- •Unit 4 On the phone
- •Work in groups. Discuss these questions:
- •Work in pairs. Answer these questions about the article:
- •For each of the verbs below, three or four words or expressions fit. In each case, circle the one which does not fit. Make sentences using the correct phrases.
- •Work in groups. Read the following information very attentively to understand telephoning well.
- •Read the dialogues aloud. Do it by yourself or with a colleague (changing roles at the end). Practise several times until you’re fluent.
- •Now try to remember the words below. (The last letters have been given) and check your answers.
- •We often use a past tense to make our language polite or indirect (to make the other person feel they are under no pressure).
- •Read the dialogues aloud. Do it by yourself or with a colleague (changing roles at the end). Practise several times until you’re fluent.
- •In the dialogue below the caller (c) wants to speak to someone who isn’t available. The receptionist (r) takes the call.
- •Put the words in the right order. Write the answers under the correct heading below.
- •Put the dialogue between secretary and caller into the correct order.
- •Vocabulary skills.
- •Read the dialogues aloud. Do it by yourself or with a colleague (changing roles at the end). Practise several times until you’re fluent.
- •In the next dialogue Erik has some good news for Maria.
- •Cover the page with a piece of paper. Now make phrases by matching an item from each column.
- •Erik ends the dialogue by saying ‘ok, I have to go now. I have another call to make’. Put the words below into order to make other phrases to end a call.
- •Vocabulary skills.
- •Read the dialogues aloud. Do it by yourself or with a colleague (changing roles at the end). Practise several times until you’re fluent.
- •In a dialogue below Monika (m) calls Liviu (l) to arrange a meeting.
- •In the next dialogue Liviu’s secretary (s) calls Monika (m) to change the arrangements.
- •In the telephone call below, Andy (a) calls Bulent (b) to arrange a meeting. Complete the dialogue with the words in the box.
- •In the next call, Bulent calls Andy to change the arrangements. Complete the dialogue with the words in the box.
- •Vocabulary skills.
- •Read the dialogues aloud. Do it by yourself or with a colleague (changing roles at the end). Practise several times until you’re fluent.
Unit 4 On the phone
“The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them”
Ralph Nichols
Starting up
Work in groups. Discuss these questions:
What do you enjoy about using the phone?
What do you dislike about making phone calls?
Do you enjoy making the long-distance calls?
Have you ever made an important phone call in foreign language?
Is it necessary to make sure you are talking to the correct person?
Is it essential to give important information, like figures, names, quantities, dates and so on, slowly and carefully?
Which of the following would you prefer to do?
Say right away what you are calling about, don’t expect the other person to guess this or work it out
Speak slowly and clearly, but in a friendly voice and smile while you are speaking
Don’t use technical terms or abbreviations, because the other person may not understand these as well as you do
Don’t interrupt the other person even if you know what he or she is going to say
Don’t phone during the other person’s lunch hour or just before they are about to stop work for the day
Reading
Background information
Work in pairs. Answer these questions about the article:
Can making a business call be a worrying experience for you?
Do you think most business people prepare for an important phone call in a foreign language?
Is it a good idea to repeat any important information (numbers and names) back to the other person to make sure he has got it right?
What can you say about good telephone manners?
Business Calls
If you don’t have much experience of making phone calls in English, making a business call can be a worrying experience. If you have to call someone you already know, you may actually enjoy making the call – but remember that long-distance calls are expensive.
Or you may have to make a first-time business call to a prospective client: not easy in English! Making a phone call to a stranger can be quite stressful, especially if they speak English better than you.
Most business people, unless they feel very confident, prepare for an important phone call in a foreign language by making notes in advance. And during the call they make notes while they’re talking to help them to remember what was said.
Although it’s quick and convenient to phone someone to give them information or to ask questions, the disadvantage is that there is nothing in writing to help you to remember what was said. It’s essential to make notes and often when an agreement is reached on the phone, one of the speakers will send a fax to confirm the main points that were made.
As it’s so easy to be misunderstood when talking on the phone it’s a good idea to repeat any important information (especially numbers and names) back to the other person to make sure you’ve got it right. Always make sure you know the name of the person you’re talking to. If necessary, ask them to spell it out to you, so that you can make sure you’ve got it right – and try to use their name during the call. And make sure they know your name too.
It’s important to sound interested, helpful and alert when answering the phone. You may have to make or receive calls to or from regular customers and prospective customers, so a good telephone manner not only makes an impression in business, but it also helps to make money.