How to Speak English on the Telephone Part 2 of 2

Here is my second article on 'How to speak English on the telephone'. In this article I will talk about the correct use of formal English.

Many people who speak English as a second language often have to deal with business colleagues in other countries. This can cause you to be nervous and make mistakes. By following the tips in this article you will be able to overcome many of these problems.

Some basic rules for you to use;

1. Take a deep breath before answering the phone (this will relax you).
2. Listen carefully to the caller.
3. If you need to ask the caller to slowdown do so (this is not a bad thing).
4. Repeat the information back to the caller.

Now I will show you how to use some basic expressions during your conversation.

Formal or Informal?

When talking on the telephone in the business world you should always be formal, by being formal you will always be correct. To be formal you should use words such as COULD, CAN, MAY and WOULD. Here are some example sentences for you:

1. Could I speak to John please?
2. Can/May I take a message?
3. Would next Tuesday be OK?

Please and Thank you

Try to always use the two expressions PLEASE and THANK YOU. This way you will always be polite in your telephone conversations. It also shows respect for the person you are talking to.

Help and Clarification

Getting help and clarification on the telephone is not a bad thing; actually clarification in a business conversation is essential. Here are some examples for you:

1. Could you repeat that please?
2. Could you speak a little more slowly please?
3. Would you mind spelling that for me please?

Here are some ACTIONS for you:

1. Get together with a friend or colleague and practice the language from this article.
2. Then call your friend or colleague on a telephone and practice again.
3. Record the call (ask permission first).
4. Repeat.

Be sure to check the first article if you haven't already, the advice in both articles should be used together to help you progress effectively.

Have fun
Liam

How to Learn English by Reading

I have lost count of the amount of times students who are studying English have asked me 'How do I improve my reading skill?'

I believe that I have a really good way to help you improve your reading skill and it's very simple to do. If you use this method you will improve your vocabulary, understanding and reading skills.

This is what you need to do.

Book Choice

Choosing the right book is very important, if you choose the wrong book your English ability will not improve and you will have wasted your time.

1. Choose a book for a 12 or 14 year old (this will be of intermediate level).
2. Don't choose an adult book it will be too hard.
3. Choose a book that you're interested in.
4. I would suggest a fantasy book - they are more descriptive.

Once you have chosen a good book you have to use it correctly so you can improve your English ability.

Method

Make sure that you follow the method otherwise it won't work.

1. Have a highlighter pen available.
2. Have an English - English dictionary available.
3. Read for a maximum of 15 minutes per day - no more.
4. Highlight any words or phrases that you don't understand.
5. Try to work the meaning out using the surrounding sentence.
6. Then check in your dictionary.
7. If you have an English teacher you could also ask them.

Don't make the mistake of reading more than suggested, if you do you will begin to dislike the task and you won't improve.

Here are some actions for you.

1. Buy a book for your level.
2. Follow the method above.

I hope you found this tip helpful, if you did please leave some comments and feedback.

Happy reading.

Thanks
Liam

How to Speak English on the Telephone Part 1 of 2

A big fear for many people who speak English as a second language is speaking on the telephone. A lot of native speakers also fear telephone conversations for various reasons such as low confidence.

In this first tip my aim is to help you gain that confidence and never fear the telephone again.

First I want to talk about are some basic expressions, their meanings and some examples of use.

The basic expressions and their meanings are:
Hold on = wait
hang-on = wait
hang-up = finish the call
ring-off = finish the call
ring up = call somebody
put you through = connect you
get through to = contact on the phone
call back = return a telephone call

As you can see they are very simple and if you have spoken English on the telephone already you have probably already heard them.

Here are some example uses for you.
1. "Hello can I speak to John". "Hold on/hang on I will put you through".
2. "John just hung up/rang off on me".
3. "I can't get through to him can I ask him you call you back?"

You now need to practice these sentences by doing the following;
1. Get together with a friend or colleague and practice the sentences.
2. Then call your friend or colleague on a phone and practice again.
3. Record the call (ask permission first).
4. Repeat.

Be sure to do all the actions I have talked about so you can become confident on the telephone. Look out for part 2 which will be published soon.

Have fun
Liam

How Do I Learn English?

Since I have taught English communication there has been one question that I have been asked again and again; "How do I learn English"?

This is a difficult question because we are all individuals and therefore have different abilities. But there is something you can do if you are studying English or indeed anything - don't complicate it!

So what do I mean? When we learn something we don't learn everything at the same time, we take it in stages. Learning English is the same, we need to take it in stages. You will not learn everything in one day, one week or one month.

One of the biggest factors is confidence. If we increase our confidence then we become braver. When we become braver we try new things and by trying new things we become better and therefore we become more confident. Then our ability improves.

To do this if you have a teacher that's fantastic. You can ask your teacher what some of your mistakes are when you speak English. An example might be that you forget your prepositions. The three most common prepositions in the English language are in,on & at. So maybe you forget your prepositions or you use them incorrectly - make that your goal! Your goal is now to get your prepositions correct.

When you reach your goal you will feel really good;

1. You have learned something.
2. You have achieved something.
3. Your confidence will increase, you will become braver and you will feel good about yourself - this is important.

If you have a teacher who is teaching you English right now ask them what some of your problems are. If you don't have a teacher then this will be more difficult so be honest with yourself.

Most of my teaching experience has been in South Korea where the most common mistakes are the prepositions I have already mentioned in,on & at. Also articles - a,an,the. Maybe your problem is pronunciation, maybe you have difficulty pronouncing your R's and L's, your P's and B's etc.

So remember make your goals, achieve them and increase your confidence.

I hope you found this tip useful.

Thanks
Liam