Fluvia

Health

Practise English for the doctor and the dentist

Describing pain in another language is harder than understanding the answer. Here you explain symptoms to a doctor who can only act on what you say, sit in a dentist's chair where you cannot point, and phone for an appointment. Free, no sign-up.

Situations
3, the surgery, the dentist and the call
Who you meet
a doctor, a dentist, a receptionist
What you practise
locating pain, and asking the price
Correction
as you speak, not at the end
Sign-up
none
Price
free

The three situations

  • Describing symptoms to a doctor

    You have an appointment with the doctor this week.

    Dr. Hale — a calm, attentive general practitioner

    Describe symptoms precisely and understand the doctor's advice.

    Start →

  • At the dentist, explaining what hurts

    You have a dentist appointment and the last one went badly because you could not explain.

    Dr. Okafor — a dentist who explains as she works

    Describe the pain accurately, understand the treatment, and ask what it will cost before agreeing.

    Start →

  • Calling to book a doctor's appointment

    You have to phone the doctor and you have been putting it off.

    Dawn — a receptionist at a busy medical centre

    Book an appointment this week, without accepting the first slot if it does not work for you.

    Start →

The problem is not medical vocabulary

Hardly anyone fails because they cannot say headache. They fail because they play the pain down while describing it, and a doctor can only act on what they hear. In this rehearsal the doctor asks when it started, how bad it is and what makes it worse, and if you answer "a bit" you get treated for a bit.

The dentist adds a physical problem: your mouth is open and you cannot point, so the words have to do all the work. Upper left, sensitive to cold, when I bite down. And the price is never mentioned unless you ask.

The call to book is the third, because most visits start with a phone and no face to read.

Frequently asked questions

How do I explain where it hurts in English?
With the position and the trigger: "upper left, and it's sensitive to cold" or "it hurts when I bite down". That tells a dentist more than any adjective.
How do I ask what the treatment costs?
"How much am I looking at?", or "Is that covered?" if you have insurance. In the rehearsal the dentist never raises the price unless you do, exactly as in real life.
Can I practise phoning the doctor?
Yes, that is the third situation. You speak to a receptionist who asks for your name and date of birth and offers you slots that do not work.
Is this a substitute for seeing a doctor?
No. It is language practice with an AI playing a part. It gives no diagnosis and no medical advice, and nothing said here is health information.

FROM WHAT YOU READ TO WHAT YOU SAY

Say the pain as it is, not as it comes out

Eight minutes describing symptoms out loud, and the real appointment stops being decided by your vocabulary.

Practise the appointment