What useful OET Speaking feedback looks like
Published 2026-10-02
Useful feedback points to something you actually said, explains why it affected the conversation and gives you one change to try. The examples below are deliberately short so you can practice the change aloud. They are illustrations, not records of Alexandra's clients.
Example 1: a worried patient going home
Illustrative first attempt: “Read your discharge instructions carefully. Everything is there.”
Stronger alternative: “Which part of the plan feels hardest to follow at home? Let's look at that part together.”
Why it changes the conversation: The alternative asks for the actual difficulty instead of assuming the handout solved it. A learner can listen back for whether they left space for the answer.
Example 2: a patient blaming themselves
Illustrative first attempt: “You have type 2 diabetes. You need to follow the treatment plan.”
Stronger alternative: “I can hear that this diagnosis has been upsetting. What is the biggest question on your mind before we discuss the plan?”
Why it changes the conversation: The alternative recognizes the patient's reaction before giving more information. It does not avoid the plan; it helps the doctor discover which part needs explaining first.
These are constructed teaching examples, not actual client responses, quotations from Alexandra, grades or promises about test results. They illustrate the specific, patient-centred changes a person can practice. Alexandra has written publicly about keeping a role play concise and responding to what the patient says. Read Alexandra's LinkedIn post.
Read Alexandra's LinkedIn postTry both situations yourself: nursing role play · medicine role play.