Power Up Your English!: ESL. Talking About Time Change

Power Up Your English!: ESL. Talking About Time Change

ESL. Talking About Time Change

The fall is here - that’s how we refer to autumn in the U.S. November is just a week away, and with it comes the end to the Daylight Saving Time. NOTE: saving, not savingS, like in “labor-saving device” or “mind-expanding book”.



Every spring, on the last Sunday in March we move our clocks one hour ahead - spring forward - and "lose" an hour. Then each fall, on the first Sunday in November we move our clocks back one hour - fall back - and "gain" an extra hour. Do you need a reminder, which direction to shift the clock? Use this mnemonic /nɨˈmɒnɨk/ device or memory aid: we spring forward in the spring, and we fall back in the fall.

Since the time change occurs at 2 a.m., I am certainly not the one to get up at two in the morning to reset my clock. I’ll do that the night before, as I am getting ready to go to bed. This way, I’ll wake up on Sunday to the new time.

I can guarantee you that time change will come up in a conversation one way or another in the course of the next week. So how do we talk about it? Here are a few examples:

1. Do you remember that the time changes tomorrow? Don’t forget to set your clock back one hour.

2. Remember to change your clock tomorrow.

3. Remember to move your clocks back one hour.

4. I should remember to reset the clock back one hour.

By the way, instead of don’t forget (The unconscious mind does not recognize the negatives and will hear forget), it’s better to say remember.

And the good news is? …You can sleep in next Sunday without waking up too late.

ESL Telephone Skills - Voice Mail Greeting

What do a concert piano and a voice mail greeting have in common?
Both need regular fine-tuning.
On the answering machine at home
I usually leave a short outgoing message.
“You’ve reached the number for Natasha Cooper.
Sorry, I missed your call. Please leave a message.”
Or even shorter:
“This is Natasha Cooper. Please leave a message.”
At work I regularly update my voice mail greeting to let callers know
what’s a good time to catch me in, or when to expect a callback.
“This is Natasha Cooper. It is Monday, December 6th.
I’ll be away from my desk until 2 p.m.
If you would like to leave a message,
please do so after the tone.”
If I am going to be absent longer than a day,
I leave the number of a colleague or my secretary.
“I’ll be out of the office until Thursday the eleventh.
Please leave a message after the tone or call Linda Ferguson, extension 521.”
Leaving on a trip, I change the outgoing message again.
“I’m traveling until June 17th. My voice mail is unable
to keep messages for more than a week.
Please call back and leave your message after June 10th.”
To friends who sometimes have a hard time understanding phone messages,
I recommend the use of a voice mail greeting like this:
“This is [your first and last name].
Help me get your message right.
Please speak slowly and clearly, spell your name,
and repeat your number twice. Thank you.”
Let’s hope that callers will pay attention.

© 2009 Natasha Cooper

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with it: Natasha Cooper, author of Power English System, helps international professionals to succeed by learning powerful communication skills. If you want to improve your English, then you’ll want to get Natasha’s F-R-E-E weekly Power English Minute E-zine by visiting www.englishskills.com.

Taking Messages

  Click on the PLAY button for sound.

When it comes to taking messages,
I follow the “Three GET’s” Rule:
get the message, get it right, then get it to the right person!
"He’s not available right now,"
I say, answering a colleague’s phone. Right away I offer:
“I’d be glad to take a message for him.’
"Tell him Jim called," says the caller.
Jim who?
"May I have your last name, please?"
"Matuschechek." Better safe than sorry.
Why don’t I ask him to spell it?
"Could you spell that?"
And it doesn’t hurt to double-check.
"Let me read that back to you.
M - A - T - U - S - C - H - E - C - H - E - K."
Now I need to find out what company he is with.
"And who are you with, Jim?"
And his phone number.
"At what number can he reach you?"
Then I double-check to avoid mistakes.
"That’s 222 - 555 - 0000..."
I don’t recognize the area code, so I ask:
"What city is that in?"
Could that be in a different time zone?
"What time is it there?"
Now - the message.
"And what’s the message?"
And a convenient time to call him back.
"When’s the best time to call you?"
That should be all.
"Thank you. I’ll make sure he gets the message."
Okay, what’s next? …
Oh yes, get it to the right person!

© 2009 Natasha Cooper

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with it: Natasha Cooper, author of Power English System, helps international professionals to succeed by learning powerful communication skills. If you want to improve your English, then you’ll want to get Natasha’s F-R-E-E weekly Power English Minute E-zine by visiting www.englishskills.com.

Five Lessons We Can Learn From Geese

As each goose flaps its wings it creates an uplift for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation the whole flock adds 71 percent of extra flying range.

Lesson #1: People who share a sense of COMMUNITY, can help each other get where they are going more easily... because they are traveling on the TRUST of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into "V" formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the birds in front.

Lesson #2: If we have as much sense as geese, we stay in formation with those HEADED where we want to go. We are willing to ACCEPT their help and GIVE our help to others...

When the lead goose tires, it drops back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.

Lesson #3: It pays to TAKE TURNS doing the HARD tasks. We should RESPECT and PROTECT each other's unique arrangement of skills, capabilities, talents and resources.

The geese flying in formation HONK to encourage those up front to keep up with their speed.

Lesson #4: We need to make sure our honking is ENCOURAGING. In groups where there is encouragement, PRODUCTION is much greater. Individual empowerment results from results from QUALITY honking.

When a goose gets sick, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to HELP and PROTECT it.

Lesson #5: If we have as much sense as geese, we will STAND by each other in difficult times and when we are strong.

Honk, honk, honk...
==========

I sent the link to this inspirational video to my dear friend and colleague Shari. This is the reply I got from her: HONK!

Question: What does Shari's reply mean?