OBJECTIVES
1. To practice more expressions in giving assistance or instructions 2. To practice / p / and / f / sounds
3. To practice proper sentence stress to show emphasis 4. To master subject-verb agreement rules
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PREPARE TO SPEAK
A. Dialogue
CSR: United Airlines. This is ______. How may I help you?
CLNT: Yeah. I need to get the fastest ride from the Chicago Airport to John Hancock Center.
CSR: May I get your name, Ma’am?
CLNT: This is Vida Ritchie.
CSR: What time are you arriving at the airport?
CLNT: About9:30AM. But I have to get to Hancock Center before 10:30.
CSR: all right, Ma’am. The fastest way to get there is through the Express Train on NorthEast Line.
CLNT: where do I take that?
CSR: you’ve got to exit through Gate A and walk about 20 meters to the waiting lounge. There you’ll see a number of slot machines. Look for slot machine E to get your single journey ticket to Hancock Station. The center is a 5 minute walk from the station.
CLNT: Hold it! How long is it from the airport?
CSR: It’ll only take you 15-20 minutes.
CLNT: Uh-uh. I’ll take that. You’re a big help. Thanks.
CSR: My pleasure, Ma’am. Hope you enjoy your trip.
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B. Pronunciation
Directions: Go over the text again. List down some of the words that represent the / p / and / f / sounds in the text. Write your answers in the box.
/ p / Sounds / f / sound
C. Practice by saying the following:
/ p / / f /
Appeal Affair
Beep Beef
Cop Cough
Deepen Deafen
Lap Fact
Leap Fair
Open Feign
Pace Fin
Pact Foot
Pain Laugh
Pair Leaf
Pin Often
Pony Phase
put phone
D. Pronunciation Exercises
1. Most customers are not willing to get the latest pair of Fairmount shoes without the 50% discount.
2. I need to get a phone call to Pony Island.
3. The Team Leader couldn’t help but laugh when she saw my wild pink laptop.
4. Do you think we can make it to the next phase in the training considering our pace?
5. Everyone has to wear the blue pin to see the dolphin show.
6. One of the cops could not accompany the customer to the hospital because of his severe cough.
7. The Manager has expressed the need of the company is beef up its shares.
8. While on the Cinetrain, please don’t forget to put your feet under your shoes.
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9. I’d definitely go to the fanfare on Friday.
10. More than fifty guests expressed their desire to be at the evening affair tomorrow.
E. Sentence Stress: the general rule is that content words are stressed and function words are not stressed unless the speaker wants to give special emphasis to them.
Content Words 1. Nouns 2. Verbs 3. Adjectives 4. Adverbs
5. Demonstratives 6. Interrogatives Function Words 1. Articles 2. Prepositions 3. Personal Pronouns 4. Possessive adjectives 5. Relative pronouns
6. Common conjunctions: and, but, yet, so 7. The word ONE when used as pronoun 8. Auxiliary Verbs and Linking Verbs
However, when these are used at the end of the sentence, they are stressed.
Example:
A: This is wrong.
B: It is correct. I know it is.
And when they are used in tag questions:
Example:
You did not make a reservation, did you?
You are taking a holiday, aren’t you?
F. Exercise in Sentence Stress
Read the following short dialogues. Take note of the sentence stress A: Hey, did you say you are quitting?
B: I did. Why? What’s wrong with quitting?
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A: Only cowards are quitters.
B: Only fools don’t change their minds.
A: You’re a fool, aren’t you?
B: You’re a coward, quitter!
COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTIONS
A. Exercise: Practice the dialogue in Prepare to Speak with a partner. Pay attention to the common expressions used to respond to a customer who asks for assistance. Observe the proper way of giving instructions.
B. Techniques:
Use the following expressions to respond to a customer who asks for assistance:
“What time are you arriving…?”
“The fastest way to get there is…”
“It’ll take about…minutes.”
Use the following expressions to give instructions:
“You’ve to exit through…”
“Walk about _________________ meters…”
“Look for…”
C. More practice: Can you add to the list?
Responding to a customer asking for assistance
Giving instructions
D. Vocabulary and Idioms
Exercise 1: go over the dialogue box again. Can you identify some of the idiomatic expressions used? Do you know what they mean? List down the idioms you found in the text and explain how you understand each.
Idioms Used in the Dialogue Possible Meaning
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Exercise 2: Complete the dialogue below with the appropriate vocabulary and Idiomatic expressions from the box.
hurdles On me shrugged
Run into All ears Baptism of fire
Got down to business Went to that length A: Hey, good to see you, Brooke! How have you been?
B: Same here, Marionette. Well, I’m okay. Talking of mental telepathy, I was wishing I’d ____________ you today.
A: Really? Me, too. You see, last time I wanted to talk more about fillers and dead air but time was short.
B: it’s all right. I’m relieved I didn’t have my _______________ the first time I was on board. I guess I did finally fairly well because I was able to deal with the clients without any hassle.
A: Congratulations. You __________ the acid test.
B: I wouldn’t have made it without your help.
A: What would you like to order?
B: No, order what you want. It’s ____________.
A: There are still some things I’d like to discuss with you – some realizations while I was taking calls.
B: I’m __________. Tell me.
A: I realized that client-call agent communication was easy because I was relaxed and I was myself. I also listened carefully for information that could keep the
conversation going. Guess what, I was conversant on small talk topics because I spent lots of time reading and watching American sitcoms to get myself accustomed to the accent.
B: You ____________? You’re marvelous!
A: If the client didn’t respond to my question, I didn’t take it personally, so I didn’t feel bad. I just ____________ my shoulders and ___________. I was friendly, and accommodating.
B: I bet the next time you go on board, you’re a veteran.
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A: Not really, but more confident.
B: Give me five.
GRAMMAR
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT (Part 3: Rules 11-14)
RULE 11: Mass nouns like “water, air, wind, fire, space” require a singular verb.
Example: Wind blows stronger in Midwest.
Space is maximized in an airplane.
RULE 12: Collective nouns like “family, army, orchestra, crow, audience, herd, flock, team, convoy, staff” require a singular verb if they are taken a whole or collectively, and plural when the individual members are thought of as acting separately.
Example: My family is leaving for Tallahassee next month.
My family are going on their separate ways to explore the place.
RULE 13: Some common and proper nouns ending in –s including –ics are singular and take a singular verb.
Example: No news is good news.
This series of exhibits is fascinating.
RULE 14: Nouns occurring in sets of 2 take the singular form when the word pair is present, but they take the plural form when the pair is absent regardless of whether one pair or more is being referred to.
Example: A pair of leather shoes is what I need to get on this trip.
My only black leather shoes are old now.
Exercise
1. A: What (does, do) your family plan to do this summer?
B: My parents (plan, plans) to go to Florida.
2. A: What kind of news (is, are) that?
B: I know it’s terrible! I think the information (has, have) been tampered with.
3. A: How much (is, are) a pair of Gucci sunglasses nowadays.
B: It’s rather expensive now. Why (doesn’t, don’t) you wait till the sale season?
4. A: Why (does, do) everybody seem agitated?
B: I think some space (is, are) what we all need right now.
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5. A: Why (is, are) the audience complaining?
B: Well, the whole team (hasn’t, haven’t) arrived yet.
APPLY THE SKILLS
A. Simulation: Prepare a 3-minute role play on the following situations:
1. A client is arriving at the airport one and a half hours before his scheduled lecture in a university. He has to arrive at the place at least 30 minutes earlier so he can still compose himself, aside from checking the venue and the necessary visual aids. Give him the shortest route or ride to the university.
2. A client from Philadelphia lost his plane ticket and asks how he could get a new one.
The ticket is part of his 3-night vacation package I Holiday Inn South Beach Resort in Miami.
3. A client wants to book for three nights at the Miyako Hotel Los Angeles. He is asking foe several packages. Suggest the best option. Once he decides to book, ask if he could guarantee his reservation with a credit card.
B. Fishbowl Approach
The class will be divided into two groups. One group will observe the performers and take note of their strengths and weaknesses. Each observer will have a partner to observe. Then after the performance, the observers will critique the partner’s strengths and weaknesses according to the criteria set. Afterwards, the groups will shift roles.
Criteria:
Spontaneity probability of the situation
Correct use of vocabulary and expressions in context
Correct production of vowel sounds
Correct use of intonation patterns
Accuracy in making the subject agree with its verb
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