assessors are specifically watching for. And for many candidates, it’s al

A lot of OET Writing Test prep focuses on learning the letter format, understanding how to identify important information, but what test takers really need to know is how to find and address the “problematic point”. This post helps you identify the issue(s) the patient is facing and gives suggested language you can use to communicate clearly with your colleagues on the healthcare team. Every OET writing prompt contains what the test designers call a “problematic point”. The p

You know the OET speaking sub-test is coming. You know you need to practice role plays. But finding someone to practice with who understands the clinical context, gives useful feedback, and is available when you are is harder than it sounds. If that sounds familiar, allow me to introduce you to the Absolutely English Clinical Scenario Coach. The Tool The Clinical Scenario Coach puts you in a real patient consultation as the clinician. You choose your professional specialty (p

If you’re new to Motivational Interviewing, or even if you’ve been using it for a while, you probably know the importance of using open or open-ended questions. Open questions can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”; rather, they encourage the patient to share information that you might not get otherwise. Sometimes, in our attempt to connect with a patient, we accidentally close our open question. This is a common Motivational Interviewing mistake. Here’s what that can

If you’re a healthcare practitioner working in English as an additional language and you want to improve interactions with your patients, steal these three phrases: 1. "That is an incredibly difficult position to be in." This phrase works after almost any unexpected patient disclosure – particularly something like financial hardship, for example. It’s important to acknowledge challenges, not simply dismiss them and move on to your next point. 2. "What would need to be differe

More explanation and persuading doesn't encourage patients to change their minds - curiosity does.

If you work in clinical healthcare and speak English as an additional language, there is a good chance you end most of your appointments with some version of this question: 'Do you have any questions?' It feels like good practice. If you are a student of motivational interviewing, it serves as an open question. It gives the patient a chance to speak before you close. Almost every healthcare professional uses it, and it also almost never works. Why It Fails There are three rea

Clear patient communication is both a language and a clinical skill. For healthcare professionals working in English as an additional language, small communication patterns can unintentionally affect patient trust, understanding, and safety. Here are the five most common issues I observe in clinical interactions. 1. Asking Closed Questions Instead of Open Questions Closed questions can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”. “Do you have pain?” “Is it severe?” This prev