Dealing with Doctors, Banks and Landlords in Australia.
Australian English for Living and Working in Australia. Lesson 11.
This lesson tackles some of the more stressful conversations you may face as a new arrival. You work through three linked scenarios: calling a clinic to book an appointment and describe symptoms, speaking to your bank about a suspicious charge and contacting your landlord or agent about a repair. In each case you listen to realistic dialogues that mix formal phrases with very everyday Australian English. You learn practical vocabulary for health, money and housing issues, and you focus on language for staying calm but firm, such as "I understand what you’re saying, but" and "I’d really appreciate it if we could sort this out by Friday". You also practise asking for explanations and written confirmation when something is important. By the end, you can stand up for yourself in key institutional conversations without losing politeness or confidence.
1. Calling a clinic about worrying symptoms.
Let’s drop you into our first situation. You have just moved to Australia, and you wake up with a worrying pain in your chest when you breathe deeply. You decide it is safer to call a local clinic and book an appointment with a GP, a general practitioner. This kind of call can feel stressful, because you are dealing with your health, the receptionist may speak quickly, and you need to give clear information about your symptoms.
In this block, I want you to focus on the overall shape of the phone call, not every single word. When you listen to the example later, pay attention to four things. First, how the caller says who they are and what they need. Second, how they describe their symptoms, including how long they have had the problem. Third, what questions the receptionist asks to check how urgent it is. And finally, how they agree on an appointment time and confirm the details.
On the screen, you will see some key phrases that are very useful in Australian clinics, such as “I’d like to book an appointment with a GP” and “It hurts when I breathe deeply.” Read those carefully, then listen to the call in the activity at the bottom of the block. After that, you will summarise the main information in your own words.
Scenario: You call a GP clinic in Australia.
Imagine this: you are new in Melbourne. For the last three days you have had a sharp pain in your chest when you breathe deeply. It is not an emergency, but it is worrying. You decide to call the local clinic to book an appointment with a GP.
In Australia, clinic receptionists often sound friendly and relaxed, but they still need quite formal information from you. They will usually ask for your name, date of birth, maybe your Medicare status or overseas insurance, and a short description of your symptoms. They are not doctors, so keep it simple and clear.
Here is a short extract from our model call:
> Receptionist: Good morning, City Health Clinic, this is Jess.
>
> You: Hi Jess, I’d like to book an appointment with a GP.
>
> Receptionist: Sure, what’s it in regards to?
>
> You: I’ve had this pain in my chest for about three days. It hurts when I breathe deeply.
Notice how the caller:
Says the main purpose straight away: “I’d like to book an appointment with a GP.”
Briefly describes the problem: type of pain + how long + when it hurts.
Keeps the tone calm and polite, even though they are worried.
Helpful language from this scene.
Use these chunks to sound clear and natural:
"I’d like to book an appointment with a GP."
"I’ve had this pain for about three days."
"It hurts when I breathe deeply."
"It’s not an emergency, but it’s quite uncomfortable."
"Could you repeat the time, please?"
Your listening focus.
In the activity at the bottom of this block, you will hear the full phone call between the patient and the receptionist. While you listen, focus on these questions:
Who is calling, and what is the main problem?
How long have they had the symptoms?
What appointment time do they get?
What instructions does the receptionist give them at the end?
You do not need to catch every word. Instead, listen for the key information and the useful phrases. Then you will write a short summary of the call.
Practice & Feedback
Now listen to the full phone call in the audio below. Let it play all the way through without pausing the first time. If you like, you can listen a second time to check details.
After listening, write 3–5 sentences in your own words answering these questions:
Who is calling, and what symptoms do they describe?
How long have they had this problem?
What appointment time do they get?
What instructions or advice does the receptionist give them?
Do not worry about perfect grammar. Focus on clear information and try to reuse 1–2 phrases from the screen above, such as “I’ve had this pain for about three days.” Write your answer as one short paragraph.
2. Describing your symptoms clearly and calmly.
You have just heard how Alex spoke to the clinic receptionist. Now we will slow down and zoom in on the language for describing symptoms. This is a skill you will use not only on the phone, but also in the doctor’s room, at a pharmacy, or even in a walk‑in clinic.
When you talk about health, the receptionist or doctor needs a few key pieces of information. They need to know **what** the symptom is, **where** it is, **how long** it has been happening, and **how strong** or serious it feels. It also helps if you can say **when** it gets better or worse, for example, when you breathe deeply, walk, or eat.
In Australian English, people usually keep the language quite simple and direct. They say things like, “I’ve had this cough for a week” or “It’s a sharp pain in my lower back.” They don’t typically use very technical medical words unless the doctor uses them first.
On the screen, you will see some sentence patterns that you can reuse and adapt. Read them slowly and imagine yourself saying them on the phone. Then, in the activity, you will write a short description of your own symptoms for a realistic situation. Focus on sounding calm, clear and specific, rather than dramatic or vague.
Building a clear symptom description.
To help the clinic or doctor decide what to do, try to answer these five questions in your description:
What is the symptom?
Where do you feel it?
How long has it been happening?
How strong is it?
When does it get better or worse?
You do not need complex grammar to do this well. Short, clear sentences are perfect.
Useful patterns you can copy.
You can mix and match these patterns to describe many different problems:
"I’ve had this [symptom] for about [time period]."
> I’ve had this cough for about a week.
> I’ve had this pain in my stomach for two days.
"It’s a [type of pain] pain in my [body part]."
> It’s a sharp pain in my lower back.
> It’s a dull ache behind my eyes.
"It hurts when I [action]."
> It hurts when I breathe deeply.
> It gets worse when I walk up stairs.
"I also feel [extra symptom]."
> I also feel a bit dizzy when I stand up.
> I also have a light fever.
"It’s [mild / moderate / quite bad], but it’s not an emergency."
> It’s quite bad, but it’s not an emergency.
Two example mini‑descriptions.
> Example 1
> I’ve had this headache for about two days. It’s a dull ache behind my eyes. It gets worse in the evening, and I also feel a bit sick in my stomach.
> Example 2
> I’ve had this dry cough for a week. It’s worse at night when I lie down. I don’t have any fever, but my chest feels a bit tight.
Your turn next.
In the activity below, you will see a short situation with information about someone’s symptoms. Your job is to turn that information into a short, spoken-style description as if you were talking to a receptionist or GP in Australia. Try to reuse at least three of the patterns above. Remember: calm, clear, specific.
Practice & Feedback
Read the short situation in the text below. Then imagine you are on the phone to a clinic receptionist or speaking to a GP.
Write 4–6 sentences describing your symptoms. Try to:
say what the problem is and where it is,
say how long you have had it,
mention when it gets better or worse,
add one or two extra details, such as dizziness, fever or tiredness.
Use at least three of the sentence patterns from the screen above (for example, “I’ve had this… for about…”, “It hurts when I…”, “I also feel…”). Write as if you are really speaking on the phone: natural, clear sentences.
Do not worry if you repeat a pattern. The goal is to sound easy to understand, not creative.
Situation.
You are Sam, 32, and you live in Brisbane. Since Monday you have had:
a bad headache, especially behind your eyes,
a light fever at night,
some dizziness when you stand up quickly.
Paracetamol helps a little bit, but not much. You can still go to work, but you feel pretty awful by the evening.
Use this information to build your own short description of your symptoms, as if you were talking to a receptionist or GP.
3. Calling your bank about a suspicious charge.
Let’s move to our second high‑pressure situation: talking to your bank. Imagine you are checking your online banking one evening and you notice a charge you do not recognise. Maybe it says something like “ONLINE PAYMENT XYZ GAMES, one hundred and twenty dollars”. You do not play online games, and nobody else should be using your card.
In this situation, it is important to sound **calm but firm**. The bank staff member needs clear facts so they can investigate. You need to explain what you see on your statement, say that you do not recognise the transaction, and ask what they can do about it.
In Australian English, you will often hear phrases like, “There’s a charge on my card I don’t recognise,” or “Could you explain this fee on my statement?” Staff may be friendly and say things like “No worries, we’ll have a look,” but you still have the right to ask for action and for clear explanations.
On the screen, you will look at a model phone call that shows how to organise this kind of conversation. Then you will use a short statement example to practise explaining the problem to your bank in your own words.
Scenario: You spot a suspicious charge.
You are on the train home from work, checking your banking app. You see this line on your credit card statement:
> 06/06 ONLINE PAYMENT XYZ GAMES $120.00
You have never heard of this company. You are worried someone has used your card.
Model language for explaining the problem.
Here is part of a phone call between Alex and a bank staff member:
> Alex: Hi, I’m calling about a charge on my card that I don’t recognise.
> Staff: Sure, no worries. Can you tell me the date and the amount?
> Alex: Yep, it’s an online payment on the sixth of June for a hundred and twenty dollars to something called “XYZ Games”. I don’t use that service at all.
> Staff: Okay, I can see that on your account. Thanks for letting us know.
Notice how Alex:
Says the purpose straight away: “I’m calling about a charge on my card that I don’t recognise.”
Gives clear details: date, amount, merchant name.
States that they don’t use that service at all.
Later in the same call, Alex asks for action in a polite but firm way:
> "I’m just a bit worried about this charge, because I definitely didn’t make it. I’d really appreciate it if you could investigate it and block my card if needed. Could you also explain what will happen next?"
Useful chunks for bank calls.
"There’s a charge on my card I don’t recognise."
"Could you explain this fee on my statement?"
"The transaction is on the [date] for [amount] to [merchant]."
"I definitely didn’t make this payment."
"I’d really appreciate it if you could investigate this today."
"Could you please confirm what you’re going to do?"
You will now use these ideas with a new example statement in the activity.
Practice & Feedback
Read the example bank statement information in the text below. Then imagine you are calling your bank from home.
Your task is to write what you would say at the start of the phone call. Write 5–8 sentences that:
briefly introduce yourself and why you are calling,
clearly describe the suspicious transaction (date, amount, merchant),
say that you do not recognise or use this service,
politely ask the bank to investigate and explain what will happen next.
Try to reuse some of the chunks from the screen, such as “There’s a charge on my card I don’t recognise” or “I’d really appreciate it if you could investigate this today.” Write it as spoken language, the way you would actually say it on the phone.
Your statement.
On your credit card statement you can see:
05/06 WOOLWORTHS METRO $45.20
06/06 NETFLIX AU $19.99
06/06 ONLINE PAYMENT XYZ GAMES $120.00
07/06 OPAL TOP UP $30.00
You remember doing your grocery shopping at Woolies, and you pay for Netflix every month. You also topped up your transport card.
But you have never used "XYZ GAMES" and you definitely did not spend $120 on it.
Use this information in your phone introduction.
4. Talking to your landlord about a repair.
Our third scenario is about housing. Many new arrivals in Australia rent a unit or a house, and most properties are managed by a real estate agent, not by the owner directly. When something breaks, like a leaking sink or a hot water problem, you usually email or message the property manager.
This can be frustrating. You might report an issue, and then nothing happens for a week. You do not want to sound rude or aggressive, but you also do not want to wait forever with a bucket under the sink.
In Australian English, tenants often use a tone that is friendly but firm. They say things like, “Our sink has been leaking for a week,” or “I reported this issue last month,” followed by a clear request such as, “I’d really appreciate it if we could sort this out this week.” If they feel stuck, they might ask, “Is there someone else I can speak to about this?”
On the screen, you will look at an example of a short written exchange between a tenant and a property manager. Then, in the activity, you will write your own chat-style reply that pushes for a clearer plan without sounding rude.
Scenario: A leaking sink and a slow response.
You live in a rented unit. For the last week your kitchen sink has been leaking. You reported the issue to the property manager, Taylor, five days ago. Nobody has come to fix it yet.
Here is an example of an email from the tenant:
> Subject: Kitchen sink leak – Unit 12B
> Hi Taylor,
> Our kitchen sink has been leaking for about a week now. I reported this last Friday, but we haven’t heard back yet. The cupboard underneath is getting quite damp. I’d really appreciate it if we could sort this out sometime this week.
> Thanks,
> Alex
A couple of days later, Taylor replies:
> Taylor: Hi Alex, the plumber’s been flat out. We’ll try to get someone over next week. Cheers.
This reply is friendly, but not very specific.
Language for being polite but firm.
Useful chunks from this situation:
"Our sink has been leaking for a week."
"I reported this issue last month / last Friday."
"It’s starting to cause some damage to the cupboard."
"I’d really appreciate it if we could sort this out this week."
"Is there someone else I can speak to about this?"
"Could you please give me a more specific time frame?"
When you follow up, a good structure is:
Acknowledge their message: "Thanks for getting back to me."
Restate the problem and impact: how long, what damage or inconvenience.
Ask for a clearer plan or time frame.
Keep the tone respectful, but show that this is important.
In the activity, you will practise this in a short chat-style reply.
Practice & Feedback
Read the short chat message from your property manager in the text below. Then imagine you are replying using a rental app or SMS.
Write 2–4 short chat-style messages from you to Taylor. Please:
Start each line with You: to show your messages.
First, thank Taylor for the reply.
Then, briefly explain why the leak is a problem (for example, damage, smell, not being able to use the sink properly).
Politely ask for a more specific time frame and show that you’d like it fixed this week if possible.
If you want, you can gently ask if there is any other option.
Reuse some of the useful phrases from the screen, such as “I’d really appreciate it if we could sort this out this week” or “Could you please give me a more specific time frame?” Keep the tone firm but respectful.
Taylor (Property Manager): Hi, the plumber can probably come sometime next week, but we’re not sure which day yet. Just put a towel down for now.
Reply in a friendly but firm way.
5. Asking for clarification and written confirmation.
Across all three situations in this lesson – the clinic, the bank and the landlord – there is one more key skill: asking for clarification and written confirmation. Australian staff often speak quickly and use technical or institutional language. It is completely okay to say that you did not quite follow and to ask them to say it another way.
Polite clarification does not make you look weak or difficult. In fact, it shows that you are listening carefully and that you care about getting things right. You can use phrases like, “Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that,” “Just to check I’ve understood,” or “Could you explain what that means for me in practice?”
When the situation is important – money, health, or your home – it is also sensible to ask for written confirmation. For example, “Could you please put that in writing?” or “Would you mind emailing that to me so I have it for my records?” This is a very normal thing to do in Australia.
On the screen, you will see some short examples from banks, clinics and property managers, followed by strong clarification questions. Then you will practise responding to a slightly complicated explanation from a bank staff member.
Why clarification matters.
In fast, institutional conversations, you may miss a detail the first time. That is normal. The important thing is to notice when you are not sure, and to repair the misunderstanding straight away.
If you just say “Okay, thanks” when you are actually confused, you might end up paying a fee you do not understand, missing an appointment, or waiting for a repair that never comes.
Useful clarification phrases.
You can use these in many situations:
"Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Could you say it again a bit more slowly?"
"Just to check I’ve understood, you’re saying that…"
"So you mean that…?"
"Could you explain what that means for me, in practice?"
"Could you please put that in writing?"
"Would you mind emailing that to me so I have it for my records?"
Mini‑examples.
Bank
> Staff: What we’ll do is lodge a dispute, which usually takes ten business days. The transaction will still appear on your account, but if it’s fraudulent we’ll reverse it.
>
> You: Just to check I’ve understood, you’ll investigate it over the next ten business days, and if you confirm it’s fraudulent, you’ll reverse the charge. Could you also send that to me in an email?
Clinic
> Receptionist: We’ll put you on the cancellation list. If something comes up earlier, we’ll give you a ring.
>
> You: So you mean if another patient cancels, you might call me with an earlier time? Could you let me know roughly how likely that is?
Property manager
> Taylor: Because it’s not an urgent safety issue, it might take a couple of weeks.
>
> You: I understand, but just so I’m clear, you’re saying it could be up to two weeks before someone comes? Could you please put that in writing?
In the activity below, you will practise using this kind of language with a banking example.
Practice & Feedback
Read the bank staff member’s explanation in the text below. Imagine you heard this quite quickly on the phone, and you are not 100% sure you understood everything.
Write 3–5 sentences as your reply. Try to:
politely say that you did not fully follow,
paraphrase the main points in your own words to check your understanding,
ask one or two clear questions about anything that is still confusing,
ask them to send the information to you in writing (email or SMS).
Use at least one of the clarification phrases from the screen, such as “Just to check I’ve understood…” or “Could you please put that in writing?” Focus on sounding calm, clear and reasonably firm.
Bank staff: So what will happen now is we’ll lodge a dispute on that transaction. That usually takes about ten business days to investigate. In the meantime, the charge will still appear on your account, and there may be a temporary hold on some funds while we look into it. If we find that it’s fraudulent, we’ll reverse it and send you a new card in the post.
Reply as the customer, Alex.
6. Putting it all together in a full interaction.
You have now worked through three connected situations: calling a clinic about symptoms, talking to your bank about a suspicious charge, and contacting a property manager about a repair. You have also practised asking for clarification and written confirmation.
In this final block, you will bring everything together in one longer piece of language. This is your mini performance task for the lesson. The goal is not perfection. The goal is to show that you can move through a whole institutional interaction in clear, polite and reasonably firm Australian English.
On the screen, you will see three scenario options with planning questions and useful chunks. Choose the one that feels most relevant to your real life, or the one you want more practice with. Then you will write what **you** would say in a full phone call.
As you write, think about structure. Start with a friendly greeting and a clear reason for your call. Then explain the problem with specific details. Next, say what you would like to happen, and ask any questions. Finally, finish the call politely and ask for confirmation or a follow‑up email if it makes sense.
Take your time with this. This is exactly the kind of practice that makes real phone calls much easier when they actually happen.
Choose your scenario.
Pick one of these options for your final practice:
Clinic: You call a GP clinic to book an appointment and describe ongoing back pain.
Bank: You call your bank about a suspicious online payment and want them to investigate.
Landlord/Agent: You call your property manager about a hot water system that has stopped working.
Planning questions.
Before you write, quickly answer these questions in your head for the scenario you choose:
Who are you calling, and why?
What exactly is the problem?
How long has it been happening?
How is it affecting you? (pain, money, comfort, safety)
What do you want them to do?
Do you need any clarification or written confirmation?
Useful chunks to recycle.
Try to use at least three of these in your script:
"I’d like to book an appointment with a GP."
"I’ve had this pain for about three days / two weeks."
"There’s a charge on my card I don’t recognise."
"Could you explain this fee on my statement?"
"Our sink has been leaking for a week."
"I reported this issue last month."
"I understand what you’re saying, but I disagree."
"I’d really appreciate it if we could sort this out soon."
"Is there someone else I can speak to about this?"
