WEBVTT FILE 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.698 Hey there I'm Emma from mmmEnglish 2 00:00:03.698 --> 00:00:06.727 and today you are gonna learn some useful 3 00:00:06.727 --> 00:00:09.115 phrases and expressions to... 4 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:13.078 speak on the phone in English. 5 00:00:13.078 --> 00:00:16.864 Many of my students tell me that phone conversations in English 6 00:00:16.864 --> 00:00:19.523 make them feel stressed! 7 00:00:19.524 --> 00:00:23.970 So I want to take the stress and the fear out of making phone calls 8 00:00:23.970 --> 00:00:25.957 or taking a phone call. 9 00:00:25.957 --> 00:00:28.903 I've actually split this lesson in two because 10 00:00:28.904 --> 00:00:33.276 there are lots of really great telephoning expressions to learn. 11 00:00:33.276 --> 00:00:36.876 So this first lesson is one where I'm going to teach you the exact 12 00:00:36.876 --> 00:00:41.340 phrases to start a phone call and to introduce yourself clearly, 13 00:00:41.340 --> 00:00:44.651 to request information or perhaps help 14 00:00:44.651 --> 00:00:49.638 and to request clarification if you need it or check that you heard 15 00:00:49.638 --> 00:00:50.964 someone correctly. 16 00:00:50.964 --> 00:00:54.721 Part two will be here for you in just a couple of days so make sure 17 00:00:54.721 --> 00:00:58.619 you subscribe and you turn on notifications so that you know 18 00:00:58.619 --> 00:01:00.214 as soon as it's here for you. 19 00:01:00.214 --> 00:01:01.880 Right now, let's practise! 20 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:08.544 Hey ladies! 21 00:01:08.544 --> 00:01:12.781 Do you want to practise English in real conversations? 22 00:01:12.897 --> 00:01:15.852 With really lovely speaking partners? 23 00:01:15.852 --> 00:01:19.440 Stop watching lessons at home on your own and come join us 24 00:01:19.440 --> 00:01:20.579 at Hey Lady! 25 00:01:20.868 --> 00:01:24.095 Hey Lady! is an online community for women. 26 00:01:24.172 --> 00:01:27.385 We'll help you to meet new speaking partners and practise 27 00:01:27.520 --> 00:01:30.101 real conversations in English. 28 00:01:30.101 --> 00:01:34.152 We offer a free trial so that you can experience everything on offer 29 00:01:34.153 --> 00:01:38.172 in a full membership and it's free for ten days. 30 00:01:38.172 --> 00:01:41.944 I've put the link down in the description below so that you can start 31 00:01:41.944 --> 00:01:44.043 your free trial today. 32 00:01:44.043 --> 00:01:47.458 I think that one of the trickiest things about phone calls 33 00:01:47.458 --> 00:01:51.431 is that you really only have your listening skills to rely on. 34 00:01:51.431 --> 00:01:55.521 You can't see the other person so you're missing out on a lot of 35 00:01:55.521 --> 00:01:58.733 the non-verbal communication tools that we use like 36 00:01:58.733 --> 00:02:02.794 facial expressions and hand gestures and things like that. 37 00:02:02.794 --> 00:02:07.629 In phone conversations, it is so important, so crucial 38 00:02:07.629 --> 00:02:11.162 that you take some extra steps to make sure that you're 39 00:02:11.162 --> 00:02:14.550 clear as you communicate and that your tone of voice 40 00:02:14.820 --> 00:02:16.829 helps with that communication. 41 00:02:17.322 --> 00:02:18.800 (phone ringing) 42 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:19.300 Hello? 43 00:02:21.399 --> 00:02:22.246 What do you want? 44 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:25.829 In today's lesson, I want you to pay attention to the words 45 00:02:25.829 --> 00:02:29.886 and the phrases that I use but I also want you to focus on the 46 00:02:29.886 --> 00:02:32.657 tone of my voice. Your tone 47 00:02:33.042 --> 00:02:35.104 is more important than you realise when you're 48 00:02:35.104 --> 00:02:36.311 speaking on the phone. 49 00:02:36.311 --> 00:02:40.950 It really is the first few seconds of any phone call that feels 50 00:02:40.950 --> 00:02:44.888 the most nerve-wracking so starting out confidently 51 00:02:45.177 --> 00:02:48.311 and really nailing those first few seconds is going to help you to 52 00:02:48.312 --> 00:02:51.778 give a good impression and help you to feel 53 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:54.493 more confident about the rest of the call. 54 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:58.269 So let's start with someone calling you 55 00:02:58.269 --> 00:03:00.784 because when you're answering the call, there are 56 00:03:00.784 --> 00:03:03.679 many different ways that you can greet someone, right? 57 00:03:03.679 --> 00:03:04.540 Hello 58 00:03:04.752 --> 00:03:07.373 isn't the only way that you can start 59 00:03:07.508 --> 00:03:10.769 and the tone of your voice will really determine how the rest 60 00:03:10.769 --> 00:03:12.423 of the conversation unfolds. 61 00:03:12.828 --> 00:03:14.608 Hey, how's it going? 62 00:03:14.608 --> 00:03:16.061 Hello, this is Emma. 63 00:03:16.254 --> 00:03:17.053 Hello. 64 00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:18.364 Hello? 65 00:03:18.364 --> 00:03:19.096 Hey! 66 00:03:19.096 --> 00:03:19.723 Hi! 67 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:21.416 Hey, this is Emma. 68 00:03:21.782 --> 00:03:24.880 If you want to sound really casual or friendly 69 00:03:24.880 --> 00:03:26.032 you could say: 70 00:03:26.032 --> 00:03:26.824 Hey! 71 00:03:27.748 --> 00:03:28.293 Hi! 72 00:03:28.736 --> 00:03:32.377 But if you really want to take charge of a call and present yourself 73 00:03:32.377 --> 00:03:34.616 with a little bit more confidence 74 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:37.892 then this is helpful in a professional setting or maybe when you're 75 00:03:37.892 --> 00:03:39.870 expecting an important call. 76 00:03:40.160 --> 00:03:42.054 You could try something like: 77 00:03:42.150 --> 00:03:43.496 Hello, Emma speaking. 78 00:03:43.496 --> 00:03:45.042 Hey, this is Emma. 79 00:03:45.273 --> 00:03:48.815 Did you notice how my facial expression changes as I answer 80 00:03:48.815 --> 00:03:51.499 depending on how serious I want to sound? 81 00:03:51.499 --> 00:03:54.811 This really does impact the tone of your voice 82 00:03:54.811 --> 00:03:57.886 and it's a useful tool to help you communicate 83 00:03:57.886 --> 00:03:59.640 really clearly when you're on the phone. 84 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:02.623 And when you pick up the phone and you see the name 85 00:04:02.623 --> 00:04:04.585 of someone that you know quite well, 86 00:04:04.585 --> 00:04:06.932 of course, you can greet them directly, right? 87 00:04:06.932 --> 00:04:08.376 Hi Suzy, how are you going? 88 00:04:08.723 --> 00:04:11.732 On the other hand, when you're the one making the call, 89 00:04:11.733 --> 00:04:15.583 a really good way to start is by greeting the other person 90 00:04:15.583 --> 00:04:19.095 and then introducing yourself before they even ask. 91 00:04:19.095 --> 00:04:22.361 If you're calling someone that you don't know, you could say: 92 00:04:22.361 --> 00:04:24.160 Hi my name's Emma! 93 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:26.779 And then explain the reason for your call. 94 00:04:26.991 --> 00:04:29.040 I'm calling about a lost parcel. 95 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:32.319 Hello this is Emma, I'm just returning your call. 96 00:04:32.320 --> 00:04:34.000 But if you're calling someone that you know 97 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:35.278 you can just say: 98 00:04:35.451 --> 00:04:36.732 Hey, it's Emma. 99 00:04:36.810 --> 00:04:40.400 And actually, if this person knows you well enough to recognise 100 00:04:40.400 --> 00:04:42.355 your voice then you can just say: 101 00:04:42.355 --> 00:04:43.484 Hey, it's me. 102 00:04:43.484 --> 00:04:47.182 This is usually only appropriate with people that you're close with, 103 00:04:47.586 --> 00:04:49.354 kind of gets a little bit creepy if you're 104 00:04:49.354 --> 00:04:50.880 doing it to someone who doesn't 105 00:04:50.880 --> 00:04:52.790 really know you very well. 106 00:04:53.359 --> 00:04:55.496 Hello, it's me. 107 00:04:55.496 --> 00:04:59.266 It's also a good idea to take a moment to check 108 00:04:59.266 --> 00:05:01.721 whether or not the person that you've called 109 00:05:01.721 --> 00:05:03.452 is free to talk at the moment. 110 00:05:03.452 --> 00:05:05.657 Hey, is this a good time to talk? 111 00:05:05.658 --> 00:05:07.356 Have you got five minutes to chat? 112 00:05:07.664 --> 00:05:11.792 This is a really polite way to move along from the initial greeting 113 00:05:11.793 --> 00:05:15.918 and into the more important or the business part of your call, 114 00:05:15.918 --> 00:05:17.624 the reason why you're calling. 115 00:05:17.624 --> 00:05:21.674 But what about when you don't really have time to talk 116 00:05:21.674 --> 00:05:23.980 or it's not a good time to talk? 117 00:05:23.980 --> 00:05:25.388 What do you say then? 118 00:05:25.388 --> 00:05:28.373 Sometimes we need to get off the phone quickly because 119 00:05:28.373 --> 00:05:30.118 you're in the middle of something else 120 00:05:30.118 --> 00:05:33.174 so you can easily let them know by saying: 121 00:05:33.174 --> 00:05:35.388 Hi. I'm in a meeting right now, 122 00:05:35.388 --> 00:05:37.884 can I call you back in about half an hour? 123 00:05:39.880 --> 00:05:43.351 Now one of the main reasons why we make a phone call in the 124 00:05:43.351 --> 00:05:48.281 first place is to find something out or to request some information. 125 00:05:48.281 --> 00:05:51.757 So it's really important that you let that person know exactly 126 00:05:51.757 --> 00:05:53.011 why you're calling. 127 00:05:53.012 --> 00:05:56.101 Make it really clear at the start of the conversation. 128 00:05:56.101 --> 00:05:57.332 Hello, this is Emma. 129 00:05:57.333 --> 00:06:00.625 I'm calling to find out how long my delivery will take? 130 00:06:00.880 --> 00:06:03.067 Hi there. I'm a customer of yours. 131 00:06:03.067 --> 00:06:05.636 I'd like to speak to someone about my account. 132 00:06:06.002 --> 00:06:09.456 You can also introduce the purpose of your call with a really direct 133 00:06:09.456 --> 00:06:11.639 statement. Be clear. 134 00:06:12.313 --> 00:06:14.763 There's a strange charge on my bill. 135 00:06:14.763 --> 00:06:16.485 Could you tell me why it's here? 136 00:06:16.658 --> 00:06:19.405 Sometimes you might hit a dead end. 137 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:22.797 That's when the person that you're talking to is not able to give you 138 00:06:22.797 --> 00:06:25.385 any helpful or relevant information. 139 00:06:25.385 --> 00:06:29.747 So you might need to try a slightly different strategy at that time. 140 00:06:30.999 --> 00:06:33.679 Is there someone else I can speak to about this? 141 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:37.685 Can you direct me to the right person to talk to about this? 142 00:06:39.440 --> 00:06:42.660 Okay let's talk about some of the phrases that you can use to 143 00:06:42.660 --> 00:06:45.202 get yourself out of trouble on the phone 144 00:06:45.202 --> 00:06:47.879 so those times when you're listening to someone 145 00:06:47.879 --> 00:06:51.341 and you don't understand what they're saying. 146 00:06:51.437 --> 00:06:53.550 Maybe it's a word that you missed 147 00:06:53.550 --> 00:06:55.582 or it's a whole sentence. 148 00:06:55.582 --> 00:06:58.929 You feel kind of stuck, you're paralysed. 149 00:06:59.526 --> 00:07:01.808 Where do you go from here? What do you do? 150 00:07:01.808 --> 00:07:03.653 Firstly, don't worry. 151 00:07:03.653 --> 00:07:07.762 Don't think it's something wrong with you, it happens to all of us, 152 00:07:07.762 --> 00:07:09.326 native speakers as well. 153 00:07:09.326 --> 00:07:12.164 What we usually do is we check 154 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:16.026 what we've heard and we check that it's correct 155 00:07:16.026 --> 00:07:18.248 to make sure that we've understood correctly. 156 00:07:19.211 --> 00:07:20.761 Did you say...? 157 00:07:21.589 --> 00:07:24.925 And then all you need to do is complete the rest of that sentence 158 00:07:24.925 --> 00:07:27.377 with what you thought you heard them say. 159 00:07:27.377 --> 00:07:30.317 Did you say that the cafe closes on Sunday? 160 00:07:30.798 --> 00:07:33.927 Sometimes it might not be you, it's the connection. 161 00:07:33.927 --> 00:07:38.079 The connection's bad or it's fuzzy or it cuts out and it's really 162 00:07:38.080 --> 00:07:39.059 hard to hear. 163 00:07:39.059 --> 00:07:42.840 You don't always have to say that I don't understand you. 164 00:07:42.840 --> 00:07:46.265 There are other ways to confirm the information that you heard 165 00:07:46.265 --> 00:07:48.148 or get them to repeat what they said 166 00:07:48.590 --> 00:07:52.230 or to say it a little bit more clearly so you could try: 167 00:07:53.019 --> 00:07:55.673 I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. 168 00:07:55.673 --> 00:07:59.143 Saying something like this will prompt the other person to repeat 169 00:07:59.143 --> 00:08:02.438 what they said. It just means I didn't hear you 170 00:08:02.438 --> 00:08:04.615 or I didn't understand what you said. 171 00:08:04.615 --> 00:08:06.045 You can also say: 172 00:08:06.045 --> 00:08:09.351 Sorry, it cut out. Could you repeat that? 173 00:08:09.563 --> 00:08:11.967 So the phone line was cut, 174 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:15.354 something happened and you couldn't hear what they said clearly. 175 00:08:15.354 --> 00:08:18.198 Or another way to say the same thing is to say that the 176 00:08:18.198 --> 00:08:19.408 connection's bad. 177 00:08:19.408 --> 00:08:22.716 Sorry, the connection's really bad. I can't hear you. 178 00:08:22.716 --> 00:08:23.841 Can you repeat it? 179 00:08:24.072 --> 00:08:27.383 Sometimes people are just in a noisy place or maybe they're 180 00:08:27.383 --> 00:08:29.136 speaking too quickly. 181 00:08:29.136 --> 00:08:31.835 Sorry, would you mind slowing down a little? 182 00:08:31.835 --> 00:08:36.022 And sometimes it's just hard to understand and you need to clarify 183 00:08:36.022 --> 00:08:39.068 the information. It's important that it's correct. 184 00:08:39.068 --> 00:08:43.554 Was that F for free or S for sun? 185 00:08:43.881 --> 00:08:49.012 Letters like F, S, M, N, 186 00:08:49.013 --> 00:08:52.163 they can be notoriously difficult to understand. 187 00:08:52.164 --> 00:08:55.519 They're easy to misunderstand over the phone 188 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:58.751 so it's really handy if you have some other really simple, 189 00:08:59.040 --> 00:09:02.880 identifiable words that help you to be super clear. 190 00:09:02.880 --> 00:09:04.852 We often say things like: 191 00:09:04.852 --> 00:09:07.201 M for Mary, 192 00:09:07.375 --> 00:09:11.006 N for number, that kind of thing. 193 00:09:11.280 --> 00:09:13.335 So that's it for this lesson! 194 00:09:13.335 --> 00:09:17.261 You've learned over twenty extremely useful expressions 195 00:09:17.261 --> 00:09:20.179 and phrases that are used when talking on the phone. 196 00:09:20.179 --> 00:09:24.144 They're all ones that will help you to sound more professional 197 00:09:24.145 --> 00:09:27.541 when you speak on the phone and help you to confidently 198 00:09:27.541 --> 00:09:31.075 make other important phone calls, maybe to the bank, 199 00:09:31.075 --> 00:09:34.030 to make an appointment. This type of thing. 200 00:09:34.030 --> 00:09:35.761 And this was just part one! 201 00:09:35.761 --> 00:09:39.119 In part two I'm going to teach you some more important 202 00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:43.251 phone skills that will help you to interrupt someone politely, 203 00:09:43.251 --> 00:09:47.999 to ask someone to wait, to show your appreciation 204 00:09:48.249 --> 00:09:51.643 and of course, how to end that phone call. 205 00:09:51.643 --> 00:09:54.799 So make sure you subscribe to the channel just down there, 206 00:09:54.799 --> 00:09:57.356 turn on notifications so that you know as 207 00:09:57.356 --> 00:09:59.308 soon as part two is here for you. 208 00:09:59.308 --> 00:10:02.800 I've also made you a really handy worksheet that includes 209 00:10:02.800 --> 00:10:06.352 all of the phrases you need to have successful telephone 210 00:10:06.352 --> 00:10:07.982 conversations in English. 211 00:10:07.982 --> 00:10:11.386 It's going to be really handy to keep beside you at your desk 212 00:10:11.386 --> 00:10:13.417 or by your phone at home 213 00:10:13.418 --> 00:10:17.008 so that you can easily grab at these phrases when you need them 214 00:10:17.008 --> 00:10:20.624 and learn to use them more fluently over time. 215 00:10:20.624 --> 00:10:23.869 The link to that worksheet is down in the description below 216 00:10:23.869 --> 00:10:27.018 and if you want to come and practise speaking with me in a 217 00:10:27.018 --> 00:10:29.385 phone conversation dialogue, 218 00:10:29.385 --> 00:10:31.861 this lesson right here will help you do that. 219 00:10:31.861 --> 00:10:33.440 Let's get in there now!