Clogged Ear at the Clinic
Practice Nurse (speaking English) and Patient (speaking Greek) talk through “Clogged Ear at the Clinic”. You interpret both ways — English into Greek, and Greek into English — one segment at a time, exactly as in the CCL test.
Practise this dialogue with AI marking →Read it first if you like, then practise it cold: the recording plays one segment, you interpret, the next segment plays. Marking shows, segment by segment, what you kept, left out or changed.
Full transcript with model answers
Under each segment: a model interpretation, the information points an examiner checks, and the easiest thing to miss. Try the segment yourself first, then open it. The model is one good way to say it; other wordings that keep every point score just as well.
Mr Papadopoulos, before we begin today, can you tell me exactly when your right ear first felt blocked, muffled, or uncomfortable?
Model answer and marking points
Κύριε Παπαδόπουλε, πριν ξεκινήσουμε σήμερα, μπορείτε να μου πείτε ακριβώς πότε πρωτονιώσατε το δεξί σας αυτί βουλωμένο, σαν να ακούτε πνιχτά, ή να σας ενοχλεί;
What an examiner checks here:
- addresses Mr Papadopoulos
- before we begin today
- question: exactly when did it start
- right ear (not left)
- blocked / muffled / uncomfortable
Easy to miss: Keep it the RIGHT ear and keep all three symptoms: blocked, muffled, uncomfortable.
Ξεκίνησε περίπου πριν από πέντε μέρες, νοσοκόμα. Νιώθω σαν να έχω βαμβάκι μέσα στο αυτί μου και δεν ακούω καλά, ειδικά όταν μιλάει κόσμος γύρω μου.
Model answer and marking points
It started about five days ago, nurse. It feels like I've got cotton wool inside my ear and I can't hear well, especially when people are talking around me.
What an examiner checks here:
- started about five days ago
- addresses the nurse
- feels like cotton wool in the ear
- can't hear well
- especially when people talk around him
Easy to miss: Five days, not weeks; 'βαμβάκι' is cotton wool, a feeling, not an actual object in the ear.
Have you been swimming recently, using cotton buds, or had earwax blockages in the past? Any pain, fever, or discharge from the ear?
Model answer and marking points
Έχετε κολυμπήσει πρόσφατα, χρησιμοποιείτε μπατονέτες, ή είχατε στο παρελθόν βούλωμα από κερί στα αυτιά; Έχετε καθόλου πόνο, πυρετό ή έκκριση από το αυτί;
What an examiner checks here:
- question: swimming recently
- question: using cotton buds
- question: past earwax blockages
- question: any pain
- question: any fever or discharge
Easy to miss: Six separate questions in two sentences; dropping one (usually 'fever' or 'past blockages') is the common loss.
Δεν έχω κολυμπήσει τελευταία, αλλά χρησιμοποιώ μπατονέτες σχεδόν κάθε μέρα. Είχα παρόμοιο πρόβλημα πριν από δύο χρόνια. Δεν έχω πυρετό ούτε έκκριση, μόνο ελαφρύ πόνο.
Model answer and marking points
I haven't been swimming lately, but I use cotton buds almost every day. I had a similar problem two years ago. I don't have a fever or any discharge, just a slight pain.
What an examiner checks here:
- no swimming recently (negation)
- uses cotton buds almost every day
- similar problem two years ago
- no fever, no discharge (negation)
- only slight pain
Easy to miss: Three negatives and one positive: no swimming, no fever, no discharge, but yes to slight pain and daily cotton buds.
I'll examine your ear now with an otoscope; if it's simply wax, we can syringe it today, or refer you to the audiologist at Ballarat Base Hospital.
Model answer and marking points
Τώρα θα εξετάσω το αυτί σας με ωτοσκόπιο. Αν είναι απλώς κερί, μπορούμε να κάνουμε πλύση σήμερα, ή να σας παραπέμψουμε στον ακοολόγο στο Νοσοκομείο Ballarat Base.
What an examiner checks here:
- will examine the ear now
- with an otoscope
- if simply wax: syringe/irrigate today
- or refer to the audiologist
- at Ballarat Base Hospital
Easy to miss: 'Syringe' here means ear irrigation (πλύση), not an injection; 'audiologist' is ακοολόγος, not an ENT surgeon.
Θα πονέσει η διαδικασία; Φοβάμαι λίγο, γιατί την τελευταία φορά ένιωσα άβολα όταν μου έβαλαν νερό στο αυτί.
Model answer and marking points
Will the procedure hurt? I'm a bit scared, because last time I felt uncomfortable when they put water in my ear.
What an examiner checks here:
- question: will the procedure hurt
- a bit scared
- last time
- felt uncomfortable
- when water was put in the ear
Easy to miss: Keep the question as a question, and keep 'a bit' scared and 'last time' as past experience, not current.
It's not painful at all, just a bit of pressure sometimes. We'll use warm water gently, and the whole process usually takes about fifteen minutes.
Model answer and marking points
Δεν πονάει καθόλου, απλώς νιώθετε λίγη πίεση μερικές φορές. Θα χρησιμοποιήσουμε χλιαρό νερό απαλά, και όλη η διαδικασία συνήθως διαρκεί περίπου δεκαπέντε λεπτά.
What an examiner checks here:
- not painful at all
- just some pressure sometimes
- warm water, gently
- whole process usually
- about fifteen minutes
Easy to miss: 'Not painful at all' is a strong negation and 'fifteen' minutes, not fifty (δεκαπέντε vs πενήντα).
Εντάξει, ευχαριστώ. Έχω τη κάρτα Medicare μαζί μου—θα χρειαστεί να πληρώσω κάτι σήμερα για τη διαδικασία;
Model answer and marking points
Okay, thank you. I've got my Medicare card with me. Will I need to pay anything today for the procedure?
What an examiner checks here:
- okay, thank you
- has Medicare card with him
- question: need to pay anything
- today
- for the procedure
Easy to miss: Keep it a question about paying today; don't turn it into a statement that he will pay.
Since you have a current Medicare card, this appointment today is bulk-billed, so there's no out-of-pocket cost at all for the irrigation.
Model answer and marking points
Εφόσον έχετε ισχύουσα κάρτα Medicare, το σημερινό ραντεβού καλύπτεται πλήρως από το Medicare (bulk-billed), οπότε δεν έχετε καμία απολύτως δική σας επιβάρυνση για την πλύση.
What an examiner checks here:
- because he has a current Medicare card
- today's appointment is bulk-billed
- no out-of-pocket cost at all
- for the irrigation
Easy to miss: 'Bulk-billed' has no direct Greek term; explain it as fully covered by Medicare rather than skipping it.
Ευχαριστώ πολύ που μου εξηγήσατε. Αν ξαναμπλοκάρει το αυτί μου σε λίγες εβδομάδες, τι πρέπει να κάνω;
Model answer and marking points
Thank you very much for explaining that to me. If my ear gets blocked again in a few weeks, what should I do?
What an examiner checks here:
- thanks for explaining
- if ear gets blocked again
- in a few weeks
- question: what should I do
Easy to miss: 'Ξαναμπλοκάρει' means blocked AGAIN; keep the recurrence and the 'few weeks' timeframe.
If your hearing doesn't improve within about two weeks, or the blockage returns again, please book another appointment with our clinic straightaway.
Model answer and marking points
Αν η ακοή σας δεν βελτιωθεί μέσα σε περίπου δύο εβδομάδες, ή αν ξαναβουλώσει το αυτί, παρακαλώ κλείστε αμέσως νέο ραντεβού στην κλινική μας.
What an examiner checks here:
- if hearing doesn't improve
- within about two weeks
- or blockage returns
- book another appointment with our clinic
- straightaway
Easy to miss: Two conditions joined by 'or', and 'two weeks' here versus 'few weeks' in the previous turn; don't merge them.
Κατάλαβα, νοσοκόμα. Θα κλείσω ραντεβού αν τα συμπτώματα επιστρέψουν ή αν δεν βελτιωθεί η ακοή μου. Ευχαριστώ πολύ για τη βοήθειά σας.
Model answer and marking points
I understand, nurse. I'll book an appointment if the symptoms come back or if my hearing doesn't improve. Thank you very much for your help.
What an examiner checks here:
- understood, addresses nurse
- will book an appointment
- if symptoms return
- or if hearing doesn't improve
- thanks for the help
Easy to miss: Keep both conditions (symptoms return OR hearing not improved); it's a future intention, not an appointment already made.
Terms in this dialogue that cost marks
CCL is marked on information transferred. These Australian terms have no direct word in most test languages — get one wrong and the segment's information is gone.
- MedicareΛέγεται ως όνομα, δηλαδή 'Medicare', χωρίς μετάφραση, όπως και στα αγγλικά.
- Medicare cardΠείτε 'η κάρτα Medicare', διατηρώντας το όνομα.
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Practice dialogue written to the CCL specification (two speakers, segments of 35 words or fewer, about 300 words). It is a practice text, not a NAATI test paper, and the AI score is this site's estimate, not a NAATI result. All Greek dialogues · All languages