English For Telephoning
English For Telephoning
English For Telephoning
1. Work with a partner. Ask him or her the questions below and make a note of the
answers. Then tell the class what you found out.
2. Look at the Useful Phrases below. Then, choose a title from below for each set of
phrases.
Making the connection Getting through to the right person
Giving your name When the person isn’t available
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
4. Three people are calling the company Micah Information Systems. Listen to the
three dialogues and complete the table. (Audio 2-4)
Who is calling?
6. There are usually two ways of saying the same thing: a formal way, or a less formal
way. Find pairs of expressions with the same meaning and complete the table.
8. Make excuses for why your boss doesn’t want to come to the phone. Try to use I’m
afraid, I’m sorry, or actually in each sentence.
9. When we telephone we often have to deal with communication problems.
Listen to the dialogues and match them with the problems. Sometimes more
than one answer is possible. (Audio 5-12)
10. Now complete the extracts from the dialogues with words from the box. Then
listen again to check your answers. (Audio 5-12)
Telephoning roleplay. Work with a partner to make a phone call. Use the prompts
given
2. Listen to the dialogues again and complete the sentences and questions below.
(Audio 13-14)
HOW TO BE LESS DIRECT
In English, the less direct a sentence is, the more polite it is. For example, we
often use the past tense (was, wanted) instead of the present tense (is, want).
The pat tense is more polite, because it’s less direct.
What was your question?
I just wanted to check...
I wanted to ask about...
Similarly, we often use could and would to make questions or statements less
direct.
Could you tell me what the price would be? (instead of Can)
What would be your preferred means of payment? (Instead of is)
3. Rewrite the sentences below to make them less direct, as in the example.
Check each piece of information that the other person give you - even if you think you
have understood everything perfectly, you might have actually misunderstood
something the other person said. You can do this by:
4. Ask about the underlined information, as in the example. More than one answer
is possible each time.
Spelling.
Most English speakers use common words or
personal names to spell words. For example, to
spell NATO, an English speaker might stay:
That’s N for Neil, A for apple, T for Thomas, O
for orange.
We say N for Neil or N as in Neil, not N like Neil.
5. Work with a partner to practice spelling. Look at the list of place names. Spell
the names in the list for your partner and write down the names your partner
spells for you.
First spell the place names below (1-4) for your partner. (The words in brackets
tells you where you can find these places - they do exist).
1. Ambato Finandrahana (Madagascar)
2. Narvskoye Vodokhranilische (Estonia)
3. Thabana-Ntenyana (Lesotho)
4. Lubuklinggau (Indonesia)
Then write down the words your partner spells for you (5-8).
5.
6.
7.
8.
Useful phrases
Telephoning roleplay. Work
with a partner to make a
Opening the call Exchanging phone call. Use the prompts
given
I’m calling about... information
I have a question What was your
about... question? You work for BrightFuture
Pharmaceuticals. You have
I wanted to ask about...What would you like
received an order from NDL
Are you the right to know? Inc. but you don’t have a
person to ask? Could you tell me...? delivery address. Call NDL Inc.
to get the information. You
Checking information
would also like the email
Would you like me to spell address and mobile phone
that for you? number of the person who
Did you say...? placed the order in case you
Sorry, I didn’t catch that. have any more questions.
Let me just read that back
to you.
Let me just check that.
3 Leaving and Taking messages
1. Anke Schmidt works at JKL Consulting in Stuttgart. Listen to these two phone calls
she receives and say in which call: (Audio 17-18)
3. Now match the two parts of sentences from the second call. Then listen again to
check.
4. Make eight sentences for dealing with messages. Use one word or phrase from
each column, as in the example.
Practice the sentences above with your partner. Use the different expressions
from the chart.
Making and Confirming
4 Arrangements
1. How well can you talk about times and dates in English? Try this quiz and compare
your answers with a partner. Then check your answers.
2. Simon Mellor works at London Bank in Frankfurt. Look at his diary for next week,
then listen and write in the appointment he makes. (Audio 19)
Monday
Wednesday Saturday
4 pm telephone
Thursday Sunday
conference with US
office
3.Add the following sentences and questions to the table below.
Suggesting a meeting or an
Saying if a time is convenient or not
appointment
SMALL TALK
when we call someone we know, we usually make a little bit of small talk
before we start talking business.
Here are some typical telephone small talk questions.
How are things in (name of town)/ at (name of firm)?
Are things busy with you?
What have you been up to? (What have you been doing recently?)
How is the weather there?
How was your holiday/ your trip to (name of place)?
How is (name of family member)?
We usually make the change from small talk to business with a signal
word such as listen or anyway:
Listen Frank, I was actually calling about...
4. Match the small talk questions and answers.
5. Have mobile phones made our lives easier, or are they just annoying and
unnecessary? Listen to four speakers and match what they say to the pictures.
Which opinion(s) do you agree with? (Audio 23-26)
Speaker 1- Mobile phones can be , but I don’t like the fact that people can
always me.
Speaker 2- Surely they can let their pick up and then listen to any
later.
Speaker 3- I hate mobile phones! I think they’re one of the mot annoying
ever. And people make so many pointless now.
Speaker 4- Now i never need to worry about being late for an : if I’m
stuck in traffic, I just call and let the person .
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