Vocabulary Set 1
Dial
Phone number
Call
Ring
Answer
Hang up
Receiver
Handset
Landline
Cell phone
Mobile phone
Smartphone
Caller ID
Voicemail
Answering machine
Speed dial
Redial
Call waiting
Conference call
Video call
Voice call
Facetime
Skype
Zoom
Google Meet
Set 2
Hangouts
Signal
WhatsApp
Telegram
Viber
Line
WeChat
Direct dial
Operator
Pager
Beeper
TTY
TTD
Text messaging
SMS
MMS
Group chat
Broadcast message
Chatbot
Autodialer
Predictive dialer
Robocall
Spam call
Telemarketing
Cold call
Set 3
Sales call
Customer service
Help desk
Technical support
Emergency call
Hotline
Call center
Switchboard
PBX
Trunk line
Leased line
Circuit
Connection
Disconnection
Drop call
Busy signal
No signal
Static
Poor reception
Roaming
Carrier
Service provider
Network
Set 4
Coverage
Plan
Package
Contract
Billing
Invoice
Payment
Credit
Debt
Overcharge
Dispute
Refund
Transfer
Forwarding
Hold
Mute
Speakerphone
Headset
Bluetooth
Cordless
Wireless
Landline phone
Corded phone
Rotary phone
Touch-tone phone
Key Phrase Vocabulary
“Hello, can you hear me?”
“Who is this?”
“Can you hold please?”
“Can I have your name please?”
“Can I have your phone number please?”
“Can I have your address please?”
“Can I take a message?”
“Can you repeat that please?”
“Can you speak up please?”
“Can you spell that please?”
“Can you speak more slowly please?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t understand what you said.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t get your phone number.”
Example Conversation 1
Person 1: “Hello, can you please dial this number for me? It’s 555-1234.”
Person 2: “Sure thing. Let me just find my phone. Okay, I’m dialing now.”
Person 1: “Great. It’s ringing. Hopefully, they’ll answer.”
Person 2: “Hello, this is John speaking. How can I help you?”
Person 1: “Hi John, this is Mary. I’m calling to follow up on the order I placed last week.”
Person 2: “Oh, hi Mary. Let me just pull up your order. Okay, I see it here. It looks like it was shipped out yesterday and should arrive within the next few days.”
Person 1: “Oh, perfect. Thank you for checking on that for me.”
Person 2: “No problem. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
Person 1: “No, that’s all. Thank you for your assistance. Have a great day.”
Person 2: “You’re welcome. You too, have a great day.”
Person 1: “Okay, I’m going to hang up now. Bye.”
Person 2: “Goodbye.”
Conversation 2
Person 1: “Hey, I’m trying to call my friend but their phone just goes straight to voicemail.”
Person 2: “Maybe they’re on the phone with someone else and have call waiting enabled.”
Person 1: “Oh, that could be it. I’ll try calling back later. Thanks for the suggestion.”
Person 2: “No problem. Let me know if you need any more help.”
Person 1: “Actually, do you think you could help me set up a conference call with our team members?”
Person 2: “Sure, I can do that for you. Do you have all the phone numbers and a time that works for everyone?”
Person 1: “Yes, I have a list of the numbers and we agreed on a time for tomorrow at 2pm.”
Person 2: “Okay, I can set that up for you. I just sent out the invite to everyone. Is there anything else you need help with?”
Person 1: “No, that’s all. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.”
Person 2: “You’re welcome. Good luck with the conference call tomorrow.”
Person 1: “Thanks, I’ll talk to you later.”
Person 2: “Bye.”
Conversation 3
Sure! Here is another example conversation, with a bit of humor added in:
Person 1: “Hey, I just got a call from an unknown number and they left a weird voicemail saying they were from the government and needed me to call them back immediately.”
Person 2: “Haha, sounds like a scam to me. Don’t fall for it.”
Person 1: “Yeah, I figured as much. I’m going to block the number just in case.”
Person 2: “Good idea. You never know with these telemarketers and robocalls. They’ll try anything to get your personal information.”
Person 1: “Tell me about it. I’ve even gotten calls from supposed Nigerian princes trying to get me to wire them money.”
Person 2: “Haha, those are the worst. Just hang up on them and block the number.”
Person 1: “Yeah, I think I’ll stick to talking to real people on the phone. Preferably ones I actually know.”
Person 2: “Agreed. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.”
Questions About the Conversations
Conversation 1:
What is the phone number that Person 1 asks Person 2 to dial?
What is the reason for Mary’s call to John?
How does John respond when Mary asks if there is anything else he can help with?
Conversation 2:
What is the problem that Person 1 is experiencing with their friend’s phone?
What does Person 2 suggest could be the cause of the problem?
What does Person 1 need help with in regards to a conference call?
Conversation 3:
What is the strange voicemail that Person 1 received from an unknown number?
What does Person 2 think is the cause of the strange voicemail?
What does Person 1 prefer to do on the phone, and why?
Questions Students Can Ask Each Other (or a Friend)
Do you prefer to use a landline or a cell phone for making calls? Why?
How often do you use your phone to make calls?
Do you have a plan with a lot of minutes, or do you use mostly data for calls?
Do you usually call people, or do you prefer to text or use messaging apps?
Do you have any special features on your phone, such as call waiting or voicemail?
Have you ever made an international call or used video calling?
Do you have any funny or memorable stories from phone calls you’ve had in the past?
How do you usually handle telemarketers or spam calls?
Have you ever lost your phone or had it damaged, and how did you handle the situation?
Do you have any tips or tricks for using the phone efficiently or avoiding common problems?