Tips for Better Conversations in English at Work
2021-01-27
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1When we are learning a new language, carrying on a conversation can be difficult.
2It is even harder when there is the added pressure of doing a job well using the new language.
3One of our readers, Emre, works at a job that requires him to talk with customers in English.
4He recently asked for advice on how he can improve his listening skills.
5There are probably many other readers who use English in their daily work, too.
6So today, we will suggest some simple learning strategies to improve your ability to listen and carry on conversations.
7A learning strategy can be a thought or an action you take to make learning easier.
8Here are four strategies for you to consider.
9The first strategy is to predict what you will hear.
10Maybe your customers sometimes say they have problems with placing an order on your website.
11You can think about the ways they usually ask about that problem.
12What words do they often use in that kind of conversation?
13For example, customers may often use the word "order."
14The next strategy is to prepare a list of those words and listen for them when a customer begins talking with you.
15I call this "focusing when you listen."
16The next time you are listening to a customer, pay attention to the key words that help you understand their question.
17Next, think about what you can say to the customer to let them know you need a little help understanding them.
18You can let the customer know you are an English learner.
19There are two questions you can ask.
20At the beginning of the conversation, you can ask, "Would you please speak more slowly?"
21The other kind of question is one I call, "asking to clarify."
22Remember, you predicted some of the words your customers may use.
23You should listen closely for those words.
24When you hear one, you can ask the customer a short question to be sure.
25"Did you say you want to order?"
26You can prepare your answers to customers' questions and rehearse them in your free time.
27You may want to keep a notebook with your usual answers.
28You can practice saying them out loud to yourself.
29Finally, you can put all these actions and thoughts together.
30Let's say a customer calls and says:
31I want to order some face cream but I cannot find the button for ordering.
32You are not sure of the product the customer wants.
33But you did note the words "order" and "button," so you can ask a question to clarify the customer's request.
34You rehearsed this question:
35Are you looking for the button to order?
36The customer says, "Yes."
37Then, you can ask another question that you practiced.
38May I ask the name of the product you want to order?
39We hope that these four strategies will help you to better deal with your customers in English.
40Learning English takes time and effort, but sometimes a few good strategies make things easier.
41Another way you can prepare is to listen to English movies and podcasts as often as you can.
42The more you listen to conversations in English, the more you will understand over time.
43I'm Jill Robbins.
1When we are learning a new language, carrying on a conversation can be difficult. It is even harder when there is the added pressure of doing a job well using the new language. One of our readers, Emre, works at a job that requires him to talk with customers in English. He recently asked for advice on how he can improve his listening skills. 2There are probably many other readers who use English in their daily work, too. So today, we will suggest some simple learning strategies to improve your ability to listen and carry on conversations. 3A learning strategy can be a thought or an action you take to make learning easier. 4Here are four strategies for you to consider. 5Predict 6The first strategy is to predict what you will hear. Maybe your customers sometimes say they have problems with placing an order on your website. You can think about the ways they usually ask about that problem. What words do they often use in that kind of conversation? For example, customers may often use the word "order." 7Focus 8The next strategy is to prepare a list of those words and listen for them when a customer begins talking with you. I call this "focusing when you listen." The next time you are listening to a customer, pay attention to the key words that help you understand their question. 9Ask 10Next, think about what you can say to the customer to let them know you need a little help understanding them. You can let the customer know you are an English learner. 11There are two questions you can ask. At the beginning of the conversation, you can ask, "Would you please speak more slowly?" 12The other kind of question is one I call, "asking to clarify." Remember, you predicted some of the words your customers may use. You should listen closely for those words. When you hear one, you can ask the customer a short question to be sure. "Did you say you want to order?" 13Rehearse 14You can prepare your answers to customers' questions and rehearse them in your free time. You may want to keep a notebook with your usual answers. You can practice saying them out loud to yourself. 15Putting them together 16Finally, you can put all these actions and thoughts together. Let's say a customer calls and says: 17I want to order some face cream but I cannot find the button for ordering. 18You are not sure of the product the customer wants. But you did note the words "order" and "button," so you can ask a question to clarify the customer's request. You rehearsed this question: 19Are you looking for the button to order? 20The customer says, "Yes." Then, you can ask another question that you practiced. 21May I ask the name of the product you want to order? 22We hope that these four strategies will help you to better deal with your customers in English. Learning English takes time and effort, but sometimes a few good strategies make things easier. 23Another way you can prepare is to listen to English movies and podcasts as often as you can. The more you listen to conversations in English, the more you will understand over time. 24I'm Jill Robbins. 25Jill Robbins wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. 26________________________________________________________________ 27Words in This Story 28customer - n. someone who buys goods or services from a business 29conversation - n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people or the act of talking in an informal way 30focus - v. to direct your attention or effort at something specific 31rehearse - v. to say or do (something) several times in order to practice 32button - n. a small area on a computer screen that you click on to make the computer software do something 33What do you want to read about in a future Ed Tips story? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.