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Why copying OET Letters is a Bad Idea

17/8/2018

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It is always difficult to balance the difference between using a guide or plan for a referral letter and copying an entire letter, e.g. from a practice test.

I can't stress enough how important it is for candidates to write each referral letter 'from scratch'. Take a look at two of the marking criteria now: 

"Appropriateness of Language

This criterion assesses several features of the task response, including accurate use of appropriate vocabulary and expression, as well as organisation and style.  The assessment considers control of genre (letter of referral) and register (level of formality). In all genres, register is polite and relatively formal. The extent to which the response is logically organised in a more-or-less formulaic sequence appropriate to both task and professional context is also a relevant consideration. 
 
Comprehension of Stimulus
This criterion assesses the extent to which the candidate understands the stimulus notes and task requirements. It focuses on the selection and transformation of relevant material from the notes and is thus concerned with adequacy of content (coverage of main points) and accuracy of interpretation of the task instructions."

What does 'more-or-less formulaic sequence' mean?
This means that the letter needs to be in a recognisable letter form. There are some aspects of letter writing which make the final text look like a letter. It needs a correct beginning (setting out address, date and salutation) and a correct ending ('If you need more information...', Yours sincerely and your name and title). The body of the letter also follows a 'formula', e.g. a set of paragraphs which outline the reason for the letter. 

Formal letters differ from personal letters in their layout. A personal letter may wander from idea to idea and may use informal language, e.g. 'Hi Jules, Just touching base to keep you up-dated with the plans for our end of year party.....'

Is there a 'one size fits all' template for the OET Writing task?
In a word, 'No'. Look at the underlined part of the second criterion: selection and transformation of relevant material from the notes. Each time candidates approach the writing task, they should decide on the best layout for their letter. Candidates may choose to deal with each issue at a time or place all issues in one paragraph. Every time candidates read the Case Notes, a decision needs to be made about the relevance of information found in them, that is the context of the information in the Case Notes. 

So, how do​ candidates balance using a guide for formal referral letter writing with avoiding copying existing letters?
  • keep an idea in mind about what the finished letter will look like in its form. By this I mean, look at a good example of a referral letter. What does a 200 word letter look like? 
  • think about what a paragraph of around 60-70 words will look like. It will probably contain 3-4 sentences. 
  • think about the sort of information you would be likely to put in a referral letter, e.g. patient's background, information about the health issue in question, requests you are making. This will differ each time you do a letter writing task.
  • What vocabulary do you need in the letter? There may be expressions which are used frequently which you can 'copy' or reuse, e.g. ....presented with..., ...requires review of...  etc. 
  • develop a conclusion sentence which can be reused, e.g. 'If you need more information, please contact me at any time.'
  • know how to begin and end the letter. This is a formula which must be followed, i.e. the address and date etc will always be written in the same format.
​Above all, approach each letter as a new task. You personal style should shine through...not someone else's!

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What do candidates think of the OET?

31/7/2018

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I am going to upload some videos which were made by SLC where nursing candidates were interviewed about their comments about their OET experience. 

Watch the videos and compare their experiences with your own. You'll find the video under the HOME tab.
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What are the Marking Criteria for the Updated OET Speaking Sub-test?

2/7/2018

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This is the information from the official Occupational English Test website about the test version 2.0 which starts on September, 2018. Just to summarise a few things about the Speaking Sub-test
1. it will have the same format as before, that is Two role plays on 2 different topics. 
2. the role plays are still 5 minutes long (each) with reading and planning time before each role play.
3. You will play the part of the healthcare professional (doctor, nurse etc) and the interlocutor (who is NOT an assessor) will play the part of a patient, carer of a patient or parent.

So, what has changed?
If you look at the information from OET (in the image above), you'll see that they say they are 'now' also assessing clinical communication skills. These are listed (relationship-building,understanding patient's perspective etc). I would argue that I have always taught these skills and believe that demonstration of these skills in the role play should have already resulted in candidates gaining a good score. In my way of thinking, strong candidates will be demonstrating these skills already.

Breaking down these clinical communication skills then, we have:
1. Relationship building
This is about how you introduce yourself to the patient and ensure that they understand your role:
Hi, my name is Joan. I'm one of the GPs here.
Hi, I'm Peter one of the nurses in the Emergency Department.


It is also about how you manage to put the patient at ease and give them confidence to listen to you.

2. Understanding the patient's perspective
An important communication skill is demonstrating a non-judgemental approach to listening. You may not agree with what the patient appears to be saying (I don't want to come back to hospital to have the dressing done, I'm sure I can do it myself), but you need to try to understand why the patient may have that viewpoint.
This may mean, empathising with patients (I imagine that it's going to be very frustrating not to be able to work, until the wound heals...), accepting the patient's right to a different viewpoint (I appreciate your right to that opinion, however...) and possibly making some suggestions which may encourage the patient to think differently. (I have some information here which may give you some different ideas about the issue).

This skill is NOT about saying:
I'm telling you to do this for the sake of your health, because I understand this better than you do.
You've got the wrong idea, what you should do is follow my treatment, if you want to get better.
I'm the professional here, so it would be a good idea for you to listen to my advice, if you want to get better.

3. Providing Structure to the Role Play
Again, this is something I always advise in role plays and in real life. If you are explaining a procedure for example, you need to break your information into 'chunks' - I advise no more than 3 pieces of information at a time, if possible. We signpost or give listeners cues about what we are going to say:
I'll explain about the blood test now. First, I'll take a small amount of blood from your vein. Then, I'll give you a very sugary drink. After 15 minutes, I'll take another blood sample. That way I can check the differences in blood sugar levels.

Providing structure may also mean bringing patients back to the structure you wanted to follow, e.g. if the 'patient' tries to distract you by talking about something else. You may have to demonstrate that you can interrupt politely and redirect the conversation.

4 Gathering Information
No change here. You have always had to gather information....but now, there is the added

5. Establishing what the patient already knows
Candidates should have been doing this already, as it affects the level of language which may be used by the healthcare professional. For example, a 'patient' who says things like The doctor says I've got XYZ, but I haven't got a clue will be treated differently (from a language point of view) from a 'patient' who says I've had XYZ for a few months now and I'm having trouble with... (this patient probably already has some knowledge). 


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What if I don't pass the OET in August?

9/6/2018

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Many of you know that the OET is being updated in September, 2018.  This means that the last 'old' OET will be held in August, 2018. But what if you don't pass the August OET or think you may not pass the August 2018 OET? 

In the past, candidates were able to book a further test in the following month or following months, if they suspected they may not reach a B score. It is still possible to do this, but obviously from September, 2018, candidates will be booking the new test. 

How does this affect your preparation for the OET?
Firstly, check out the changes in the new OET:
Reading - a few format changes (3 parts instead of 2, a focus on gist and attitude, different assessment types, a new Part B section)
Listening - 
a few format changes (3 parts instead of 2, a focus on attitude and patient viewpoint, different assessment types, a new Part B section)
Speaking - no change in format. More emphasis on demonstrating rapport with patient and appreciating patient's viewpoint.
Writing - no changes at all.

In summary,
  • significant changes to Reading and Listening with new 'workplace' text sections (Part B in both)
  • need to ensure patient is the focus of your attention in the speaking role plays. This should have always been the case, but it is now a clear assessment focus (rather than the 'overall task fulfilment' criterion
  • you still need to be able to write a referral, discharge or informational letter using prompts from the Case Notes. It is still 180-200 words.

Do a quick self-assessment. Look at past results, if appropriate.
 1. Are there one or more sub-tests you have difficulty with?
 2. Do you have a clear understanding of the skills you need to demonstrate in the 'old' OET and those you will need to demonstrate in the updated OET? In other words, do you know how the sub-tests will differ?

If your answer to question 1, is:
I have problems with the Reading sub-test - 
Is this because you have difficulty skimming texts for information with a short time limit? If yes, this will still be an issue with the updated OET. You need to practise these skills for Reading Part A in particular.
Is it because you find long texts difficult to understand? If yes, this will still be an issue. There are long texts in the new OET.
Is it because you have a limited medical English vocabulary? - if so, this will still be a problem, although the updated OET is not as 'heavy' on medical facts as the old OET. There is more of an emphasis on understanding attitude and opinion.

I have problems with the Listening sub-test -
I find it difficult to understand English conversations at normal speaking speed. If so,  you will find the updated OET as challenging. It is worth noting that the updated OET will have a variety of English accents, not just Australian accents.

I have difficulty with the Speaking sub-test -
I am shy and find it difficult to speak during a role play - this will still be an issue, as the format has not changed. 

I have difficulty with the Writing sub-test -
I find it hard to organise relevant information into a short letter. This will still be an issue, as there have been no changes to the writing sub-test.

What to do?
If you suspect that you may need to repeat the test after August, my advice would be to start a preparation course for the updated OET in July or August in preparation for the September OET and perhaps consider skipping September and doing a resit in October.

IMPORTANT: The advice for doctors will differ from advice for nurses, as doctors must repeat the whole OET each time. Candidates for OET Medicine cannot merely resit sub-tests under a C+ score.

For Doctors: 
I
f you are relatively strong in the Reading and Listening sub-tests, it may not be too high a hurdle to become familiar with the updated Reading and Listening formats, so a resit in September after proper preparation in the updated OET may work for you.

However, if you have difficulties with the old Speaking or Writing sub-tests, I would strongly suggest giving yourself enough time to get up to speed with these sub-tests, while learning about the updated Reading and Listening sub-tests.

For Nurses:
Because you are able to resit only the sub-tests you have not gained a C (in Australia) or a C+ (in the UK) in, you may like to consider which areas you have difficulties in. If you think you may only have to resit the Speaking and/or Writing sub-tests, you may feel you could do this in September. This is because you will not be sitting the updated Reading and Listening sub-tests, as these were passed. I would, of course, still recommend continuing to prepare the areas you need to resit.

I
f you think you may have to resit the Reading or Listening, I would highly recommend that you prepare for the updated sub-tests ahead of September and possibly consider sitting the OET in October, if you are quite weak in these areas.
The UK score C+ is quite useful in giving candidates an idea of how close they are to a B. 

In summary:
  • no preparation done for the OET up to September, 2018 will be wasted
  • the main changes are in the Reading and Listening sub-tests, however, the 'basics' of reading and listening are still tested as before.
  • it is very important to understand the new format of the Reading and Listening sub-tests, before sitting the OET after September, 2018



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How Different Is The Updated OET?

4/6/2018

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Many of you will be aware of changes in the OET from September, 2018. I am currently updating the SLC (Specialist Language Courses) OET for Doctors and Nurses. Look out for the new prep course from June,2018.

The main changes are to the Reading and Listening sub-tests. I will spend a bit of time explaining these in a forthcoming blog.
The Speaking Sub-test is unchanged in its format, but does have a slightly different focus and assessment criteria. I have updated my two preparation books to reflect this.
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Is the OET different for each profession?

9/4/2018

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Now that the OET is accepted in the UK, Ireland and Ukraine, many people are contacting us (Specialist Language Courses) to ask about our online OET courses. First timers are often confused about the structure of the OET and wonder, if each profession sits a different course. 
The answer is 'Yes' and 'No'.

How is this so?

The OET is a medical English test which is offered for 12 healthcare professions in some countries (e.g. Australia and New Zealand). This means that people within the professions of optometry, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy etc are able to sit for the OET Optometry, OET Occupational Therapy and OET Physiotherapy and so on.

However, in the UK and Ireland for example, only nurses and doctors can use the OET as proof of their language competence, when registering as a healthcare professional in these countries.

Even though there are 12 OET tests (or OET available for 12 professionals),
the test should be thought of as one test with slight variations in two sub-tests. The other two sub-tests are common to all professions.

Reading and Listening

These are the same for all professions. This means that in Reading, everyone will read texts of a general medical nature. The same is true for Listening. The dialogues (Listening A) and short talks (Listening B) all relate to a medical topic.
What does this mean for candidates?
1. You all need to read widely about medical topics, e.g. current research, recent health issues, cross professional topics (think of dental (tooth caries) and surgery (patient has a history of Rheumatic Fever).
2. Any course which covers Reading and Listening practice is relevant for any of the professions.


Speaking
Speaking is profession-specific, so doctors will perform a role play dealing with a situation they may be expected to manage in real life. Nurses will do the same and so on.
What does this mean for candidates?
1.Whilst the role plays are profession-specific, the communication strategies used are often similar.
For instance:
asking for information
providing advice/ making suggestions
empathising and persuading
and so on
Any course or book which helps you to practise these skills will be useful. 

2. Role plays often follow a similar 'flow of conversation', e.g.
 ask the reason for the conversation
find out more information
explain what will happen/ treatment/ 'the next step'
clarify information / persuade a reluctant patient
summarise the conversation

What does this mean for candidates?
Candidates may find examples of role plays which are not in their profession, but which they can easily modify to suit.
For example,nurse role plays in which medication is explained to patients is easily transferable to a doctor role play with minor modification (doctors talk about prescribing medication, where nurses may explain why a doctor has prescribed a certain medication).

Writing
The Writing sub-test is the writing of a letter (referral, discharge letter or informational letter) which is tailored to each profession.
Again, there are many similarities:
  • need to extract relevant information from the Case Notes 
  • need to structure a letter of 180-200 which is relevant to the task.
  • need to use appropriate language for the person you are writing to (colleague, parent of a child, parents and carers in general about a health issue)
  • need to use clear and concise language, when writing sentences which convey information correctly.
  What does this mean for candidates?
 1. Any course / practice materials which help you to structure a letter in a logical and appropriate format will be useful.
  2. Grammar practice which helps you write meaningful sentences will be useful
 3. An understanding of a range of common abbreviations and acronyms used in Case Notes will be useful


Above all, candidates should keep in mind that they need to practise communication skills, rather than demonstrate clinical competence.


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What Abbreviations and Acronyms Can I Use?

22/12/2017

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This is a frequent; question I get; about using abbreviations and acronyms.
Firstly, the basic rules:
1. Reading Sub-test
Only use abbreviations, if they are used in the text. They may be used
  • because the full term is long and complicated, e.g. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
  • because the abbreviation or acronym is well-known and accepted, e.g. HIV 

2. Listening Sub-test
According to the OET website
'Yes, you can use abbreviations that are commonly accepted in your profession and which are clear to other professionals, for example “BP” for blood pressure. Avoid abbreviations that are specific to a particular workplace or specialism, because these might not be commonly understood. OET Assessors are trained to accept a reasonable range of abbreviations, but OET does not refer to any specific dictionaries or lists.'

3. Writing Sub-test

According to the OET website
Abbreviations that are commonly accepted in the candidate’s profession and clear to the Assessors may be used in the Writing sub-test, for example “BMI” for body mass index, or units of measurement such as “mg”. Appropriacy of language is one of the five assessment criteria for the Writing sub-test and you can find detailed information about these in the OET Preparation Support Pack.
You should also consider who the intended reader is. If your target reader is a health professional, a number of commonly used abbreviations are likely to be acceptable. However, if you are writing to somebody from a non-health professional background, full word-forms may be preferable. OET Assessors do not refer to any specific lists of abbreviations and OET does not recommend any dictionary or handbook of abbreviations.'

As mentioned, the OET does not recommend any particular list of abbreviations. Take care, when researching lists of abbreviations and pay attention to the date of release of the abbreviations. These days, abbreviations are relatively standard across English-speaking countries, however, there are slight differences between,say Australia and the UK. And, abbreviations are reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that their meaning is clear.

For example, years ago, it was possible to write 'units of insulin' as 'u'. For instance, 18u of insulin. If written quickly or with poor handwriting, 'u' can be unclear, so it is now compulsory to write the whole word, i.e. 18 units of insulin.

The acronyms IDDM (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus) and NIDDM (non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus) have been replaced by Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. 

Despite this, it is useful to have a list of standard and accepted abbreviations and acronyms. I have attached an example from an NHS hospital in the UK. Be aware that, even though the list is current and not due for review, until 2020, there are terms which are no longer used. For instance, terms relating to time are no longer written as 2/7, rather '2 days'. 
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sh_ig_6_approved_abbreviations_guidance_v3_oct_2017.pdf
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The OET Forum 2017: What's in it for Me?

24/11/2017

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oet-forum-22-november-2017-agenda.pdf
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The theme of this year's OET Forum in Melbourne was 'The Role of Communication in Patient Safety'.
In addition to the forum, there was a workshop the following day for the next group of OET Premium Preparation Providers. I am proud to say that, with my colleagues at Specialist Language Courses, I am one of the first to have been granted premium provider status. More about this later.

Presenters at the forum reminded us of the importance of effective and safe communication for our patients. Sometimes, in the rush to pass the OET to get on with life and get that all-important job overseas, the purpose of the test can be lost.

Dr Ashraf Ismail, of the Middle East Office of Joint Commission International spoke of the importance of safe communication from the perspective of hospital accreditation. Read instead 'from the perspective of minimising serious incidents caused by poor communication'. A reminder that communication skills are as important as clinical skills to a healthcare professional.

Professor Peter Martin, Professor of Clinical Communication and End-of-Life Care at Deakin University, Australia extended the responsibility of good communication to all healthcare professionals, especially those who work in areas of Medicine where conversations are challenging. And make no mistake about it, talking about dying is not easy for some. Many healthcare professionals whose first language is English struggle to form what they see as the 'right thing to say'. Fortunately, there is a slow movement in the awareness of the need to support healthcare professionals to learn the communication skills they can use to have honest conversations with their patients at the end of life.

Talk which related more closely to the current OET and the updated version included:
Dr Ute Knoch of the Language Testing Research Centre, Melbourne University reported back on the OET Writing Criteria Report which is well worth reading in order to understand some of the changes in the writing sub-test happening from next year.

lp130100171-final-report-1-november-2017.pdf
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Professor Lesleyanne Hawthorne came to us via live streaming to present statistics about migration trends of healthcare professionals to Australia. Mention was made of the change in 457 visas and the possible effect of this. 

The post-afternoon tea sessions got down to the nitty-gritty of OET test updates. Pencils were poised to take notes. Had you been able to check out the notes I made, you would have read something like this:
  • the OET is being updated next year, so that the candidates sitting the first new test will be in September, 2018
  • timeline of notification of specific changes and support will roll out from early 2018
  • speaking sub-test will have revised criteria - much of current focus, but criteria expressed more clearly. no change in role play format
  • writing, reading and listening will be updated to reflect better the needs of stakeholders
  • the OET PPP (Preparation Provider Programme) continues and is recommended to help preparation providers (a) produce high quality resources and (b) transition to updated OET
  • the OET website preparation portal is well underway and provides a wealth of information for both candidates and teacher
My notes may sound, as if I am glowing with praise for OET...I am truly committed to OET as a high quality medical English test and more importantly, framework for ongoing professional development. Goldie Sun, teacher at the University of New England, spoke about the effect of embedding OET into undergraduate study. Well worth watching the short video of the project.


And, now to the second day. The OET PPP Workshop.
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 The workshop was a great opportunity for three of us to speak about our experience of doing the PPP to become premium providers. David Wiltshire and Rebecca Bush presented the workshop, which was useful for future 'PPP-ers'...always good to be able to put a face to a name!

Speaking for myself, I felt that doing the PPP gave me a clear insight into what is needed from resource writers and teachers of OET prep courses. If I can add my views here:
  • ensuring that materials have a language focus, rather than a clinical focus.
  • ...but also producing materials which are near authentic, so that they will be useful in later practice
  • understanding the rationales behind the structure of activities
  • producing lesson plans which would guide OET teachers who may be new to the test and/or have limited or no medical background

  • I was somewhat disappointed in one area, that is the lack of guidance regarding marking criteria and scoring. Dr Gad Lim gave an excellent, albeit too short explanation of how marking changes from test to test. I only wish I had been better at statistics! From what I can gather, the marking levels are set each time a test is presented, as levels of difficulty of the questions change from test to test. Whilst I think I understand all this (and I only think I do), I feel it causes a lot of stress for both candidates and OET teachers who feel they are unable to offer students guidance on their progress. I am not sure that there is a way out, because of the marking format, so I will continue to encourage candidates to ensure that they work on their communication skills forgetting about old habits of counting the number of questions they think they answered correctly.

I attended the OET Forum this year, because I wanted to ensure that I was up-to-date with anything which may affect us in the UK. I was one of the few, if not only, people attending from the UK. I brought with me some questions from our SLC teachers who are teaching OET preparation in some of the NHS Trust hospitals. I'll answer them here:
1. 'Will the OET make the test more international or will it continue to be an Australian test?' Answer: The OET has been used outside of Australia for many years and is accepted in more and more countries around the world now. The test papers themselves are revised continually and will come to reflect a wider variety of Englishes (English accents), as they are reviewed. In fact, because it is a language test, not a clinical test, there are few 'regional' terms which may cause difficulties. An example of this is the term 'bandaid' (used in Australia) and 'plaster' (used in the UK).

2. 'Will candidates wanting to work in the UK have to sit the OET in Australia? Answer: No. There are test venues in the UK already and many more opening. Note that whilst test venues may be in universities or language schools, there may not be a prep course available at the test venue.

3. Is it worth candidates sitting the OET or should they stick with IELTS? Answer: It is personal choice, as both are acceptable for registration purposes. Chris Moore (SLC) produced a helpful pdf comparing the tests. It is well worth a read.

what-is-the-difference-between-ielts-and-oet.pdf
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4. What about the cost of the OET? Answer: The OET costs the equivalent in GBP£ of AUD $587. This is around £335, depending on exchange rate. This is obviously quite a bit more than other language tests, so you need to weigh up what you see as the benefits to you of doing a test around healthcare topics which may be more familiar than some of the academic English IELTS topics. 

5. Do candidates need to prepare for the OET or should they have enough knowledge from their professional background? Answer: There is a definite need for preparation for the test, as it is a language test, not a clinical test. Candidates should understand the format of the test, including timing of the sub-tests. Candidates who are unsuccessful often discover that they were unaware of the need to have reached an adequate General English level (I recommend at least B2 of the CEFR), before even preparing for the test. Also, the test is a considerable financial investment, so it's best to be as well prepared for the test as possible.

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I need instant help to pass the OET

15/10/2017

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I need tips to help me pass the OET. My test is in a week.
Please send me free hints, so I can pass the OET this Saturday.
I got a C in Writing last time. I need a B. How can I do this?
How can I get a B in Reading B?


These are some of the requests I receive on a regular basis. So, today's post is going to focus on PREPARATION FOR OET. Before I start, it's worth telling you a bit about what I have been doing lately. I consult for a wonderful group called SLC (Specialist Language Courses). In fact, I am Head of Medical English for SLC. You may find the Knowledge Bank section of the SLC website a useful resource for medical English and for articles about current changes to acceptance of medical English tests in the UK (that is, the OET).

SLC has just been accepted as one of the five authorised online OET Preparation Providers; logos are soon to be uploaded to the OET website. The OET has just been accepted for nurses wanting to work in the UK. This means a big expansion for OET.. You may have noticed recent changes to the OET official website. There is quite a bit of preparation material for you there, as well as updated information about test sites.

I am currently working with SLC to finalise our online OET preparation resources, but also manage to keep up a few hints and tips along the way. So, let's have a look at PREPARATION now. You may notice that I put the word in capitals? This is because it is a vital part of your success in the OET, when you finally take the test. Here are some basics:

1. Before you start, think about where your General English level is now. You need to be at least Upper Intermediate (B2), to be able to manage the test well.

2. Think about your current skills:
Reading: Can you scan for key terms and understand them in context?
                Can you comprehend technical texts (medical) and answer multiple choice questions?
Listening: Can you listen for key information during a conversation about a health issue?
                 Can you listen for key terms in a lecture on a health topic?
Writing: Do you know how to write a referral letter?
             Can you extract key facts from Case Notes?
             Can you structure paragraphs which flow and make sense?
Speaking: Can you manage a typical conversation with 4-5 tasks?
                 Can you manage both basic and complex language functions?
                 Can you keep control of a conversation?

3. Now think about how much time you need to bring up your level to what is expected to get a B. As a guide, most preparation courses in language schools or online work on a rough guide of 120 hours of tuition. Around 30 hours per skill. You may need more than that on one skill, but be OK with another skill. For example, you don't have problems with the Reading sub-test, but find speaking difficult. 

Many candidates find the Writing sub-test difficult, because it is a completely different sort of activity from their experience. It is often unfamiliar. It is therefore very important that you understand what the Writing test is about; how it is structured and how you need to answer it (write a referral letter).

4. Resources to help you:
​I have written several books which are available on my page on Amazon. Examples are:
OET Hints for the Writing Subtest for Nurses Book 2
Occupational English Test Writing for Nurses
Occupational English Test Speaking for Nurses
Occupational English Test Hints 2014
Occupational English Test Sample Role Plays
OET Pharmacy Prep Speaking Sub-Test


The Store: Resources
On The Store you will find:
  • several pdfs of the books above, as well as pdfs for shorter topics
  • Writing lessons for Nurses and Doctors; these include a pdf of Case Notes which you use to write your referral letter (saved as a Word doc). Email me the completed letter and I will correct it and give you feedback

Do's and Don'ts
  • ​do not expect to pass the test without proper preparation, by relying on 'Tips and Hints'
  • start preparing at least 2-3 months before the test; a little bit each day is better than a whole lot the day before
  • be realistic about the time needed to prepare for the test
  • keep updated on changes to the test
  • know exactly how long it will take you to get to the test centre comfortably
  • practise relaxation techniques, so that you arrive calm and ready to do your best
1 Comment

I need to practise role plays!

2/10/2017

2 Comments

 
Question from a candidate: ' I need to practise speaking for the role plays, but I am preparing for the OET at home, not in a language school. How can I practise the role play?

Firstly, it is obviously helpful to have someone who can practise speaking with you. If you can ask a family member or friend to help, it will make it easier for you. Both of you need to understand the structure of the role play. Make sure that you understand the essentials:
1. It is a test of your ability to explain medical information to a non-medical person. That's why a family member is useful.
2. You have 5 minutes only - time your role play.
3. If you don't have any role play cards to hand - make your own. Imagine a scenario - it may be that you or your partner have experience of a scenario. If not, think of an injury, the treatment for the injury and some of the ways your 'patient' may make things difficult (refuse to follow your advice, become angry because they have waited a long time etc.)
4. If you can't find anyone to help you, use my YouTube videos. Mute the speech, when the nurse speaks. You speak instead. Listen to the patient and respond instead of the nurse on the video.

Finally, make some lists of expressions which might be useful during a role play, e.g. How many different ways can you explain a procedure? (a dressing to do at home, instructions for taking pain relief)
2 Comments
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    I am a medical English author of books and online courses. I have a particular interest in  OET preparation and am an OET premium preparation provider with my colleagues at Specialist Language Courses. I am based in the UK.

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