Interpreting – Community scenario #14 Professional / Patient

Written by: TJB

⮚ A British holiday-maker – with concerns about his/her breathing – has made a

GP appointment in France.

I. Docteur: Hello. Sit down. What can I do for you, sir / madam?

1. Patient: I’ve been having difficulty breathing, recently. Sometimes, I’m just short of
breath. Other times, it’s like I can’t breathe at all.

II. Docteur: When did these breathing problems start?

2. Patient: I’d say I’ve had breathing problems, of sorts, since I was a child. But it’s only
recently that I’ve been struggling for breath.

III. Docteur: I see. And if not, do you have an appetite? No sleep problem?

3. Patient: I eat little and often – quite healthily. As for sleep, no problem. I’m always out
like a light.

IV. Docteur: For these crises - when you hardly breathe - is there something that provokes
them, that triggers them, in your opinion?

4. Patient: Champagne and white wine seem to trigger the attacks… I suppose I should cut
them out…

V. Docteur: Let's see, let's see. You probably know that this is an asthma. I'm prescribing two
inhalation devices for you. One - it's blue - for acute attacks. The other -
brownish in color - for long-term treatment.

5. Patient: Will I still be able to drink champagne and white wine?

VI. Docteur: For the moment, I advise you to avoid the consumption of any citric acid. Drink
something else while waiting for the treatment to bear fruit.

6. Patient: Oh… Okay.

VII. Docteur: One last word: consume alcohol in moderation. In the long term, its
consumption affects many other aspects of health.

7. Patient: Thanks for your help, doctor. Goodbye.

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 Interpreting – Community scenario #14 Professional

⮚ You are a GP in France: your patient is a British holiday-maker.

I. Docteur: Bonjour. Asseyez-vous. Que puis-je pour vous, Monsieur/Madame?

1. Patient: __________________________________________________________________

II. Docteur: Ces problèmes de respiration ont commencé quand au juste?

2. Patient: __________________________________________________________________

III. Docteur: Je vois. Et vous avez, sinon, de l’appétit? Aucun problem de sommeil?

3. Patient: __________________________________________________________________

IV. Docteur: Pour ces crises – lorsque vous respirez à peine – il y a quelque chose qui les
provoque, qui les déclenche, à votre avis?

4. Patient: __________________________________________________________________

V. Docteur: Voyons, voyons. Vous savez sans doute qu’il s’agit d’un asthme. Je vous prescris
deux dispositifs d’inhalation. L’un – c’est bleu – pour les crises aigües. L’autre –
de couleur brunâtre – pour un traitement à long terme.

5. Patient: __________________________________________________________________

VI. Docteur: Pour le moment, je vous conseille d’éviter la consommation de tout acide
citrique. Buvez autre chose, en attendant que le traitement apporte ses fruits.

6. Patient: __________________________________________________________________

VII. Docteur: Un dernier mot: consommez l’alcool avec modération. Dans le long terme, sa
consommation touche bien d’autres aspects de la santé.

7. Patient: __________________________________________________________________

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 Interpreting – Community scenario #14 Patient

⮚ You are a British holiday-maker, visiting a GP in France.

I. Docteur: __________________________________________________________________

1. Patient: I’ve been having difficulty breathing, recently. Sometimes, I’m just short of
breath. Other times, it’s like I can’t breathe at all.

II. Docteur: __________________________________________________________________

2. Patient: I’d say I’ve had breathing problems, of sorts, since I was a child. But it’s only
recently that I’ve been struggling for breath.

III. Docteur: __________________________________________________________________

3. Patient: I eat little and often – quite healthily. As for sleep, no problem. I’m always out
like a light.

IV. Docteur: __________________________________________________________________

4. Patient: Champagne and white wine seem to trigger the attacks… I suppose I should cut
them out…

V. Docteur: __________________________________________________________________

5. Patient: Will I still be able to drink champagne and white wine?

VI. Docteur: __________________________________________________________________

6. Patient: Oh… Okay.

VII. Docteur: __________________________________________________________________

7. Patient: Thanks for your help, doctor. Goodbye.