Eric (E) is on a business trip. In the dialogue below he calls his colleague Maria (M) from the local office.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 559.

A. Read the dialogues aloud. Do it by yourself or with a colleague (changing roles at the end). Practise several times until you're fluent.

Vocabulary skills.

Returning after problems

Technical problems

Active listening

Clarify

Ask for repetition

Can you repeat that?

Sorry, I didn't catch that.

Would you mind saying that again?

Did you say fifty, five-zero?

What exactly do you mean by …?

Let me just check that I understand. Are you saying that… ?

Can I just go over that again?

Right. / I see. / I understand. / OK.

Really? / That's interesting.

(confirming) Exactly. / Yes, that's right. / Correct.

(pleasure) Great! / Fantastic! / That's wonderful!

Can you speak up a bit?

It's really bad line. You keep breaking up.

My battery is very low. I think we're going to get cut off.

It's very noisy in here – I'll just go outside. Can you hear me now?

We got cut off. I don't know what happened.

Sorry about that. Where were we?

E: Maria? I'm on a train from the airport. My flight arrived late.

M: Eric? It's really bad line. You keep breaking up.

E: We're going through tunnels. I was saying that my flight arrived late. I'll have

5 to change plans.

M: Right.

E: Instead of going to the hotel to change. I'll go straight to the conference venue.

10 M: Sorry, I didn't catch that. Do you want to change the hotel?

E: No, no. I was saying I don't have time to change my clothes at the hotel. I need to go straight to the conference venue. But I … Hello?

15 M: Hello?

E: We got cut off. I don't know what happened. Yes, I need to go straight to the venue. I'll see you at the registration desk at two.

M: I understand. I'll meet you at two o'clock at the registration desk.

E: Exactly.

M: Thanks for letting me know.

E: OK, I have to go now. I have another call to make. See you at two. Bye.

· Notice at line 6 how Maria uses active listening.

· Notice at line 9 how Maria ask for repetition and then says she heard.

· Notice at line 18 how Maria repeats the important information.