Course: English for Health Workers 10: English for Doctors and Clinicians. Folder: Part 1: Talking with Patients.

About 25 to 35 minutes.

Goal

Start with open questions, then use closed questions to get the details: when, where, how bad, and what makes it better or worse.

Key words

Listen to each word. Say it two times. Then read the example.

Mu KinyarwandaUmva buri jambo. Rivuge inshuro ebyiri. Hanyuma usome urugero.

Word Simple meaning Example sentence Kinyarwanda
history the story of the patient’s problem Let me take a short history first. amateka y’uburwayi
symptom something the patient feels or notices What other symptoms do you have? ikimenyetso cy’uburwayi
open question a question with a long answer Start with an open question. ikibazo gisubizwa birambuye
closed question a question with a short answer, often yes or no Use closed questions for details. ikibazo gisubizwa yego cyangwa oya
start begin When did the pain start? gutangira
get worse become more bad Does it get worse at night? kwiyongera / kurushaho kuba bibi
make it better help it, reduce it Does anything make it better? kugabanya / koroshya
allergy the body reacts badly to something Do you have any allergies to medicine? kutihanganira ikintu (aleriji)
regular medicine medicine you take every day or often Do you take any regular medicine? imiti ufata buri gihe
worry feel afraid something is wrong What worries you most? guhangayika

UNVERIFIED Kinyarwanda: the Kinyarwanda column is AI translation, not checked by a native speaker.

  • 🔊 (slow) history. … Let me take a short history first.
  • 🔊 (slow) symptom. … What other symptoms do you have?
  • 🔊 (slow) open question. … Start with an open question.
  • 🔊 (slow) closed question. … Use closed questions for details.
  • 🔊 (slow) start. … When did the pain start?
  • 🔊 (slow) get worse. … Does it get worse at night?
  • 🔊 (slow) make it better. … Does anything make it better?
  • 🔊 (slow) allergy. … Do you have any allergies to medicine?
  • 🔊 (slow) regular medicine. … Do you take any regular medicine?
  • 🔊 (slow) worry. … What worries you most?

Useful phrases

Listen and repeat each phrase three times. Then say it without looking.

Mu KinyarwandaUmva kandi usubiremo buri nteruro inshuro eshatu. Hanyuma uyivuge utareba.

  1. Good morning. I’m Dr Uwera. What brings you here today? 🔊 (slow)
  2. Tell me more about the pain. 🔊 (slow)
  3. When did it start? 🔊 (slow)
  4. Where exactly is the pain? Can you show me? 🔊 (slow)
  5. Does anything make it better or worse? 🔊 (slow)
  6. On a scale from zero to ten, how bad is it? 🔊 (slow)
  7. Do you take any regular medicine? Do you have any allergies? 🔊 (slow)
  8. What worries you most about this? 🔊 (slow)
  9. Let me check I understood. The pain started three days ago, and it’s worse after meals. Is that right? 🔊 (slow)

Dialogues at work

Listen to each dialogue two times. Then read it aloud with a partner. Change roles.

Mu KinyarwandaUmva buri kiganiro inshuro ebyiri. Hanyuma mugisomere hamwe muri babiri mu ijwi ryumvikana. Muhinduranye inshingano.

Dialogue 1: Open first

Dr Uwera starts a consultation with Mr Habimana.

🔊 Listen (Dr Uwera, Mr Habimana · normal · clip en-health10-L1-20)
  • Dr Uwera: Good morning, Mr Habimana. I’m Dr Uwera. What brings you here today?
  • Mr Habimana: I have a pain in my stomach.
  • Dr Uwera: I’m sorry to hear that. Tell me more about the pain.
  • Mr Habimana: It burns here, in the middle. It comes after I eat.

Dialogue 2: When and where

Dr Mugisha asks Mama Uwase about her headache.

🔊 Listen (Dr Mugisha, Mama Uwase · normal · clip en-health10-L1-21)
  • Dr Mugisha: Mama Uwase, when did the headache start?
  • Mama Uwase: Two weeks ago.
  • Dr Mugisha: Where exactly is it? Can you show me?
  • Mama Uwase: Here, at the back of my head.
  • Dr Mugisha: On a scale from zero to ten, how bad is it?
  • Mama Uwase: About six.

Dialogue 3: Better or worse

Dr Uwera asks more closed questions.

🔊 Listen (Dr Uwera, Mr Habimana · normal · clip en-health10-L1-22)
  • Dr Uwera: Does anything make the pain better?
  • Mr Habimana: Milk helps a little.
  • Dr Uwera: And does anything make it worse?
  • Mr Habimana: Yes. Spicy food and coffee.

Dialogue 4: Medicines and worries

Dr Mugisha finishes the history.

🔊 Listen (Dr Mugisha, Mama Uwase · normal · clip en-health10-L1-23)
  • Dr Mugisha: Do you take any regular medicine, Mama Uwase?
  • Mama Uwase: Only tablets for my knees. I don’t know the name.
  • Dr Mugisha: No problem. Please bring them next time. What worries you most about this headache?
  • Mama Uwase: My brother had a stroke. I’m afraid it’s the same.
  • Dr Mugisha: Thank you for telling me. Let’s look at that together.

Pronunciation

These sounds are hard for many Kinyarwanda speakers. Listen, then copy.

Mu KinyarwandaAya majwi agora abantu benshi bavuga Ikinyarwanda. Umva, hanyuma wigane.

Question intonation

Wh- questions usually go down at the end: When did it START? ↘ Yes/no questions usually go up: Is it WORSE at night? ↗

Tip for this lesson: Wh- down, yes/no up.

Drill: listen and repeat.

Mu KinyarwandaUmwitozo: umva kandi usubiremo.

🔊 Listen (Teacher · slow · clip en-health10-L1-24)

When did it start? … Where is the pain? … Is it worse at night? … Do you have any allergies?

Past -ed endings

started ends with an extra syllable: START-id. stopped ends with t: stopt. changed ends with d: changd.

Tip for this lesson: Only -ted and -ded add a syllable.

Drill: listen and repeat.

Mu KinyarwandaUmwitozo: umva kandi usubiremo.

🔊 Listen (Teacher · slow · clip en-health10-L1-25)

started … stopped … changed … It started three days ago.

Say it at work

  • Begin with one open question, then listen without interrupting.
  • Use closed questions for details: when, where, how bad, better or worse.
  • Summarise what you heard and ask: Is that right?

Listening practice

A short history.

Listen to clip en-health10-L1-26. Do not read the script first. Listen two times, then answer. Tap Show answer to check.

Mu KinyarwandaUmva amajwi en-health10-L1-26. Ntubanze gusoma inyandiko y’ibivugwa. Umva inshuro ebyiri, hanyuma usubize. Kanda “Show answer” kugira ngo ugenzure igisubizo.

🔊 Listen (Dr Mugisha, Mama Uwase · normal · clip en-health10-L1-26)
  1. When did the cough start?
    Show answer

    Ten days ago.

  2. When is it worse?
    Show answer

    At night.

  3. What makes it better?
    Show answer

    Warm tea.

  4. What is she allergic to?
    Show answer

    One antibiotic. She has the name on a paper.

Speaking role-play

  • Partner A is a doctor. Partner B is a patient with a pain. A starts with an open question, then asks when, where, how bad, and what makes it better or worse.
  • Change roles. At the end, the doctor summarises and asks Is that right? and What worries you most?

Quick check

Tap an answer.

Mu KinyarwandaKanda ku gisubizo.

1. Which is an open question?

  1. Do you have pain?
  2. Tell me more about the pain.
  3. Is it your stomach?
  4. Are you OK?
Show answer

B) Tell me more about the pain. Long answer.

2. "When did it start?" asks about:

  1. time
  2. place
  3. medicine
  4. family
Show answer

A) time. When = time.

3. To find what helps, you ask:

  1. What's your job?
  2. Are you married?
  3. Where do you live?
  4. Does anything make it better?
Show answer

D) Does anything make it better? Better or worse.

4. At the end of the history, you:

  1. leave the room
  2. write and say nothing
  3. summarise and ask "Is that right?"
  4. start the treatment at once
Show answer

C) summarise and ask "Is that right?". Check you understood.

5. Which question asks about the patient's concern?

  1. How old are you?
  2. What worries you most?
  3. Where is the toilet?
  4. Who is next?
Show answer

B) What worries you most? Ask about worries.

Common mistakes

Do not say Say Why
When it start? When did it start? Use did in past questions.
Asking only yes/no questions from the start What brings you here today? Open first, then closed.
Interrupting after five seconds Tell me more. (then listen) Let the patient tell the story.
You have allergy? Do you have any allergies? Use do + any.

You can do it when…

  • ☐ I can start with an open question and listen.
  • ☐ I can ask when, where, how bad, and what makes it better or worse.
  • ☐ I can summarise the history and check it is right.

Listening script (read only after you answer)

Mu KinyarwandaInyandiko y’ibivugwa mu majwi (yisome umaze gusubiza gusa).

  • Dr Mugisha: Good afternoon. What brings you here today?
  • Mama Uwase: I have a cough. It started ten days ago.
  • Dr Mugisha: Tell me more about the cough.
  • Mama Uwase: It’s worse at night. Warm tea makes it a little better.
  • Dr Mugisha: Do you have any allergies?
  • Mama Uwase: Yes. I’m allergic to one antibiotic. I have the name on a paper.
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