Like most English learners, you may find it difficult to make phone calls in English. However, if you happen to be traveling overseas or working in a foreign company, it is necessary to call in English. So how can we overcome the last hurdle to fluent English? Use the following phrase or technique to prepare for any possible phone call.
Introductions
Start talking by yourself: "Hello, this is Peter Jones. if the other party does not indicate who he is when you answer the call, you can say: "May I ask who's calling, please? "
Asking for someone/making a request
If you call a specific person, you have to use a polite question to express your intention, for example, "may I speak to Rachel Smith, please? "When you only know the extension number but do not know the name of the person, you can say:" cocould I have extension number 635? "But if the call has a specific purpose, it is best to say:" I'm calling to make a reservation ."
Holding and transferring
"Please hold" indicates "wait" in the telephone language. When you need to transferred to another part of the machine, you will often hear: "connecting your call..." or "Please hold, I'll transfer you .". "If you call a company during busy hours, you may hear a short sentence before the operator transfers you to another line. "Hello, please hold! "
Leaving a message
When the caller is absent or cannot answer the call, leave a message. You can use voicemail (an electronic recording system) or an answering machine (a machine for recording on tape ). If you are talking to the operator, they will ask: "wocould you like to leave a message? "Or you can say," May I leave a message? Don't forget to keep your phone number if you want the other party to call back. This is called the call back number.
Asking the speaker to slow down
If you are not sure that you can understand all English conversations, you must be honest and tell the other party directly: "My English isn' t very strong, could you please speak slowly? "Most people will approve of your honesty and are happy to do so.
Write it down
If you feel that you are still nervous about making phone calls in English, writing down your speech in advance will be helpful to you. Outline the content you need to talk about. You can use this outline to organize your language in advance and learn from it if you have any questions during the call.
Remember your manners
It is very important to use civilized and polite languages during calls. When requesting someone else, please use similar phrases, 'Could you ', and 'please '. And always remember to end the call with 'thank you' and 'Goodbye!