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ESL is exhausting - TiredMT

Posted: Mar 16, 2011

Whew, ESL can be so dang exhausting when you have to do umpteen reports. In my case, the English as far as understanding it isn't the worst part. It's the fact that they speak incorrect English and constantly use past tense with present tense, and singular with plural. Constantly having to listen for those mistakes and go back and forth correcting and/or adding and/or removing all these little words like is/are, on/in, was/were, and how about leaving words completely out of the dictation. Ughhh... exhausting and frustrating. Done with ESL for the day and done with vent... but still exhausted. Thanks.

To me, inconsistency, confusion, redundancy, repetition, - etc. are what are tiring, no matter SM

[ In Reply To ..]
what the accent is. Would you perhaps be interested in trading your worst for mine?

As a disclaimer, I have to say he has an accent, though not ESL, as he's from Boston and dictates everything through his nose Baaaston-style. I have no trouble understanding him, but I wince whenever he comes up because he never says anything the same way twice but does always say everything at least twice.

His sentences are frequently so convoluted that I'm constantly backing up to correct punctuation, break them apart, etc.

He does a quarter page of CYA patient-consent in every report, but never with the same wording; I have to slog through that dreary mud with him word for word every time.

He must have been dictating his way-too-long reports for at least a quarter century but somehow has never come to understand that his PE observations should go under the PE heading, all the drugs mentioned should be included in his drug list instead of extras being sprinkled about the report, lab test results don't go in the impression as an afterthought, etc.

I'd gladly trade him for your least favorite, but fairness requires me to suggest you probably shouldn't bite.

To TiredMT - Lee

[ In Reply To ..]
After a few ESL reports like you describe, I am mentally exhausted. Especially when the client is so darned arrogant/ignorant that they think their dictations should be done verbatim. I am tempted, just once!!!! Dare we make a single error when sorting through such a mess? No pat on the back, no gold star for sticking with the report instead of getting a migraine and signing off. Before I leave this profession, I am going to do a couple "verbatim" reports.

Honest, it's just not that hard for everyone. But why not - do them verbatim if that is what is requested?

[ In Reply To ..]
Why wait until you get out and, for that matter, why wait to get out? Seriously, you're not describing a life anyone would want to have. Truncate it and move ON?? An 8-week phlebotomist course will get you a modest income and a merciful change while you decide on your next step.

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