Making Business English phone calls
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Duration: 60-90 minutes
Materials:
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Whiteboard or flip chart
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Handout on phone call vocabulary and phrases (materials included)
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Audio recording of a phone call or video of a phone conversation (not included)
Objectives:
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Improve Business English phone conversation skills
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Learn and practice phone call vocabulary and phrases
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Develop confidence and fluency in phone communication
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1. Introduction (5 minutes):
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Greet the students and explain the objectives of the lesson.
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Ask students about their experience with Business English phone calls and their confidence levels in this area.
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2. Vocabulary and Phrases (15 minutes):
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Hand out the phone call vocabulary and phrases worksheet.
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Review the most common phrases and vocabulary related to Business English phone calls.
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Write down examples of common phrases on the whiteboard or flip chart and ask the students to provide their own examples.
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3. Listening Exercise (20 minutes):
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Play an audio recording of a phone call or show a video of a phone conversation (not included).
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Ask the students to take notes on the conversation.
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After the recording, ask the students to discuss the conversation and identify the main points and purpose of the call.
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Review the conversation as a class and highlight important vocabulary and phrases.
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4. Role Play Exercise (30 minutes):
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Divide the students into pairs.
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Provide each pair with a different scenario related to Business English phone calls, such as a customer service call or a sales call.
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Examples:​
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Making a Sales Call: You are a sales representative and need to make a call to a potential customer to promote your company's product or service.
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Scheduling a Meeting: You need to call a business associate to schedule a meeting at a convenient time for both parties.
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Handling a Complaint: You work in customer service and need to handle a complaint from an unhappy customer over the phone.
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Confirming Details: You need to call a client to confirm the details of a project or order.
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Following Up: You need to follow up with a business contact regarding a previous conversation or agreement made over the phone.
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Taking a Message: You need to take a message for a colleague who is not available to take the call.
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Leaving a Voicemail: You need to leave a professional voicemail for a business contact.
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Give the students 10 minutes to prepare for the role play exercise.
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One student acts as the caller and the other acts as the receiver.
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The students perform the role play and practice using the phone call vocabulary and phrases.
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After each role play, provide feedback and suggestions for improvement.
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5. Conclusion (5 minutes):
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Summarize the main points of the lesson and review the importance of Business English phone calls.
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Encourage the students to continue practicing their phone conversation skills outside of the classroom.
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6. Follow-Up:
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Provide additional resources and exercises for students to practice phone call skills on their own, such as online quizzes or role play scenarios.