How to use this sample dialogue
This is an original practice dialogue in the shape of a real CCL dialogue: two speakers, about 300 words, and segments of 35 words or less. Social services is a common CCL domain, and Centrelink dialogues are full of numbers, time periods and terms that are easy to swap.
- Don't read the model answers first. Ask someone to read each source segment aloud, or record yourself reading them and play the recording a day later.
- Interpret each segment from a single hearing, taking notes. Record yourself.
- When all ten are done, compare your recording with the model column and the "watch for" notes.
Scenario: A Services Australia officer is meeting an Indonesian-speaking client who received a letter about a Centrelink overpayment.
The dialogue: segments 1–10
The officer speaks English and the client speaks Indonesian. Interpret in the first person.
| # | Source | Model interpretation | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Officer: Good afternoon. My name is Karen and I'll be looking after you today. I understand you've received a letter saying you were overpaid. Can I see the letter and your Centrelink reference number, please? | Selamat siang. Nama saya Karen dan saya yang akan membantu Anda hari ini. Saya mengerti Anda menerima surat yang menyatakan bahwa Anda menerima kelebihan pembayaran. Boleh saya lihat suratnya dan nomor referensi Centrelink Anda? | "Overpaid" means the client received too much money: kelebihan pembayaran, not "paid too much". Two things requested: the letter and the number. |
| 2 | Client: Ini suratnya, Bu. Saya bingung sekali. Katanya saya harus mengembalikan uang hampir seribu dua ratus dolar, padahal setiap dua minggu saya selalu melaporkan penghasilan saya. | Here's the letter. I'm really confused. It says I have to pay back almost one thousand two hundred dollars, even though I always report my income every fortnight. | Hampir = almost, not "about". Padahal = even though: the contrast must stay. Setiap dua minggu = every fortnight. |
| 3 | Officer: Let me have a look. Okay, the overpayment relates to the period from March to May. It seems the income you reported was lower than the amount your employer reported to the Tax Office. | Saya lihat dulu. Baik, kelebihan pembayaran ini terkait periode Maret sampai Mei. Sepertinya penghasilan yang Anda laporkan lebih rendah daripada jumlah yang dilaporkan pemberi kerja Anda ke Kantor Pajak. | Keep the hedge "it seems" (sepertinya). Lower vs higher: reversing the comparison is a distortion. |
| 4 | Client: Oh, mungkin karena itu. Waktu itu saya melaporkan gaji bersih, bukan gaji kotor. Saya tidak tahu kalau yang harus dilaporkan itu penghasilan sebelum dipotong pajak. | Oh, maybe that's why. At the time I reported my net pay, not my gross pay. I didn't know that what had to be reported was income before tax. | Gaji bersih = net pay, gaji kotor = gross pay. Swapping them reverses the whole explanation. |
| 5 | Officer: That's a very common mistake, so please don't worry. You do need to repay the debt, but you can set up a repayment plan. Would small fortnightly deductions from your payment work for you? | Itu kesalahan yang sangat umum, jadi jangan khawatir. Anda memang tetap harus membayar kembali utang itu, tetapi Anda bisa membuat rencana cicilan. Apakah potongan kecil setiap dua minggu dari tunjangan Anda bisa? | "You do need to" is an obligation; don't soften it. "Payment" here is the Centrelink benefit: tunjangan. |
| 6 | Client: Bisa, tapi jangan terlalu besar, ya. Saya masih harus bayar sewa rumah empat ratus lima puluh dolar per minggu, dan anak saya baru mulai sekolah bulan ini. | Yes, but please not too much. I still have to pay rent of four hundred and fifty dollars a week, and my child has just started school this month. | Per minggu = per week, not per fortnight. Anak saya has no gender: "my child". |
| 7 | Officer: I understand. We can set the amount based on your circumstances. Before we do that, are you still working the same hours, and is your pay still the same as it was in May? | Saya mengerti. Kami bisa menyesuaikan jumlahnya dengan keadaan Anda. Sebelum itu, apakah Anda masih bekerja dengan jam yang sama, dan apakah gaji Anda masih sama seperti bulan Mei? | Two questions in one segment. Dropping the second ("pay still the same as in May") is a common omission. |
| 8 | Client: Jam kerja saya malah dikurangi. Sejak bulan lalu saya cuma kerja tiga hari seminggu, dari jam sembilan sampai jam tiga. Apakah itu juga harus saya laporkan? | Actually, my hours have been cut. Since last month I've only been working three days a week, from nine until three. Do I need to report that as well? | Malah signals the opposite of what was expected: "actually". Cuma = only. Both times and "three days a week" must be there. |
| 9 | Officer: Yes, any change in your hours or income needs to be reported within fourteen days. If your income has dropped, your payment may go up, which would make the repayments easier to manage. | Ya, setiap perubahan jam kerja atau penghasilan harus dilaporkan dalam waktu empat belas hari. Kalau penghasilan Anda turun, tunjangan Anda mungkin naik, sehingga cicilannya akan lebih mudah dibayar. | "Within" fourteen days (dalam waktu), not "after". "May go up" is a possibility: keep mungkin. |
| 10 | Client: Syukurlah. Kalau begitu, tolong bantu saya mengisi formulirnya sekarang, Bu. Saya juga minta salinan rencana cicilannya, supaya bisa saya tunjukkan ke suami saya. | Thank goodness. In that case, could you please help me fill in the form now? I'd also like a copy of the repayment plan so I can show it to my husband. | Two requests: help with the form now, and a copy of the plan. Suami = husband (here the gender is explicit). |
The five traps in this dialogue
Net vs gross
The key fact of the dialogue sits in segment 4. Mixing up bersih and kotor makes the explanation nonsense. Add common money pairs to your vocabulary list: sebelum/sesudah pajak, potongan, tunggakan.
Week vs fortnight
Centrelink works in fortnights, rent is often quoted per week. Note "/mg" and "/2mg" differently in your notes so you don't merge them.
Contrast words
Padahal (even though) and malah (actually, contrary to expectation) carry the speaker's attitude. Leaving them out turns a complaint into a neutral statement.
Two-part questions and requests
Segments 1, 7 and 10 each contain two items. Draw a quick "1 / 2" in your notes whenever you hear "and" between two questions.
Hedges and obligations
"It seems", "may go up" and "you do need to" each set how certain or binding something is. Turning "may" into "will" is a distortion, even if the rest is perfect.
Check your attempt
NAATI marks by deducting for errors such as omissions, distortions, unnatural language and delivery problems. This checklist is a practice tool, not a predicted score.
| Check | Segments |
|---|---|
| Amounts, days and times correct ($1,200, $450, three days, nine to three, fourteen days) | 2, 6, 8, 9 |
| Net/gross and lower/higher not reversed | 3, 4 |
| Both parts of every two-part segment | 1, 7, 10 |
| Hedges and obligations kept | 3, 5, 9 |
| First person throughout | All |
Next, try the parent–teacher meeting dialogue or the GP appointment dialogue, and drill money and dates with the numbers guide.
Practise unseen social services dialogues
Real-format Indonesian–English dialogues with per-segment feedback. Your first dialogue is free.
Start practisingFrequently asked questions
Is this a real NAATI CCL exam dialogue?
No. It is an original practice dialogue written to match the published CCL format. NAATI does not release live test dialogues. The Centrelink details are part of the scenario, not advice about payments.
How do I translate gaji bersih and gaji kotor?
Gaji bersih is net pay (after tax) and gaji kotor is gross pay (before tax). Swapping them reverses the meaning of the whole segment, so it is a serious error.
Should I translate Centrelink into Indonesian?
No. Keep names of Australian agencies and programs such as Centrelink, Medicare and Services Australia as they are. Explaining them is not your job as the interpreter.
How should I interpret Bu or Pak when the client uses them?
Bu and Pak are polite forms of address. You can render them as ma'am or sir where it sounds natural, or carry the politeness through your tone. Do not add a name that was not said.
Sources and update
Updated . Independent study material by Indonesian NAATI. Not affiliated with NAATI. Rules may change; check the official sources before booking.