The candidate card
Setting
Hospital outpatient speech pathology department
Candidate
You are a speech pathologist. Mrs Jing Ghani's mother, aged 80, has had Parkinson's disease for six years. Her voice has become very quiet and the family struggle to hear her. You assessed her last week and recommended an intensive voice treatment programme: four 1-hour sessions a week for 4 weeks, plus daily home practice. Mrs Ghani, who works full-time and would have to drive her mother, has asked to speak with you before agreeing.
Task (interlocutor: relative)
- Find out how her mother's quiet voice is affecting daily life and what concerns Mrs Ghani has about the programme
- Explain why the treatment is delivered intensively (frequent sessions, daily home practice, building a habit of a louder voice)
- Respond to her doubts about whether the effort is worthwhile for a progressive condition
- Discuss practical ways to make attendance manageable (e.g. session times, sharing the driving, transport options)
- Agree a plan for starting the programme
In the test you get 3 minutes to read the card and plan, then about 5 minutes to talk. This card is original, written for this site; the interlocutor's card is not shown.
How to approach this card
- Start with her mother's daily life: where the quiet voice causes difficulty and what Mrs Ghani feels about the programme. Her hesitation likely mixes work, driving and doubt, so ask open questions and listen before explaining.
- Explain intensity through purpose, not schedule: frequent sessions and daily practice are designed to build a habit of a louder voice. Avoid just restating the timetable she already knows.
- On worth, acknowledge that Parkinson's is progressive and do not promise cures or particular results. Link the effort to being heard by her family now, and ask what would make it worthwhile for them.
- Move to practicalities only after her doubts are heard. Ask about her work flexibility and other family or transport options, and offer concrete choices rather than telling her it can be managed.
- Agree the next step even if it is not full commitment, such as a start date or a call after she checks arrangements. Summarise, confirm what you will do and what she will do, and close warmly.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- How does her quiet voice affect things at home and when you are out?
- It is a big commitment, and your worries about it make sense.
- The aim is to help her voice become louder as a habit.
- What would make attending more manageable alongside your work?
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| Intensive voice treatment | A short, concentrated block of therapy to help her speak more loudly. |
| Progressive condition | An illness that changes over time, so we plan ahead and adjust support. |
| Home practice | Short daily exercises she does between sessions to keep her louder voice. |
How this card is marked
Two assessors mark the recording on nine criteria: intelligibility, fluency, appropriateness of language and resources of grammar and expression (each 0–6), then relationship building, understanding and incorporating the patient's perspective, providing structure, information gathering and information giving (each 0–3). Grade B usually means 5 on each language criterion and 2 on each clinical one. See the AI Speaking practice guide for what each criterion looks for.
More Speech Pathology role-play cards
- Aphasia after stroke: a frustrated husband Home visit, community rehabilitation service
- Dysphagia after stroke: refusing thickened fluids Hospital ward, stroke rehabilitation unit
- Preschool stuttering: a father's worry about 'slowing down' Community health centre, paediatric speech pathology clinic
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Speech Pathology.
Questions about this role-play
What if she asks whether it will work for a progressive condition?
Be honest: you cannot guarantee how long benefits last or what will happen as the condition changes. Explain what the programme is aiming for, being heard now, and that you will review progress. Avoid vague reassurance, and invite her to say what matters most.
How do I handle the full-time work problem?
Ask directly what is flexible, then offer options such as session times, sharing driving with others or transport services, as the card suggests. Let her pick what suits, and do not imply that other family members must step in without asking whether they can.
What if she is not ready to agree today?
Do not push. Agree a small next step, such as checking work and driving arrangements, and a time to speak again. Make sure she knows how to reach you, and that her mother's voice difficulties will still be taken seriously.
Sources
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