oan -os 3 Making calls ‘Our telephone answering system has broken down. This is a human being. How can Thelp you? An ‘cus customer eeniee representative 4 How comfortable are you speaking English on the phone? Work with a partner. Complete and discuss the questionnaire below using the correct form of the following verbs: have lose shout wish keep try | sound — misunderstand i otlly what someone sald on the phone? really. rude and unhelpfl because you were busy? Onyes No ‘tb ask the other person to repeat what they said? hye No. £ putting off call cause you dide’t want to speak English? Oh.yes No scualy ___~_ at someone onthe phone! Ohyes No completely ______tack ofthe conversation? Ohyes No 7 jse____you could sale wo she oxhar person fae to face? Ohyes No ven pretending you were out to sold taking cal? Ohyes No vealy tol the person on the other end ofthe phone? Ohyes_No Making phone calls in a foreign language requires planning, I's especially important to know what to say right at the beginning of the call. 2 Eas.s Listen to the phone call, Why does the caller get angry? 3. Eels tisten to better version of the same phone call and complete the following: , accounts Marius Pot 4 [EB s.s Now listen to another phone call. Why does the caller sound so unprofessional? 5 Eeds.c Again, listen to a better version of the same phone call and complete the following: Ramon Berenguer Genex Pharmaceutical. Catherine Mellor, _? 3 Making calls 14Telephone phrases 6 A lot of the English you need on the phone is just a small number of key words used in different combinations. Work with a partner. How many telephone expressions can you make in 2 minutes using one word or phrase from two or more sections below (e.g, Can I have your name, please?). Write them down. for more on tiptoe ‘preasons 9 9290 &1 12. 8 Making calls ‘You overhear a colleague say the following things on the phone. Wha: questions do you think she was asked? Use some of the telephone expressions you made in 6. ‘Yes, I'd like to speak to Ifakat Karsli, please. b ? ‘Yes, its Ivana Medvedeva. c ° ? a ‘Yes. Can you just tell her Ivana called? e > ‘Yes, Fl tell him as soon as he gets in. t Of course. Your reference number is 45-81099-KM, OK? 9 > Sony, is that better? h 2 Can we make that two hours? Centainly. Can you give me your number?Voice mail 4 Eas tisten to six voice mail messages. Take notes. Which message is about aan order? L) dadeadline? LI b some figures? L] ea repo? [7] © amecting? | | f areminder? |) 2 Listen again and answer the questions. Message 1 How many times did Cheryl phone yesterday? Message 2 What's the good news about Phase One? Message 3. What did Zoltin include in his repor? Message 4 When was the delivery? Message 5 How late is the estimate? Message 6 What do you think is happening at 3 tomorrow? Past Simple endings 8 The messages above contain the following verbs. phoned, corrected, faxed ‘wanted, finished, explained started, e-mailed, inchided talked, despatched, delivered called, discussed, expected 6 tried, waited, booked anon “The ‘ed’ endings of regular verbs in the Past Simple can be pronounced in three different ways: /d/, Af or /rd. Listen to the messages again. Which verbs take the /id/ ending? Why? Put them in the third column below. ALICE, I JUST HERE'S A COPY SENT YOU AN OF MY MESSAGE E-MAIL. BUT I'LL JUST TELL YOU WHAT IT SAYS. TT SAYS T SENT YOU A VOICE MATL TELLING YOU TO LOOK FOR A FAX THAT SAYS T WANT TO TALK TO YOU. Tafeao1 22007 ones 8 Making calls 13Returning a call 1a Listen to two telephone calls and answer the questions. allt 1 a Whose answerphone are we listening to? 1b What does the caller want? 2 Purthe recorded message into the right order. ‘The first and last parts are in the right place. Hello, This is Patterson Meats, |") after the tonc and Til get back but if you'd like to leave Sylvia Wright's office. Tank you for calling Ym afraid Tm not able to take a fag, please do 80 4 message or send 1 your ell right now 1D to you as soon a 1 ean Call 2 1 Who didn't come to the meeting? a Bill Andrews b Stephanie Hughes ¢ Jonathan Powell d Melanie Burns 2 Who does Tim already know? a Bill Andrews b Stephanie Hughes ¢ Jonathan Powell Melanie Burns 3 What didn’t the visitors from the UK see? the processing plant ¢ the packing department a presentation b the factory the freezer units 4 Tim was interrupted during the phone call. Complete what he said 10 Sy Sorry 1 just Where ? 5 What were the British visitors worried about? 6 Would the product they came to see be popular in your country? Would you ty it Talking about the past 2 Put these irregular verbs from Call 2 into the ast Simple, You have 45 seconds! get meet take do speak sy 20 think have send come tell be give 3 One of the following extracts is from the phone call The other is incorrect. Which is incorrect and why? a So who else did come? Came Stephanie Hughes? So who else came? Bocrammer tink Did Stephanie Hughes come? tor more on the Past ‘Simple 988 page 60 14 3 Making callsFinding out Fluency Work with a partner. Phone each other in order to find out some information to help you Remember to show interest in 4 do business in a foreign city | what your partner tells you. or 2 give a presentation Really? or 8 attend a job interview 100 Right ‘Talk to your partner before you begin and Ubub, decide on the subject of your phone calls. | covet Think of the language you will need Great. Begin your phone callin this way: Ob, that's interesting (our name) bere. How are Anyway, look, I must let you things? .. And how's business? go. Thanks a lot for your belp. | Hi, (your partner's name). It’s | Finish your call like this: | | Speak to you soon. Bye now. | Then use the notes below to help you ask your ‘questions. Ask other questions if you like. L | erences Listen Irn going to (civ) on business in a couple of weeks. | eno you cid some business there a while ago and |just wanted to ask you row i went 1 Which aitne / fy with? 7 meetings go O8 2 business class? 8 language problems? 3° Where / stay? 9 charcelsee muchiciy? 4 What / food tke! 10 What / do / evenings! 5 What / people lke? II invite / their home? 6 easy to work with? 12. take a present? Listen, rm ging a presentation at__ (a meeting? «a conference?) in couple of weeks. | know you had to give a presentation ‘awhile ogo and [just wanted to ask you how it went. 1 Do /tak/ your own? 7 How many / visuals? 2 How long / take / prepare? & tel jokes 3 How big/ audience? 9 give / handouts? 4) How long’ speak for? 10 take questions / the end? 5 nervous! 11. any dficutt ones! 6 use PowerPoint? 12. How / deal with them? Wrest Listen, fon going for amine rnpany) in a couple of weeks, e1ow you hod an inte le ago and I just wonted to sk you how it went 1 How long / interview / last 7) ‘trickiest question? 2. How many interviewers! 8 ak/ personal question? 3 How friendly? 9 Have / do / a test 4 say what F looking for? 10 ask them / questions? 5 refer! your Ct TL What / salary / lke? & How interested / qualiications? 12. offer you / job? 3 Making calls 18