Classroom Activities and Scripts for Task 1 & 2

Objective 052

Research, identify and utilize workplace readiness or soft skills (Personal Qualities, Customer Care Skills, Leadership Skills) necessary to succeed in post-secondary education, training and career.

Components of this unit include:

2. Identify customer care skills such as work to satisfy customers’ expectations.

4. Identify problems, devise solutions and implement a plan of action.

8. Identify and demonstrate strategies to organize, plan and allocate resources including time, money, materials, facilities and human resources.

9. Identify and demonstrate strategies to work well with others such as communicate effectively, contribute to group effort, teach others new skills, negotiate, collaborate, be diplomatic, work well with persons from diverse backgrounds.

12. Read and write business communications including telephone messages.

13. Demonstrate the ability to handle calls at the workplace.

14. Identify and demonstrate appropriate workplace communication.

Answering the phone

Teach the parts to the students and rehearse.

4 Important Parts

  1. The greeting
  2. Hello
  3. Hi
  4. Good morning
  5. Good afternoon
  6. The company name
  7. Just the name
  8. “This is” + name
  9. Your name
  10. “This is” + name
  11. Name + “here”
  12. Name + “speaking”
  13. NOT: “I am” + name
  14. An offer of help
  15. How can I help you?
  16. What can I do for you?
  17. Can I help you?

Write these on the board or on cards for students to practice with a partner

  1. Morning / Dave / Dixon Construction / help

Sample Answer: Good morning. Dixon Construction. This is Dave. Can I help you?

  1. Hello / Mt. San Jacinto College / name / help
  2. Afternoon / Healthy Pickle Restaurant / name / help
  3. Morning / Washington Hospital / name / help

Show Powerpoint presentation “PP of Businesses for phone calls” to show places of business so that students can practice answering the phone at each business. This can be found on the Adult Ed Faculty Resources page under EL Civics.

Taking a message

After the greeting, when a caller asks for someone who’s not there,

  1. “I’m sorry”
  2. An explanation
  3. She’s not in the office right now.
  4. He’s in a meeting
  5. She’s away from her desk at the moment
  6. Offer to take a message
  7. Can I take a message?
  8. May I take a message?
  9. Would you like to leave a message?
  10. Get the caller’s name
  11. What is your name?
  12. Can I have your name?
  13. Can you please spell your name?
  14. Spell out the name back to the person.
  15. Note: Native English speakers often say “N as in Nancy” or “B as in Boy” to avoid confusion. They may say “double L” or “double O” for LL or OO.
  16. Repeat the message.
  17. So you would like ______.
  18. Should I tell him ______?
  19. Get the phone number.
  20. Can I have your phone number?
  21. Read the number back to the caller.
  22. End the conversation
  23. I’ll see that she gets the message.
  24. I’ll make sure he gets the message.

AND

  1. Have a nice day.
  2. Have a good day. Good-bye.
  3. Thanks for calling.

Repair Phrases:

  1. I’m sorry. Can you repeat that slowly, please?
  2. Can you spell that please?
  3. Can I have your name again?
  4. Can I have your phone number again?
  5. Can you repeat your message, please?

Distribute the Study Guide for students to practice at home and in class. For beginners, highlight or have them highlight one option under each step to memorize and practice.

For Beginners’ Success:

Key Points for Taking a Message

  1. Make sure that you get the caller’s name and number, and any other important information.
  2. Check the spelling of the caller’s name and company.
  3. Don’t be afraid to ask the caller to slow down or to repeat – as many times as necessary!
  4. After you take the message, repeat it back to the caller to confirm that everything is correct.

Use thePowerpoint presentation “PP of Businesses for phone calls” to practice full conversations with a partner, after brainstorming as a class what messages people might leave at these various places of business.

For Task 1 Scrambled Conversation

Cut into strips and have students separate into caller’s part and their own part. Then, scramble the strips and reassemble as a conversation, taped on to paper.

Hello.
Queen’s Supermarket.
This is Mary.
How can I help you?
May I speak with Mr. Harris?
I’m sorry. He is not here right now.
Can I take a message?
Yes, I bought some bad meat at his store.
I’m sorry. Can you say that again slowly?
What is your name?
My name is Jackson Moore.
What is your number?
(888) 453-9000
OK. I will give him the message.
Thank you for your help.
Thanks for calling.
Have a nice day.
Good-bye.

Scrambled Conversation Key

Italics is the student part, bold is the caller’s part.

Hello.
Queen’s Supermarket.
This is Mary.
How can I help you?
May I speak with Mr. Harris?
I’m sorry. He is not here right now.
Can I take a message?
Yes, I bought some bad meat at his store.
I’m sorry. Can you say that again slowly?
What is your name?
My name is Jackson Moore.
What is your number?
(888) 453-9000
OK. I will give him the message.
Thank you for your help.
Thanks for calling.
Have a nice day. Have a nice day.
Good-bye. Good-bye.

For Task 1

Intermediate – Advanced

Youtube lesson:

Go to Search “Business phone call conversation” and Choose “Telephone English – BEP 69A: Answering the Telephone in English”

  1. Play the video until after the first dialogue.
  2. Let students work in small groups to answer the questions on the following worksheet.
  3. Play the video through the part that analyzes the business phone call.
  4. Pause to ask students if they have anything to add or want to comment further.
  5. Play the second dialogue.
  6. Stop the video before the analysis where it says, “First, Amy answer the phone very professionally”
  7. Play the video about the four parts of a professional greeting so students can take notes.
  8. Stop after the prompt, so students can practice out loud with a partner.
  9. The remainder of the video is about being the caller, which is outside the scope of Task 1 & 2.

Worksheet for “Telephone English” Video

Which are basic skills for answering a call and taking a message?

___ Pleasant tone of voice

___ Positive attitude

___ Be prepared

___ Identify yourself and the company

___ Find out how you can help the caller

___ Be a good listener

Why do people smile while talking on the telephone?

Justin’s phone call

  1. How would you describe Amy’s attitude?
  2. Does Justin seem prepared?
  3. What is the problem that Amy had?
  4. What is the problem that Justin had?

Mark’s phone call

  1. In what ways is this phone call better than the first phone call?
  2. What information does Amy include in her first sentence?
  3. How does Mark Rand introduce himself?
  4. List the parts of a professional greeting and examples of each

Practice answering the phone with the following prompts.

  1. Hello / Mt. San Jacinto College / name / help
  2. Afternoon / Healthy Pickle / name / help
  3. Morning / Washington Hospital / name / help

For Task 2

Taking a Phone Message

  • Familiarize your students with the parts of the phone message.
  • Have students practice with the “Scrambled Conversation” message and others.

Scripts for callers:

Taking a Phone Message for Beginners

  1. Teach how and where to record the date.
  2. Teach how and where to record the time.
  3. Practice I’m sorry. Can I have your name again?

Can you spell that, please?

I’m sorry. Can you repeat that slowly, please?

Use the Powerpoint (“PP of Businesses for phone calls”) to prompt students what phone message to give when working on taking a message. Use the ones below first, and then brainstorm others.

Sample Scripts for Powerpoint

There is bad traffic. I will be late. / I want a copy of my bill. / My dry cleaning got lost.
The heater is not working. / I want my money back. / My golf cart got stolen.
I need to rent a truck. / My hamburger was cold. / I’d like an appointment for 3:00.

Taking a Phone Message

Practice for Beginners


Taking a Phone Message

Practice for Intermediate/Advanced


TASK 1: Beginning 1, 2, 3Script for phone message

Note: The students’ responses should be appropriate to the conversation, not necessarily exactly what is written below. Remember that repairing the communication and asking for clarification is an important customer service skill! This also would count as an interaction.

Important: This dialogue works on listening/speaking skills only. Do not let the students readany part of the dialogue during this task.

Instructor:Set the scene. What is U-Haul? Why do people call U-Haul? Are there other businesses that they know who rent vehicles? You can display the U-Haul website to see what they offer in their business. Talk about possible vocabulary words related to this business. Students must understand that in the role play, they work for U-Haul.

Content A: EACH BOX IS AN INTERACTION

Phone rings.

  1. Student answers phone: Hello. U-Haul. Name speaking. Can I help you?

Caller: Is Mr. Harris there?

  1. Student: I’m sorry. He’s not here right now. Can I take a message?

Caller: Yes. That’s fine.

  1. Student: What is your name? / Can I please have your name?

Caller: Wendy Lin

  1. Student: Can you please spell that for me?

Caller: W-E-N-D-Y-L-I-N. Wendy Lin.

  1. Student: What message should I give him? / What is your message?

Caller: I need to rent a twenty-foot truck on Saturday.

  1. Student: Can I have your phone number?

Caller: (951) 972 - 0806

  1. Student: Okay, I will give him the message. Thank you for calling. Have a nice day.

Caller: Thank you. Have a good day. Good-bye.

TASK 1: Intermediate 1, 2, & Adv.Script for phone message

Note: The students’ responses should be appropriate to the conversation, not necessarily exactly what is written below. And the caller can improvise as well! Remember that repairing the communication and asking for clarification is an important customer service skill. This also would count as an interaction.

Important: This dialogue works on listening/speaking skills only. Do not let the students readany part of the dialogue during this task.

Instructor:Set the scene. What is U-Haul? Why do people call U-Haul? Are there other businesses that they know who rent vehicles? You can display the U-Haul website to see what they offer in their business. Talk about possible vocabulary words related to this business phone call. Students must understand that in the role play, they work for U-Haul.

Content A: EACH BOX IS AN INTERACTION

Phone rings.

  1. Student answers phone: Good morning. U-Haul. This is name. Can I help you?

Caller: Is Mr. Harris there?

  1. Student: No. I’m sorry. He is not here. Can I take a message? / Can I help you?

Caller: Yes. I called the other day because I need to rent a pick-up truck. Mr. Harrissaid you had one. Is it still there?

  1. Student: Let me check. Just a minute. No/Yes. It is/isn’t.

Caller: Well, do you have a cargo van for rent? I want to move a sofa and I need something big but not too big.

  1. Student: We do/don’t have a cargo van.

Caller: Mr. Harris said he would give me 50% off because he is my friend. Can you ask him if I still get 50% off? I don’t care if it’s a pick-up or a cargo van.

  1. Student: Okay. I will check / Let me leave a message for Mr. Harris. / He will get back to you.
  1. Student: What is your name?

Caller: Wendy Lin

  1. Student: What is your phone number?

Caller: (951) 972 - 0806

  1. Student: Okay, I will give him the message. Is there anything else I can do for you today?

(Intermediate – Skip to ending.)

Caller: No.

(Advanced)

Caller: Yes, let Mr. Harris know that if I can’t get 50% off, I would like 25% off instead.

  1. Student: I will let him know / Okay. / Is there anything else I can help you with?

Caller: And I guess I do prefer a pick-up truck and not the cargo van. So forget the cargo van. Just a pick-up. 50% off. Or 25% off. Whatever he can do.

  1. Student: No problem. I will let him know. (Student can repeat info to make sure they understand the message.)

Caller: Alright. I will wait for Mr. Harris to call me back. Hopefully I get the discount because we go way back and are very good friends.

  1. Student: Okay, I will let him know. Have a good day / Take care / Thanks for calling / Good-bye.

Caller: Good-bye.

Content B (Advanced only)

Mr. Harris comes back to the office.

Mr. Harris: Hi. How was everything when I was away? Did I get any messages?

Student: Yes. You received a phone call / got a message from Wendy Lin / Wendy Lin called. She wants a 50% discount on a pick-up truck because you are friends. She didn’t want a cargo van. And she asked for 25% if she can’t get 50% off. She wants you to call her back. Here is her phone number.

Mr. Harris: Okay, thank you. Wendy Lin is a funny person. I only met her one time, but she is hard to forget.

For Task 3 – Beginning 1, 2, 3

Teach students enough office vocabulary that they can write between 4 sentences and a short paragraph about what supplies are needed in an office.

Some ways to create your own class vocab list:

  • Students’ prior knowledge
  • Oxford Picture Dictionary pp 182-183
  • One of the graphics in this packet
  1. Memory Game

Bring in the objects and have students pronounce what they are.

  1. Lay some of them on a table and cover with a sheet.
  2. Students gather around. Uncover the objects.
  3. Students look carefully at what they are seeing for 30 seconds.
  4. Cover the objects again. Students go back to desk and write from memory what was there. “There are three paperclips.” “There is one notebook.”
  5. After five minutes of writing, uncover the objects so students can check their sentences.
  6. Play it again with a different grouping of objects!
  1. Hang-man

Students choose letters one at a time to guess the office vocabulary word.

  1. Computer Lab Time: Online Lessons and Quizzes

Vocabulary  Office supplies  list of videos, activities, word search, multiple choice

  1. Youtube: Search…

“ESL Vocabulary – Office Work”

“Learn English – English Vocabulary – Work/ Office Supplies”

“Basic English Vocabulary 25: Office Supplies”

Word Search

From

English in the Office

The ability to useoffice vocabularyaccurately and effectively can go a long way toward increasing the confidence of ESL students. And knowing the terms common in an office work environment is often essential for obtaining employment after school. One great way to teach ESL office vocabulary is through the use of fun and engaging classroom activities. The word lists provided below can be used in the accompanying activities, but feel free to add your own words and phrases.

Office Warm-up

It's a good idea to have a class discussion whenever you introduce new vocabulary and activities. Begin by eliciting office-related words that students already know in the following two categories.

  1. Items in an office
  2. Things people say in an office

You can use the following word list to supplement any words your students provide during the class brainstorm.

Office Vocabulary Word List 1

  1. Desk
  2. Chair
  3. Table
  4. Computer
  5. Keyboard
  6. Phone
  7. Copy machine (copier)
  8. Water cooler
  9. Filing cabinet
  10. Artwork

Office Vocabulary Word List 2

  1. Envelopes
  2. Copy paper
  3. Cubicle
  4. Receptionist
  5. Briefcase
  6. Paper cutter
  7. Conference room
  8. Stapler
  9. Paper clips
  10. Calculator

Dream Office

This activity encourages your students to use their artistic abilities and design skills. Begin by asking students to imagine their dream office. What would it look like? How big would it be? Next, tell each student to take out a blank sheet of paper and to draw a top-down layout of his or her dream office. Make sure they label each part of the picture using vocabulary from the word lists and warm-up activity. Finally, invite volunteers to share and describe their pictures to the rest of the class.

Office Role-Play

This activity provides a great opportunity for students to practice using new office-related words and phrases they've learned in class. If possible, rearrange the desks in your classroom to represent a basic office layout that includes a reception area, a conference room and shared workingspaces. Next, assign the following roles to students:

  • Receptionist (should greet people)
  • Office workers (should interact with each other)
  • Boss (should make a few announcements)
  • Custodian (should clean)
  • Delivery person (should deliver a package to reception)
  • Clients (should ask to see the boss)
  • Etc.

For Task 3 – Intermediate 1 & 2

Respond to a complaint

Discuss with the students why it is important to be professional, polite, and humble when responding to a complaint.