Professional English · Lesson 04 — Telephone English — Phrases That Never Fail

Phone calls in English feel harder because there are no visual clues. These phrases cover every situation from opening to closing.

Examples

• ‘Could you speak more slowly, please?’
• ‘I’m afraid I didn’t catch that — could you repeat it?’
• ‘I’ll make sure [name] receives the message.’

Practice

Practise a phone call aloud — alone. Open the call, ask to speak to someone, leave a message, end the call. All in English. Time yourself.

Takeaway: Preparation is the difference between a call that works and one that doesn’t.

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