Telephone tips If the phone rings and someone speaks in English, don’t be afraid to answer it! The fear of talking on the phone in a second language will disappear if you practice often. Here are a few tips for helping you improve your ability to answer a call in English. 1._______________ Listening to someone speaking in a second language over the telephone can be very challenging because you cannot see the person you are trying to hear. However, it may be even more difficult for the person you are talking with to understand you. You may not realize that your pronunciation isn’t clear because your teacher and fellow students know and understand you. Pay special attention to your weak areas of your pronunciation when you are on the phone. 2._______________ Don’t pretend to understand everything you hear over the telephone. Even native speakers ask each other to repeat and confirm information from time to time. This is especially important if you are taking a message for someone else. Learn the appropriate expressions that English speakers use when they don’t hear something properly. Don’t be afraid to remind the person to slow down more than once. Keep your telephone in an area that is away from other noise distractions such as a radio or television. 3._______________. Ask another student to practice talking on the phone with you. You might choose one night a week and take turns phoning each other at a certain time. Try to talk for at least fifteen minutes. You can talk socially, or role play different scenarios in a business environment. The most important thing about practicing telephone English is that you are not able to see each other’s mouths. 4. _______________. There are many ways to get free telephone English practice. After business hours, you can call and listen to recorded messages. Write down what you hear the first time, and then call back and check if your notes are accurate. Make sure you have a pen handy so that you can repeat the information and check your comprehension. 5._______________. The way that you speak to your best friend on the phone is very different from the way you should speak to someone in a business setting. Many speakers make the mistake of being too direct on the telephone. It is possible that the person on the other line will think that you are being rude on purpose if you don’t use formal language in certain situations. Sometimes just one word such as could or may is necessary in order to sound polite. Take the time to learn how to answer the phone and say goodbye in a polite manner, as well as all the various ways one can start and end a conversation casually. Listening to someone on the telephone is like listening to a taped recording in class. The only difference is that you have to talk back! Follow the tips above and remember that practice makes perfect!