The Sound of English

 Ever have to be part of a conversation in your second language?

The video below is more for new ESL instructors and native-English speakers. The next time you're trying to communicate with a non-native speaker of English, remember what you learn from the video below.

Business English: Fast Talkers On The Phone

Using the phone in a second language is very difficult, especially at work. Today, we'll look at how to handle fast talkers on the phone.

Fast Talkers

First, politely ask the caller to slow down.  Use indirect questions to help you with the problem (see post).

Situation 1: The Caller is talking too fast.


Excuse me. _______________________

a) Slow down. You're talking too fast.

b) Speak slowly!

c) Speak slowly, please.

d) Could you speak more slowly, please?

Think about the answer then click "read more" to learn the answer.

Business English: A Great Textbook for Telephoning In English

As always, there are many textbooks using the phone (smartphone, home phone, etc) in English. In my fifteen years of ESL teaching, "Telephoning in English" is the best for ESL learners who work in an international business.

There's a lot of non-native English speakers, so ESL learners get to listen to accented English. In business, you may often speak to people from Germany, Italy, France, and other non-English speaking countries. Telephoning In English will help you get used to different accents.

Telephoning In English is not easy. The speakers talk more naturally (fast), and, again, have strong accents. This is good because that's what you will hear in real business situations.

 Telephoning In English covers taking messages, asking about late deliveries, and more. There's even a unit on ordering a pizza. So, you can practice different types of business telephone conversations.

Study Tip: If you're in an English speaking country, a good way to practice your telephone English skills is to order a pizza. The words you will need are very common (pepperoni is  pepperoni in most countries), and it's excellent practice.

You can order Telephoning In English here.