Talking to Doctors and Police in Travel Emergencies.

In this lesson you prepare for situations that you hope never happen, but where clear English really matters. You learn how to describe common health problems and symptoms, such as pain, fever, allergies or stomach issues, and you practise short conversations with doctors, nurses and pharmacists. You also work on explaining what happened in simple steps after an accident or theft, including where and when it happened and what you lost. You learn key vocabulary for police reports, insurance and emergency services, and phrases for asking people nearby to call for help. Listening tasks focus on understanding slow, clear emergency instructions. Role plays help you stay calm, use short sentences and check that you have understood correctly. By the end you can give essential information in an emergency and ask for the help you need.

1. Asking for urgent help in an emergency.

Imagine you are in your hotel lobby after a long day of sightseeing. Suddenly you do not feel well. Your heart is beating fast, you feel very dizzy and you are a bit frightened. In this kind of situation, you do not have time to think about complicated grammar. You need a few clear sentences to ask for urgent help. In this block we will focus on exactly that: simple but powerful phrases you can use with reception staff, people in the street or on public transport when you need help quickly. I will show you how to say what the problem is, where you are, and what you want the other person to do, for example call an ambulance or show you the nearest hospital. As you listen to the short conversation in the activity, try to notice three things: what the emergency is, how the guest describes the problem, and what help they ask for. After that, you will write a short answer to check your understanding and practise this language.

Scenario – a sudden problem in your hotel.

You are staying in a small hotel in a new city. It is late evening. You start to feel very unwell: strong chest pain and difficulty breathing. You go to reception to ask for help.

In a real emergency, you do not need perfect English. You need clear, short sentences.

Key emergency phrases.

When you feel very ill, start with a quick signal:

• Excuse me, I do not feel well.
• I feel very sick.
• I have a strong pain in my chest.

Then say clearly what you need:

• Can you call an ambulance, please?
• Can you call a doctor, please?
• Where is the nearest hospital?

Finally, give basic information:

• Who needs help: It is for me / It is for my friend.
• Where you are: We are in the Central Hotel, room 305.
• When it started: It started about twenty minutes ago.

Mini dialogue.

Guest: Excuse me, I do not feel well. I have had a fever since yesterday and now I have a strong pain in my chest.

Receptionist: I am sorry to hear that. I will call an ambulance now. Please sit down and try to stay calm.

Guest: Thank you. Could you write the address of the hotel for me, please?

Receptionist: Yes, of course. Here is the address. The ambulance will be here in ten minutes.

Tip – stay calm and use short sentences.

In stressful moments it is normal to forget words. Focus on three things:

1. Say there is a problem: I do not feel well.
2. Say the main symptom: I have a strong pain in my chest.
3. Ask clearly for help: Can you call an ambulance, please?

You will now hear a similar conversation. Listen for:

• Who is ill,
• What the main symptoms are,
• What the receptionist will do.

Practice & Feedback

Listen carefully to the conversation between the hotel guest and the receptionist. Then, in 3–4 full sentences, answer these questions in your own words:

1. Who needs help?
2. What are the main symptoms or problems?
3. What help will the receptionist give, and how quickly?

Do not just copy the exact sentences from the audio. Use simple language like the phrases on the screen: I do not feel well, I have had a fever since…, Can you call an ambulance, please? Try to join your ideas with words like because or and. This is good practice for explaining an emergency clearly.

2. Describing symptoms to a doctor.

Now let us move inside the hospital or clinic. The ambulance has arrived, and you are speaking to a doctor or nurse. This is a different kind of communication. The situation is still serious, but you usually have a bit more time to explain your problem. The doctor needs clear information so they can help you quickly. In this block, we will focus on simple ways to describe symptoms such as pain, fever, allergies or stomach problems. You will see a short dialogue between a doctor and a patient called Alex. Notice how Alex uses easy structures like 'I have' and 'I have had' to talk about problems now and problems that started earlier. Also pay attention to the doctor’s questions. They are very common in real life, so if you understand them, it is much easier to stay calm. After reading the dialogue, you will write a short description of your own imaginary symptoms, using the phrase bank on the screen to help you.

At the clinic – meeting the doctor.

After the hotel receptionist calls an ambulance, you arrive at a small clinic. A doctor speaks to you in clear but quite fast English.

Here is an example dialogue between a doctor and a patient, Alex.

Doctor and patient dialogue

Doctor: Good evening. I am Dr Lewis. What seems to be the problem?

Alex: I do not feel well. I have had a fever since yesterday and I feel very weak.

Doctor: Do you have any pain?

Alex: Yes, I have a strong pain in my stomach and a headache.

Doctor: How long have you had the stomach pain?

Alex: It started this morning, about six hours ago.

Doctor: Have you been sick or had diarrhoea?

Alex: Yes, I have been sick twice today.

Doctor: Are you allergic to any medicine?

Alex: I am allergic to penicillin.

Doctor: All right. I will give you some medicine and you should drink a lot of water. If you feel worse, you must come back or go to the hospital.

Useful patterns for symptoms.

Notice how Alex uses simple patterns:

• I do not feel well.
• I have a strong pain in my stomach / chest / back / leg.
• I have had a fever since yesterday.
• It started this morning / last night / two days ago.
• I have been sick twice today.
• I am allergic to penicillin / nuts / seafood.

These patterns are enough to describe many common health problems.

Small grammar reminder.

At B1, you do not need complex tenses. For emergencies, you can think like this:

• Use I have for problems now: I have a headache.
• Use I have had or It started… to say when it began: I have had a fever since yesterday. / It started this morning.

In the activity, you will read the dialogue again and then describe your own "patient" using these patterns.

Practice & Feedback

Read the dialogue above carefully one more time. Then imagine you are at the clinic talking to the doctor. You have a different problem from Alex.

Write 4–6 full sentences to describe your symptoms. Use the patterns from the screen, for example: I have…, I have had… since…, It started…, I am allergic to…. You can invent any realistic problem: for example, a bad cough, stomach pain after eating something, or an allergy.

Try to include:

• what you feel now,
• when it started,
• how strong the pain or problem is,
• any allergy.

Do not worry about long, complex words. Focus on being clear and simple, like Alex in the model dialogue.

3. Explaining an accident to medical staff.

Emergencies are not always about feeling ill. Sometimes there is an accident: you fall, you cut yourself, or you hurt your back lifting a suitcase. In those situations, the doctor or nurse will usually say, "Can you tell me what happened?". In this block, we will practise answering that question in a calm, clear way. You do not need a long story, but you should explain three things: what you were doing, how the accident happened, and when it happened. We will keep the language very simple, using time phrases like 'this morning', 'yesterday afternoon' and 'about twenty minutes ago'. You will see a short example of an accident report and then you will write your own version about a different accident. This is very useful not only for doctors, but also if you speak to police or to your travel insurance later. Remember, short sentences, clear times, and basic actions are enough.

From symptoms to story – what actually happened.

Often, medical staff need more than just your symptoms. They need to know how you got hurt. This helps them understand the possible injury.

Look at this example of how Alex explains an accident:

> Yesterday afternoon I was walking near the museum. It was raining and the pavement was very wet. I slipped and fell on my right side. I landed on my arm and now I think I broke my wrist. It happened about two hours ago.

This short paragraph gives the doctor a clear picture.

Useful language for accidents.

You can use simple verbs and time phrases:

• Time: this morning, yesterday afternoon, last night, about twenty minutes ago, two hours ago
• Actions: I was walking, I slipped, I fell, I landed on my arm / back / head, I hit my head
• Result: Now I think I broke my arm, Now my ankle is very swollen, Now I cannot move my shoulder.

Combine them into 3–5 short sentences. For example:

• This morning I was carrying my suitcase down the stairs. I slipped and fell. I landed on my back and now I have a strong pain in my lower back. It happened about thirty minutes ago.

Mini checklist for a clear explanation.

When you explain an accident in English, try to answer these questions:

1. When did it happen?
2. Where were you?
3. What were you doing?
4. How did you get hurt?
5. What is the result now?

If you answer these with short, simple sentences, doctors and police can usually understand you very well.

In the next activity, you will see a short written report about an accident. Then you will write a similar report about a different situation.

Practice & Feedback

First, read the example accident report below. Notice how it answers the five questions from the checklist: when, where, what you were doing, how you got hurt, and the result now.

Then write 5–7 sentences about a different accident. It can be something like falling on the stairs with your suitcase, cutting your hand in the hotel kitchen, or slipping in the bathroom. Use simple past verbs (was, were, slipped, fell, hurt, broke), time phrases (this morning, yesterday, about an hour ago), and a clear result (now my ankle is swollen).

Imagine you are talking to a nurse, so keep your language clear and polite. You can look back at the useful language list while you write.

4. Reporting a theft at the police station.

Unfortunately, health emergencies are not the only difficult situations when you travel. Sometimes people lose important things, or someone steals a bag or wallet. In that case, you may need to speak to the police. The good news is that police officers in tourist areas are usually patient and used to foreign visitors. They will ask you clear questions, but you still need some key phrases so you can tell your story and report important items like your passport or bank cards. In this block, we will focus on reporting a theft. You will see a short conversation between a police officer and a traveller whose bag was stolen in a café. Notice how the traveller explains what was lost, where and when it happened, and that they need to make an official report. Then you will write a short written statement, similar to a simple police report, using language from the examples.

When something is stolen.

Imagine you are on holiday in a big city. You are sitting in a busy café with your backpack on the chair. You pay the bill, look around, and suddenly you see that your bag has gone. Your passport, wallet and phone were inside.

Later, you go to the nearest police station.

Police conversation example

Officer: Good evening. How can I help you?

Traveller: Good evening. Someone stole my bag. I need to make a police report.

Officer: I see. When did it happen?

Traveller: It happened about twenty minutes ago.

Officer: Where were you?

Traveller: I was in a café near the central square. I put my bag on the chair next to me. When I finished my coffee, it was gone.

Officer: What was in the bag?

Traveller: My passport, my wallet with about 80 euros, and my mobile phone.

Officer: All right. Do you have your passport number or a copy?

Traveller: Yes, I have a copy on my email.

Officer: Good. We will write a report. You should also call your bank and your embassy.

Key phrases for theft and loss.

• Someone stole my bag / wallet / phone.
• I lost my passport and my wallet.
• It happened about twenty minutes ago / yesterday evening.
• I was in a café / on the metro / in the hotel lobby.
• I need to make a police report.
• In the bag there was… my passport, my credit card, my camera…

Small written report structure.

For a simple written statement, you can use this structure:

1. Opening: I am here to report a theft.
2. Time and place: It happened yesterday afternoon in a café near the central square.
3. What happened: Someone took my backpack from the chair next to me.
4. What you lost: In the bag there was my passport, my wallet with about 80 euros and my mobile phone.
5. Next step: I need this report for my insurance and my embassy.

In the activity, you will use this structure to write your own short report.

Practice & Feedback

Imagine this situation: You were travelling on the metro when someone stole your small shoulder bag. Inside were your passport, your bank card and some cash. You are now at the police station.

Write a short police report of 5–7 sentences. Follow the structure on the screen:

1. Say you are reporting a theft.
2. Explain when and where it happened.
3. Say clearly what happened.
4. List the important things you lost.
5. Say why you need the report (for example, for insurance or the embassy).

Use key phrases such as Someone stole my bag, It happened about…, I need to make a police report, In the bag there was…. Keep your sentences short and clear so a police officer can understand easily.

5. Checking you understand emergency instructions.

In a real emergency, people will not only ask you questions. Doctors, nurses, receptionists and police officers will also give you instructions. For example, a doctor might say, "Take these tablets twice a day after food" or a police officer might tell you, "You should go to your embassy tomorrow morning". When you feel stressed, it is easy to miss important details. In this block, we will practise understanding and checking these instructions. You will listen to a short conversation where a doctor explains what the patient must do after leaving the clinic. Your job is to listen for the key points: what medicine to take, how often, what to avoid, and any next steps. Then you will write a short summary in your own words. This is excellent practice for real life, where you often need to repeat information or write it down for yourself, so you do not forget.

Why checking instructions is important.

After you speak to doctors or police, you often receive important instructions. In an emergency, it is easy to feel confused, so it is a good idea to repeat key points in your own words.

You can use simple phrases:

• So I should…
• So I need to…
• Let me check I understood. I have to…
• Could you write that down for me, please?

Example – doctor’s instructions.

Doctor: I will give you these tablets. Take one tablet three times a day after food. Drink a lot of water and do not drink alcohol. You should rest tomorrow and stay in your hotel. If you still have a fever after two days, you must come back.

Patient: So I should take one tablet three times a day after I eat, drink a lot of water, no alcohol, and rest tomorrow. If I still have a fever in two days, I come back here.

The patient repeats the main ideas in simple language. This helps the doctor check that everything is clear.

Listening task – Alex checks the instructions.

You will now hear Alex at the clinic again. This time, the doctor explains what Alex must do after leaving.

While you listen, focus on these questions:

1. How many tablets does Alex need to take, and how often?
2. What else should Alex do or avoid?
3. When should Alex go back to the doctor or hospital?

After listening, you will write a short summary of the instructions in your own words, as if you are writing notes on your phone.

Practice & Feedback

Listen carefully to the doctor’s instructions to Alex. You can listen two or three times if you like. Then write a short summary of the instructions in 4–6 sentences.

Imagine you are Alex writing notes on your mobile phone after the visit. Use simple phrases like I should…, I need to…, I must not…, If…, I must…. Try to include:

• how many tablets and how often,
• what Alex should drink or avoid,
• any advice about rest or activity,
• when Alex must go back or call emergency services.

Do not copy every word from the audio. Use your own clear English so you really understand the instructions.

6. Chatting with insurance about an emergency.

You have now practised all the key parts of health and police emergencies: asking for urgent help, describing symptoms, explaining accidents, reporting theft and understanding instructions. In real life, there is often one more step. You may need to contact your travel insurance company or assistance service, usually through a chat in an app. This can feel less stressful than speaking on the phone, but you still need clear English to explain what happened and ask the right questions. In this final block, you will bring everything together in a short chat-style conversation. You will write messages as a traveller using an insurance app. The agent greets you and asks how they can help. Your job is to explain that your bag with your passport was stolen and that you also feel unwell after the shock. You will describe what happened, when and where, list what you lost, mention any medical visit, and ask at least two questions about what to do next. This is your mini performance task for the lesson, so take your time and use all the useful phrases you have seen.

From emergencies to online help.

After an accident, illness or theft, many travellers contact their insurance company or an emergency assistance service. Today this often happens in a chat window on a mobile app.

This can be good news for you as a B1 learner: you have time to think, read your message again, and use the phrases you know.

Typical chat with an insurance agent.

Here is a short example of how such a chat might start:

Agent: Hello, this is Global Travel Assistance. How can I help you today?

Traveller: Hello. Someone stole my bag on the metro about one hour ago. I need help.

Agent: I am sorry to hear that. Was your passport in the bag?

Traveller: Yes, my passport and my bank card were inside. I also feel very stressed and a bit sick.

Agent: All right. First, please go to the nearest police station and make a report. Then contact your embassy. I can also help you block your bank card.

Useful phrases for emergency chats.

• Someone stole my bag / wallet / phone on the metro / in a café.
• I lost my passport and my wallet.
• It happened about an hour ago / yesterday evening.
• I need to make a police report but I do not know what to do.
• I have already seen a doctor. / I have not seen a doctor yet.
• I feel very stressed and I do not feel well.
• What should I do now?
• Can you help me contact my bank / embassy?
• Do you cover the cost of the new passport / the medicine?

Your final task – write the chat.

In the activity, you will write your side of a chat with an insurance agent. This is your chance to show that you can:

• explain clearly what happened and when,
• report a lost passport and other items,
• mention your health situation,
• ask clear questions about next steps.

Write in short, separate messages, like in a real chat, not one long paragraph.

Practice & Feedback

Imagine you open your travel insurance app. A chat window appears and you see this message:

> Agent: Hello, this is SafeTrip Assistance. How can I help you today?

Now write your side of the chat as the traveller. Answer the agent in 4–8 short messages (like real chat messages, each on a new line). In your conversation, make sure you:

• say that someone stole your bag and where it happened,
• say when it happened,
• list the important things you lost (passport, bank card, etc.),
• mention how you feel physically or emotionally (for example, stressed, dizzy, headache),
• say if you have already seen a doctor or not,
• ask at least two questions about what you should do next (police, embassy, money, medicine, hotel, etc.).

Use the useful phrases on the screen and from earlier blocks, such as Someone stole my bag, I lost my passport and my wallet, What should I do now?, Can you help me…?. Write as if the agent is a real person who will answer you.