Use businesses and recordings

There are many ways to get free telephone English practice. After

business hours, you can call and listen to recorded messages. Write down

what you hear the first time, and then call back and check if your notes

are accurate. Use the phone in your everyday life. Call for a pizza delivery

instead of going out to eat. Call a salon to book a hair appointment.

You can even phone the movie theatre to ask for the listings instead

of using the newspaper. Some large cities have free recordings you can

call for information such as your daily horoscope or the weather. (Make

sure that you aren’t going to get charged for these numbers first.) Some

products have free phone numbers on the packaging that you can call for

information. Think of a question you might want to ask and call the free

number! For example, call the number on the back of the cereal box and

ask for coupons. You will have to give your name and address. Make sure

you have a pen handy so that you can repeat the information and check

your comprehension.

Learn telephone etiquette (manners)

The way that you speak to your best friend on the phone is very

different to the way you should speak to someone in a business setting.

Many ESL speakers make the mistake of being too direct on the telephone.

It is possible that the person on the other line will think that you are being

rude on purpose if you don’t use formal language in certain situations.

Sometimes just one word such as “could” or “may” is necessary in order to

sound polite. You should use the same modals you would use in a formal

“face-to-face” situation. Take the time to learn how to answer the phone

and say goodbye in a polite manner, as well as all the various ways one can

start and end a conversation casually.

Practise dates and numbers

It only takes a short time to memorize English Phonetic Spelling, but

it is something that you will be able to use in any country. You should also

practise saying dates and numbers aloud. You and a friend can write out a

list of dates and numbers and take turns reading them over the phone to

each other. Record what you hear. Swap papers the next day and check

your answers. Click here to learn more about numbers.

Make 5 questions to the text and answer them.

Translate into English.

1. У напруженому житті ділових людей спілкування по телефо-

ну є незамінною можливістю для швидкого розв’язання проблем.

2. Однак перш ніж телефонувати у важливій справі, особливо до лю-

дини, статус якої вищий, а її рішення матиме важливе значення, треба

спочатку добре обміркувати можливий перебіг майбутньої розмови.

3. Для цього треба уявити собі людину, з якою доведеться розмовля-

ти, і розмову будувати, враховуючи її особливості. 4. До того ж треба

зважати на те, що в неї обмаль часу і не вона є ініціатором бесіди.

5. Бесіда має відбуватися поетапно: взаємне привітання, уведення

співрозмовника в курс справи, обговорення проблеми, заключні сло-

ва. 6. Викладаючи проблему по телефону, слід дотримуватись мак-

симальної лаконічності фраз, точності формулювань, однозначності

висловлювань, чіткості дикції. 7. Умовно телефонну розмову можна

поділити на офіційну і приватну. 8. Телефонна розмова, як правило,

почитається з привітання. 9. Не слід запитувати: з ким я говорю?

9. Часто в державних установах можна почути шаблонну фразу — тур-

бує вас такий-то... 10. Ділова телефонна розмова в роботі установи чи

закладу аж ніяк не може турбувати, бо вона для цього й призначена.

11. Важливим є вміння слухати співрозмовника. 12. Вихована людина

не буде перебивати співрозмовника чи поправляти. 13. За етикетом

завершує телефонну розмову як у діловому, так і приватному спілку-

ванні, її ініціатор. 14. Завершуючи телефонну розмову, обов’язково

треба попрощатися. 15. Варто пам’ятати, що надмірна ввічливість,

улесливість нe прикрашають співрозмовника, це, навпаки, свідчить

про його низький етичний рівень і може викликати роздратування.

Task 5

Read, translate (into Ukrainian) and retell (in English) the text.

BUSINESS CORRESPON DENCE

(by Le slie Tebbe, Salary. com contribut or)

Business correspondence serves a variety of purposes throughout the

career cycle, but most of all it reflects professional courtesy during the job

search.

It can be quite time-consuming to correspond personally with everyone

you encounter during a job hunt, but each person has the potential to

play a role in your job-hunting network. While generally not required,

correspondence through formal letters, memos, or email also provides an

opportunity to remind the company and the people you have contacted of

your interest.

Cover letters

More than a mere formality, a cover letter can spark interest in your

special skills and give extra information. Cover letters help explain

anomolies that may stand out in a resume, such as a move or career change,

salary requirements, or your special link to the company.

Keep the letter to a few brief paragraphs. Avoid generalizations, even

when you send out a mass mailing. Be clear about where you are, what you

have to offer, what you want, and when you want it.

Mention only positive things. For example, instead of stating: “Even

though I only have two years experience in the industry,…” leave out the

negative clause and write: “I doubled my experience in the industry by

spending two years in a highly competitive company”.

Be formal, yet friendly and open. Use statistics, highlighted statements,

or bullets. Because recruiters often skim, make sure vital information can

be easily spotted.

Personalize

Address the cover letter to a specific person if you can. Use the head of

human resources as a contact if you cannot pinpoint the manager for the

particular job you want. If you know someone at the company, or if you

have some recognizable and attractive qualification the recruiter would

jump at, put it in the first sentence.

Vary your approach

There are a number of reasons why you might be contacting an

employer during a job search and it is important to highlight the strengths

of each approach in your cover letter.

• When responding to a job posting, refer to where and when you

saw the advertisement. Tailor your letter to the job as described

by showing how your skills and experience perfectly match its

requirements.

• If you send a resume blindly, you have the opportunity to show off

your ambition as a proactive rather than reactive job seeker. This

drive could be something potential employers applaud. Point it

out.

• Your best shot at being hired comes from someone referring you to

the job or by using a mutual contact's name. Include in your job

search people your friends have mentioned, people you have met

or heard about at a social gathering, and professional contacts from

your current job. Mention the contact's name in the first sentence

and refer to any previous meetings or conversations.

Say why you fit

Explain what intrigues you about the position and the company. If

there are aspects of the job that would enhance your career, state them.

Use the cover letter to show how and why you are a perfect match.

Highlight a couple of skills from your resume. Get specific. If you

are answering an ad, respond directly to the points raised in the job

description.

Keep an eye on the industry and the companies you are looking at

to spot trends or developments. Mention a company’s recent media

exposure or incorporate relevant industry news into your cover letter.

Be creati-ve.

Start the communication ball rolling

Sometimes a cover letter is just a heads-up that you will be calling.

Add a paragraph at the end saying when you plan to follow up and how

you can be contacted.

Say thank you

Thank-you letters remind employers of your presence in the applicant

pool. If eloquently written, they might help tip the balance in your favor.

They cannot hurt, even if the company has already settled on you. They

restate your interest in the position, give thoughts in response to the

interview, and reaffirm the next step. The thank-you can be handwritten,

typed, or emailed, but should be brief.

Respond to rejection

You are not expected to respond to a rejection letter. But if you get

one, the company clearly values formality and a response would show

your professionalism. The letter should be brief, leaving open mention of

the future.

Decline with finesse

If you have more than one offer, or you feel that a position does not

meet your satisfaction, send a letter politely declining the job. You may

need or want to communicate with this employer in the future and you

will want to maintain good relations. In a couple of short paragraphs,

thank the recruiter for his/her time and be vaguely positive about future

contact.

Formally accept

Beyond the obvious statement of thanks for having been offered a

position, the acceptance letter formalizes your agreement to the terms of

the job as described in the offer letter. It can be a good legal move as well

as a polite one. After the statement of thanks, briefly restate your duties,

salary, and benefits package as you understand them.