Speaking on the Phone - 1

Although many Czechs consider English to be one of the easier languages to learn, many who are "comfortable" speaking English often find themselves decidedly uncomfortable whenever it is that they are suddenly forced to do so on the telephone. Here are some tips which can help you with "Phone English."

Many Czechs are not comfortable speaking English on the phone

Angličtina na iDNES.cz
VŠECHNY LEKCE ZDE

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When you are calling someone on the phone, or what is called telephoning them, the first rule you should keep in mind is to ask yourself whether your phone call is formal or informal? In other words, are you calling a friend, someone who you know very well, or are you calling business acquaintance?

If it is just a friend you are ringing up, obviously you don’t have to pay as careful attention to what you say and how you behave vs. when you talk to someone such as your boss, or a potential business client. Here’s how you might begin a more formal phone call:

"Hello, my name is Pavel Novak, I am from the XYZ Company, may I speak with Mr. John Smith please?"

Sometimes, you’ll run into a secretary or office assistant who isn’t that helpful. Her boss might be very busy, or maybe "everyone" wants to talk to "the boss," so you have problems getting through successfully to the specific person you want to communicate with.

To help get around this problem, you can try using this tactic and sentence:

"Hello, my name is Pavel Novak, I am from the XYZ Company, may I speak with you boss, Mr. John Smith please? I’m returning his phone call," or you can end this sentence with the words "He’s expecting my phone call."

Usually, when a secretary or assistant hears that your call or activities are "expected," they’ll work harder to try and facilitate your requests.

                                                     Part II tomorrow

     Joke of the Day: More "Dumb" Laws 

1. In the country of France, it is against the law to name your pig Napoleon.

2. In the UK, if you paste a postage stamp upside down and it contains the image of the Queen, you can be tried for treason!

3. In the UK, according to the laws, a woman who is pregnant can literally go to the bathroom anywhere she wants to, even if it is inside a policeman’s helmet. This law is not considered to be “stupid” by the way.

4. In the state of Vermont in the USA, a woman must have permission from her husband in order to wear false teeth.

Angličtina vychází od pondělí do pátku.

Najdete ji také v bezplatném deníku Metropolitní expres.

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