English speaking lesson · Health & Wellbeing

Eye test

You're at the optician's for an eye test, explaining how your eyesight has been. You practise it as a real conversation, at whichever of the four levels fits you — the room and the steps stay the same, only the words get harder.

The optician's · you talk to the optician

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Eye test — English speaking practice scene

What you have to do

Explain what's been happening with your eyesight, answer a couple of questions, and get a recommendation. You finish the lesson by getting there in conversation — not by answering questions about it. Nothing is corrected while you talk; the corrections are collected and handed to you at the end.

How it opens

Hi there! Please, sit down — what's brought you in today?

Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the optician.

The 5 steps that finish it

A step clears when you say the thing that clears it. The steps are identical at all four levels — only the example line fades, and at Natural there is none at all.

  1. 01

    Explain the problem

    Say hello, and explain what's been happening with your eyesight.

    Hi — things have been looking a bit blurry.

  2. 02

    Say how long

    Say how long you've noticed the problem.

    For about a month now.

  3. 03

    Give more detail

    Say when it's worse — screens, reading, or driving.

    It's worse with a screen, and reading small text.

  4. 04

    Check everything's covered

    Check everything's covered, and mention anything else.

    No, that's everything, thanks.

  5. 05

    Get a recommendation

    Listen to the recommendation, and say if you'd like to look at frames.

    Okay, thank you — do I need glasses?

The words, at all four levels

The same room and the same steps, four vocabularies. These are the words the lesson listens for and scores you on — with what each one means and how it sounds when you are talking to the optician.

Starter

A1 – A2

Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.

eyes
the parts of your body you see with
My eyes feel tired.
blurry
not clear, hard to see well
Things look blurry.
see
to use your eyes to look
I can't see well.
month
a period of about thirty days
For about a month now.
screen
the part of a phone or computer you look at
It's worse with a screen.
read
to look at and understand words
It's hard to read small text.
glasses
lenses you wear to help you see
Do I need glasses?
test
a check of how well you see
Thanks for the test.
please
a polite word when you ask
Glasses, please.
thanks
a short way to say thank you
Thanks for your help.

Conversational

A2 – B1

Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.

eyesight
your ability to see
My eyesight's been a bit off.
strain
tiredness from overusing your eyes
I've had some eye strain.
distance
how far away something is
It's worse at a distance.
headaches
pains in the head
I've had a few headaches too.
focus
to make something clear and sharp
It takes a while to focus.
gradually
slowly, over time
It's happened gradually.
prescription
the details of your correct lenses
Has my prescription changed?
reading
glasses used only for close-up text
Would reading glasses help?
appointment
a planned meeting, like with an optician
Thanks for the appointment today.
appreciate
to be grateful for
I appreciate the check.

Confident

B1 – B2

Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.

astigmatism
a common cause of blurred vision
Could it be astigmatism?
deteriorated
become worse over time
It's deteriorated slightly.
peripheral
at the edge of your field of vision
My peripheral vision seems fine.
correction
an adjustment to fix your vision
Would I need much correction?
varifocal
lenses that adjust for near and far
Would a varifocal lens suit me?
prolonged
lasting for a long time
It's mostly prolonged screen use.
referral
being sent to a specialist
Would that need a referral?
frames
the part of glasses that holds the lenses
Could I look at frames after?
adjustment
a period of getting used to something
Is there an adjustment period?
appreciate
to be grateful for
I'd appreciate that.

Natural

B2 – C1

Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.

squint
to narrow your eyes to see better
I've noticed myself starting to squint.
hazy
unclear, as if through mist
Everything's a bit hazy lately.
creeping
happening slowly and gradually
It's been a creeping thing.
strained
tired from overuse
My eyes feel strained by evening.
tweak
a small adjustment
Probably just needs a small tweak.
juggle
to manage several things at once
I juggle screens most of the day.
browse
to look through options casually
I'll browse the frames after.
settle
to get used to something over time
It should settle after a week or two.
obliged
grateful for a favour
Much obliged, thank you.
sorted
dealt with and settled
Great, we're sorted.

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Architect

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Student

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Studying and applying abroad.

Marketer

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Leading campaigns in English.

Nurse

🇮🇹

Caring for international patients.

Pharmacist

🇸🇪

Advising international patients.

UX Designer

🇳🇱

Presenting work to global teams.

PhD Candidate

🇦🇺

Defending research in English.

Sales Manager

🇫🇷

Closing deals across borders.

Dev Engineer

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Standups, reviews, async writing.

Cabin Crew

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Serving passengers confidently.

Accountant

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Reporting to international clients.

Startup Founder

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Pitching and leading remote teams.

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Collaborating on global projects.

Student

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Caring for international patients.

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