Speaking on the telephone can be a difficult skill to master in a foreign language. First of all, there are no visual clues (such as facial expressions or body language) to help us understand what the person on the other end of the line is saying. We might also experience technical issues (background noise, call quality) which would affect our ability to communicate well. Lastly, telephone English has its own unique set of phrases and vocabulary that we need to be aware of when attempting a real telephone conversation.

This article will look at each of these problems as well as ways of overcoming them using useful vocabulary and phrases. These will make us sound much more confident and articulate when making a call and will give us some language to rely on when things get difficult. Let’s take a more detailed look at the types of problems English learners generally encounter:

Lack of visual clues

Non-verbal communication is the way we express our emotions and intentions through our facial expressions and body language. For an English learner, this is enormously helpful. It helps us piece together the meaning of what someone is saying even if we don’t understand every word. When we see that they are frowning, we know it is something negative. When we see they are smiling, we know it is something positive. However, we can’t do this on a telephone call. Instead, we must focus solely on the words they are using, along with any other audible clues, to ensure we are following the conversation accurately.

Technical issues/background noise

Mobile phones are, of course, pretty ubiquitous these days. It is just as likely that we would be speaking with someone as they walk down the street as it is that they would be in their office. What this means is that we often have to contend with a lot of noise in the background. Cars whizzing past, construction workers digging up roads, people laughing and talking in the background; all of these sounds can make it more difficult to communicate over the phone. Technical issues are also a problem. With a “bad line,” poor phone reception causes disruptions in the sound quality and can leave us only hearing a small amount of what someone is saying.

Specific phone language

Speaking on the phone also has its own particular conventions in regards to language. Essentially, we say things differently when we are making a phone call. The difference between opening a call with “Hi, I am Paul” and “Hi, this is Paul” is the difference between sounding like an English learner and an English native. Learning a few phrases and some specific vocabulary can make a world of difference to your confidence and your ability to communicate exactly what you want to say on a phone call. Of course, it will also allow you to understand the other speaker much better.

Levels of formality

To make this even harder, we may have to alter our level of formality depending on who is on the other end of the line. When calling a friend or someone we know personally, we can be very informal, but if the purpose of our call is professional (for example, a business contact we do not know well) then we may have to use slightly different language. Being able to use this language well can really make the difference in our English by making us sound professional, polite and well-spoken. Conversely, using the wrong level of formality in certain situations can make us appear rude or arrogant.

Useful language

We are going to focus on tackling each of the four issues above with some crucial telephone language below. In addition to useful phrases for opening/closing a telephone call, we’ll look at ways of overcoming problems such as asking the person on the other end of the line to repeat themselves, or explaining that we haven’t understood something.

Opening a call

Formal:

Good morning/afternoon/evening, you’re through to Amtav Pharmaceuticals. How may I direct your call? (British)
Good morning/afternoon/evening, you’ve reached Amtav Pharmaceuticals. How may I direct your call? (American)
Good morning/afternoon/evening, this is Paul Hertford. Would I be able to speak to Ms Houghton, please?

Informal:

Hello, Sarah speaking.
Hi, this is Paul. Can I speak to Ms Houghton?

Asking for clarification/repetition

Formal:

I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Would you mind repeating it?
I’m afraid I didn’t get that last part. Could you say that again?

Informal:

Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Can you repeat it?
Sorry, I didn’t get that. One more time.

Talking about someone’s availability

Formal:

I’m afraid she’s currently out of the office.
I’m sorry but she’s not available at this moment.

Informal:

She’s popped out for a while, I’m afraid (British).
She’s stepped out for a while, I’m afraid (American).
She’s not here at the moment.

Leaving a message (offering)

Formal:

Would you like to leave a message?
Could I take a message for her?

Informal:

Do you want to leave a message?
Can I take a message?

Leaving a message (asking)

Formal:

Would it be possible to leave a message?
Could I leave a message for her to call me back?

Informal:

Can you let her know I called?
Can you ask her to give me a ring? (British)
Can you ask her to give me a call? (American)

Closing a call

Formal:

Many thanks, goodbye.
Thank you for your help, goodbye.

Informal:

OK thanks, see you later.
Thanks for that, see you later.

Role-play conversations

We are going to look at two role-play telephone conversations that will test your ability to use the phrases we have learnt above. One of them is formal and one of them is informal. Practice the two conversations with a study partner, making sure to practice both parts A and B in order to become familiar with all the target language.

Telephone conversation one (formal)

Paul Hertford (a pharmaceutical company salesman) is calling the managing director of a different company to arrange the date and time of a business meeting. The managing director (Ivonne Houghton) is currently out of the office taking her lunch. Her secretary (Susan Dowling) answers the call.

Susan: Answer the phone.

Paul: Explain who you are and the reason for the call.

Susan: Explain that Ms Houghton is not currently available.

Paul: Ask for repetition because of problems with the telephone connection.

Susan: Repeat the information

Paul: Ask to leave a message.

Susan: Agree.

Paul: Leave a message with your name and telephone number.

Susan: Ask for repetition of the telephone number.

Paul: Repeat.

Susan: End the call using an appropriate goodbye.

Paul: Use an appropriate goodbye.

Telephone conversation two (informal)

Paul Hertford (a pharmaceutical company salesman) is calling his supervisor to say he will be late for the team meeting this afternoon because he is stuck in traffic. His supervisor (Andy Rodriguez) is currently with a client and so is not available. His secretary (Charles Harriott) answers the call.

Charles: Answer the phone.

Paul: Explain who you are and the reason for the call.

Charles: Explain that Andy is not currently available.

Paul: Ask for repetition because of background noise.

Charles: Repeat the information. Ask if Paul wants to leave a message.

Paul: Reply and leave a message explaining where you are and when you will arrive at the office.

Charles: Ask for repetition of location and estimated arrival time.

Paul: Repeat information.

Charles: End the call using an appropriate goodbye.

Paul: Use an appropriate goodbye.

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