Episode 45
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Hi, everyone!
I'm Georgiana, founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help YOU to speak English fluently and confidently.
In today's episode:
I'll be teaching you how to speak over the phone in English.
Later, you'll practice your English grammar and vocabulary with a point of view story.
Awesome! Let's get started!
Speaking English can be very intimidating for many students. However, talking on the phone in English may be even harder.
Picture this. It's your first day of work, and you need to answer the phone and talk to clients in English. If you have no previous experience, this can be a big challenge for you!
And that's why I've decided to show you how to pick up the phone at work and to place a call without any difficulty!
How to PICK UP THE PHONE?
I'll start by teaching you some useful questions that you can ask when you answer the phone at work.
Start by saying hello!
Let's see some examples:
In the following examples, "Language Learning" is the name of the company Jessy works for.
"Good morning! Language Learning, Jessy speaking. How may I help you?"
"Language Learning, this is Jessy speaking."
Or you could simply say:
"Language Learning, Jessy speaking."
Asking for information:
After you say hello, it's time to ask some questions:
"Could I ask who's calling, please?"
"Could I ask what company you're with?"
"Could you give me your mobile/cell phone number, please?"
Transferring a call:
If you're transferring a call, inform the caller that you are doing so, so that they don't think that the line was disconnected. Use these phrases when you transfer a call:
The following sentences are formal:
"Could you hold on a moment, please?"
"Just a moment, please."
"Hold the line, please."
"I'll just put you through."
If you already know the person, then you can be more informal using the following examples:
"Hold on a minute."
"Just a minute."
"Just a moment."
"Wait a moment, please."
Take a message:
But what happens when the caller wants to speak to someone who's unavailable? Well, you'll have to take a message. Here are some questions that you could ask:
"I'm sorry, she's not here today. Can I take a message?
"I'm afraid he's not available at the moment. Can I take a message?"
When you're taking a message, you'll need to write down who's calling. Just use this simple and straightforward question: "Could I ask who's calling, please?"
If you have to write down names, it's best to ask people to spell words out for you. Just use one of these phrases:
"Could you spell that for me, please?"
"How do you spell that, please?"
Just to make sure that you've written down their name correctly, ask this question:
"Let me see if I got that right."
After you got the caller's message and their name, you can use these phrases:
"I'll give him your message as soon as he gets back."
"I'll ask him to call you as soon as he gets back."
Now it's time to learn HOW TO MAKE A CALL:
Start by introducing yourself:
For example, if you work for a company called Speak English Now and your name is Mary, you could start by introducing yourself like this:
"Hello, this is Mary Jones from Speak English Now speaking.
Or just say:
"Hi, it's Mary Jones from Speak English Now."
Asking for somebody:
When you ask for somebody, and you want to be very formal, you can use this first question:
"May I please speak to Mr. Jason Smith?"
The next question is still formal but more straightforward:
"May I speak to Jason Smith?"
And when you're sure the person is available to talk to you, just say something like this:
"I'd like to speak to Jason Smith, please."
why are you calling?
When you call, you need to let them know why you are calling. Start by saying that you're calling to discuss or ask about something or to clarify any concerns.
Examples:
"I'm calling to ask about your business proposal."
"I'm calling to discuss our agreement."
"I'm calling to clarify your possible concerns."
Leaving messages:
On the other hand, if you call and the person you want to speak to isn't available, just leave a message. Here's what you could say:
"Could you please take a message? Please tell him that Mary from Speak English Now called."
"I'd like to leave her a message. Please let her know that tomorrow's meeting is canceled."
However, if you don't want to leave a message, you could ask when would be a good time to call again:
"When is a good time to call?"
"When is she going to be back?"
"When is he going to be available?"
Ask when you don't understand:
And whenever you don't understand something, it's best to ask. The information may be important, so just ask them to repeat it for you:
"I'm sorry I didn't catch your last name."
How to say NO:
Sometimes you can't help the other person, and it's not always easy to say no. Try to use one of these two phrases:
"I'm afraid I can't give you that information."
"Sorry, but I'm not allowed to give details about that."
How to end the call:
When you need to finish the conversation, make sure you thank the other person for calling. Use one of these phrases:
"Thanks for calling."
"Thank you for your time."
Want more speaking practice? Continue with a complete audio course.
GRAMMAR MADE EASY
POV Story: Grammar in Context
Read the same story in two different points of view and notice how the grammar changes naturally.
| 01 |
First version Mary's Point of View |
Hi! I'm Mary, and I just started working for a new company. Today was my first day, and I was anxious because I had to pick up the phone and make calls in English.
The first time I've picked up the phone I've been way too nervous and abrupt. I just asked the caller: "Who's calling?"
The caller demanded to speak to my boss. Therefore, I tried to put him through. Unfortunately, I forgot to tell him to hold on the line, so the man on the other line got the impression that the call was disconnected, and he just hung up.
After this first call, my supervisor realized that I needed training. He then explained how to make a call. I'll have to start by introducing myself and giving my company name. If the caller isn't available, I'll have to call back later.
Once the supervisor had finished explaining to me how to make a call, he asked me to place a call in English. So, I began by introducing myself and then asked if I could talk to Mrs. Smith. The secretary said that her boss had gone out for lunch, so I called back in a few hours.
After hanging up the phone, I felt a little more comfortable and very proud of myself. At that moment, I hoped to become the company's best secretary.
| 02 |
Second version Third Person · Past Tense |
Mary started working for a new company. The first day she was anxious because she'd have to pick up the phone and make calls in English.
When she picked up the phone for the first time, she was too nervous and abrupt. She just asked: "Who's calling?"
The caller demanded to speak to her boss. Therefore, Mary tried to put him through. Unfortunately, she forgot to tell him to hold on the line, so the man on the other line got the impression that the call was disconnected, and he just hung up.
After this first call, Mary's supervisor realized that she needed training. He then explained how to make a call. She'll have to start by introducing herself and giving her company name. If the caller isn't available, she'll have to call back later.
Once the supervisor had finished explaining to Mary how to make a call, he asked her to place a call in English. So, she began by introducing herself and then asked if she could talk to Mrs. Smith. The secretary said that her boss had gone out for lunch, so Mary called back in a few hours.
After hanging up the phone, Mary felt a little more at ease and very proud of herself. At that moment, she already knew that she'd become the best secretary in the company.
And just like Mary had predicted, she was soon promoted and named the employee of the month.
Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Review
Vocabulary
Review the most useful words and expressions before listening again.
Pick up the phone
To answer a telephone call.
Transfer a call
To connect a caller to another person or department.
Hold the line
To wait on the telephone without hanging up.
Put you through
To connect your call to the person you want to speak to.
Take a message
To write down information for someone who is unavailable.
Spell out
To say the letters of a word one by one.
Leave a message
To give information for someone who is not available to speak.
I didn't catch that
A polite way to say that you did not hear or understand something.
Want more speaking practice? Continue with a complete audio course.
English is very applicable in many ways.
You are absolutely right dear Joan!
Its very useful to me.
Thanks a lot 👍
You’re welcome dear Chanam!
Your course is absolutely phenomenal! I’m absolutely addicted to listen it. I hope that my english will progress with your podcasts.
Thank you and keep going with great work!
Regards
Ivan
Thanks Ivan! I’m so happy you are enjoying my English courses. Have a nice day!
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Have a nice day.
Thanks! I’m glad that you’re finding my English lessons useful.
Thanks a lot ! Very useful !!! Congrats!
Thanks!!