介绍:
Nancy: Time passed rapidly! It’s a new semester again!
Crystal: Yep! Here today’s program is our first program this semester and it’s also a 5 minutes’ special program.
Jason: So what’s new these days? I haven’t seen you guys for a long time~
Lexi: Oh, I have something to mention, I once listened a English radio program talking about misunderstandings happened in people’s daily conversations, I think it worth our attention in English Classroom, because we have always been trying to help our audience how to use English fluently.
Crystal: Yeah, and you remind me of a sentence a famous French writer once said: Language is the source of misunderstandings.
Lexi: Definitely. Let me tell the story. Suppose Vanesa and I are the two people engaged in the situation, it happened in a office between two colleagues. One day I was speaking to Vanesa on the phone, and I asked him a question, and she didn’t know the answer, so she said "hang on".
Vanesa: ‘Hang on ’ means wait. I wanted her to wait while I find the answer.
Lexi: But I got confused, I thought ‘hang on’ was the same as ‘hang up’, and ‘hang up’ means ‘put the phone down, finish the phone call’.
Vanesa: So I went back with the answer, she was gone! So I called her back and told her the answer, then he asked another question, so I said ‘hang on’ again, and again she was gone! Three times I had to call her back!
Lexi: I didn’t understand why he was getting angry with me. He got really angry actually, before we sorted it out.
Crystal: Hang up, hang on… That’s a really good one!
Nancy: OK, so here we will share some tips on avoiding misunderstanding when speaking in English.
Vanesa: I guess our audiences must have this wondering as well, when we talk with foreigners or just practice English with our friends, how should we avoid misunderstanding.
Nancy: Certainly. If language is the source of misunderstandings, the best way to avoid misunderstandings at work is to check what people mean when they’re talking to you. There are several ways to do this. You can simply say "What do you mean by that?"
Jason: What do you mean by that?
Nancy: That’s right. Or you can tell the person what you think they mean, in your own words. Say "Do you mean…?"
Crystal: Do you mean…?
Jason: Besides, you can also say "So, are you saying…?"
Crystal: So, are you saying…?
Jason: Or "Correct me if I’m wrong, but do you mean…?"
Crystal: Correct me if I’m wrong, but do you mean…?
Nancy: Good job, Crystal. You can say "Sorry, I’m not sure if I got that. Are you saying…?"
Crystal: Sorry, I’m not sure if I got that. Are you saying…?
Jason: Or you can ask the other person to explain what they mean. Say something like "Sorry, what exactly do you mean by that?"
Crystal: Sorry, what exactly do you mean by that?
Nancy: Or say "Sorry, could you go over that again?"
Crystal: Sorry, could you go over that again?
Nancy: "Could you expand on that?"
Crystal: Could you expand on that?
Nancy: And finally, another way to avoid misunderstandings is to check that the person you’re talking to has understood you. Just ask them! Say something like "Is that clear?"
Crystal: Is that clear?
Jason: Or, after an explanation, say "Does that make everything clear?"
Crystal: Does that make everything clear?
Nancy: And never forget the golden rule of avoiding misunderstandings – if in doubt, ask! It’s better to ask now than make a mistake later.
Crystal: So after these tips, let us have a small role-play to show how to use these tips.
Nancy: Yes Lexi and Vanesa. Let’s imagine that you’re back there now in the offices you’re having this conversation that got you into so much trouble. But this time use some of those tips and see if you can get it right.
Role play:
Lexi: Ring ring!
Vanesa: Hello, Vanesa speaking.
Lexi: Hello Vanesa, it’s Lexi. I just wanted to ask if the reports are ready.
Vanesa: The reports… do you mean the monthly reports or the yearly reports?
Lexi: Oh sorry, yes, the monthly reports.
Vanesa: The monthly reports. OK, just hang on.
Lexi: Sorry, I’m not sure if I got that. Are you saying "Wait a minute"?
Vanesa: Yes, just hang on a couple of minutes please.
Lexi: OK.
Jason: (A couple of minutes' later)
Vanesa: Hello Lexi, sorry to keep you waiting. The monthly reports are nearly ready - the accountant is finishing them this afternoon.
Lexi: Correct me if I’m wrong, but do you mean they’ll be ready by the end of today?
Vanesa: Yes, they’ll be ready by 5 o’clock today. Does that make everything clear?
Lexi: Oh yes, thanks, that’s great. Thank you very much!
Vanesa: You’re welcome.
Jason: And that’s the end of the role-play! We can see after using all these small tips, there conversation became much more clear and avoid misunderstanding like the first place.
Nancy: Here is our today’s special program, hope you like it! See you next week!
All: See you~
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