Phone calls are hard. There are no faces to help you, the automated menu talks fast, and the agent reads polite script lines very quickly. Many learners also translate directly and say "I have a doubt about my bill," "I am Sam," or "Repeat, please." These are understood, but they sound unusual on an American phone line. In this episode: • How to listen • The scene, first half • The scene, second half • Key phrases from the scene • Comprehension questions • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: press zero — push 0 on the keypad (neutral) stay on the line — wait, don't hang up (polite) on hold — waiting on the phone (neutral) This is Sam — my name is Sam, on the phone (neutral) on file — saved in their records (neutral) punch it in — type it on the keypad (casual) you're all set — it's done (neutral) pull up your account — open it on the screen (neutral) take care of it — fix it (neutral) you're good to go — nothing more is needed (casual) Season 2 · Real American English: the complete spoken course for learners worldwide — accent, everyday grammar, prepositions, articles, phrasal verbs, idioms, slang and real conversations at home. Listen, repeat out loud, then take the 52-question quiz. Audio voiced with AI from an original script by Dr. Rashmi R Nair.