BE.5 5 najčastejších chýb pri telefonovaní v angličtine V.

Blahoželám! Práve ste urobili prvý krok k tomu, aby ste sa zbavili trémy, keď s niekým musíte telefonovať v anglickom jazyku. Najjednoduchším spôsobom ako sa zlepšiť v angličtine, a to za veľmi krátky čas, je zbaviť sa niektorých chýb, ktoré robíme. V tomto prehľade sa môžete zoznámiť s piatimi najčastejšími chybami, ktoré väčšina ľudí robí bez toho, aby si to možno uvedomili.

Piata chyba

Odkazy z hľadiska volajúceho aj volaného sú dôležitou súčasťou telefonovania a môžu byť problémovým bodom.

Poďme sa teda pozrieť na zanechanie, respektíve príjímanie odkazov.

“Take a message” znamená prijať, teda zapísať odkaz. “Leave a message” znamená zanechať, teda nadiktovať niekomu odkaz.

Takže, ak sa niekoho chcete opýtať či chce zanechať odkaz, môžete povedať:

May/Can I take a message? = Smiem/Môžem vziať odkaz? (Slovíčko “may” je zdvorilejšie ako “can”.)

Alebo:

Would you like to leave a message? = Chceli by ste zanechať odkaz?

Ak Vy voláte niekam a chcete zanechať odkaz, tak môžete povedať:

May/Can I leave a message? = Smiem/Môžem zanechať odkaz? (Slovíčko “may” je zdvorilejšie ako “can”.)

Alebo:

Can/Could you take a message? = Môžete vziať odkaz? (Slovíčko “could” je zdvorilejšie ako “can”.)

Pozrieme sa na príklad nesprávnej vety:

~~Can you leave a message?~~ = Viete zanechať odkaz? (Volajúci je určite schopný zanechať odkaz, nás zaujíma či to chce urobiť.)

Aktivita + Checklist

Na záver by som sa Vám chcela poďakovať za prečítanie tohto prehľadu a chcela by som Vás vyzvať k tomu, aby ste absolvovali krátku aktivitu.

Cieľ aktivity: sebahodnotenie + plánovanie učenia sa

Trvanie aktivity: max. 15 min.

Potrebné veci: pero + papier alebo počítač + tlačiareň

Zadanie:

1. Pod zadaním nájdete “Checklist” so zhrnutím informácií. Ohodnoťte, či ovládate všetky tieto zručnosti.

2. Ak niektoré z týchto zručností ešte neovládate s istotou, zoberte si papier a pero a napíšte v niekoľkých vetách čo urobíte pre to, aby ste si vylepšili aj tieto Vaše schopnosti. Váš plán si môžete zapísať aj do prázdneho Word dokumentu a následne vytlačiť.

Checklist

Poznám zdvorilostné frázy.
Poznám význam slova “check”.
Viem tvoriť nepriame otázky.
Viem sa správne predstaviť.
Viem ako zanechať alebo vziať odkaz.

Pozrite si aj:

5 najčastejších chýb pri telefonovaní v angličtine I.

5 najčastejších chýb pri telefonovaní v angličtine II.

5 najčastejších chýb pri telefonovaní v angličtine III.

5 najčastejších chýb pri telefonovaní v angličtine IV.

BE.4 5 najčastejších chýb pri telefonovaní v angličtine IV.

Štvrtá chyba

Viete sa správne predstaviť? “This is Tímea Kolberová speaking. Is that Mr. Smith?”

V bežnej angličtine sa väčeinou predstavíme tak, že povieme:

I am (naše meno) … = Volám sa … (doslovne: Moje meno je …)

Pri telefonovaní však túto formulku musíme zmeniť.

Správne by sme sa mali predstaviť takto:

Hello! This is Tímea Kolberová speaking. = Dobrý deň! Tímea Kolberová pri telefóne. (Doslovne: Tímea Kolberová rozpráva.)

Nesprávne by bolo, ak by sme povedali:

~~I am~~ Tímea Kolberová. = Volám sa T. K. (Doslovne: Ja som T. K.)
~~Here is~~ Tímea Kolberová. = Tu je T. K.

Platí to aj opačne, ak sa chceme uistiť že rozprávame so správnym človekom, tak by sme sa mali pýtať takto:

Is that Mr. Smith? = Rozprávam sa s Mr. Smith? (Doslovne: Je to Mr. Smith?)

Nesprávne:

~~Are you~~ Mr. Smith? = Ste Mr. Smith?

Pozrite si aj:

5 najčastejších chýb pri telefonovaní v angličtine I.

5 najčastejších chýb pri telefonovaní v angličtine II.

5 najčastejších chýb pri telefonovaní v angličtine III.

BE.3 5 najčastejších chýb pri telefonovaní v angličtine III.

Tretia chyba

Ste si istý, že sa pýtate správne? Druhá časť nepriamej otázky má slovosled oznamovacej vety.

Poďme sa pozrieť na rozdiel medzi priamymi a nepriamymi otázkami.

Príklad priamej otázky je:

Where is Mr. Smith? = Kde je Mr. Smith?

Môžete si všimnúť, že priama otázka má bežný slovosled otázky.

Príklad nepriamej otázky je:

Do you know where Mr. Smith is? = Viete kde je Mr. Smith?

Prvá časť nepriamej otázky “Do you know…” má slovosled otázky. Druhá časť nepriamej otázky “…where Mr. Smith is?” má slovosled oznamovacej vety.

Preto je nesprávne sa opýtať:

Do you know ~~where is Mr. Smith~~? = Viete kde je Mr. Smith?
Could you tell me ~~where is Mr. Smith~~? = Mohli/Vedeli by ste mi povedať, kde je Mr. Smith?

Správne otázky tvoríme takto:

Do you know where Mr. Smith is? = Viete kde je Mr. Smith?
Could you tell me where Mr. Smith is? = Mohli/Vedeli by ste mi povedať, kde je Mr. Smith?

Pozrite si aj:

5 najčastejších chýb pri telefonovaní v angličtine I.

5 najčastejších chýb pri telefonovaní v angličtine II.

B1.2 5 najčastejších chýb pri telefonovaní v angličtine II.

Blahoželám! Práve ste urobili prvý krok k tomu, aby ste sa zbavili trémy, keď s niekým musíte telefonovať v anglickom jazyku. Najjednoduchsím spôsbom ako sa zlepšiť v angličtine, a to za veľmi krátky čas, je zbaviť sa niektorých chýb, ktoré robíme. V tomto prehľade sa môžete zoznámiť s piatimi najčastejšími chybami, ktoré väčšina ľudí robí bez toho, aby si to možno uvedomovali.

Druhá chyba

Používate správne slová? “Control” znamená ovládať niečo. “Check” znamená skontrolovať niečo.

Keď si s niekým voláme, často sa stane, že potrebujeme niečo si skontrolovať alebo overiť. Chceme mať istotu, že všetko sme správne pochopili a nechceme poskytnúť nesprávne informácie. Mnohí študenti si myslia, že slovenské “skontrolovať” sa dá preložiť do angličtiny ako “control”. Nie je to pravda! Druhá najčastejšia chyba spočíva v tom, že zamieňame význam slovesa “check” s významom slovesa “control”. “Control” v angličtine ovládame, napríklad nejaký stroj. Keď si niečo chceme overiť alebo skontrolovať, v angličtine musíme používať sloveso “check”.

Let me check it. = Pozriem sa na to. Musím si to overiť. (Doslovne: Nechajte ma to skontrolovať.)
Can we double-check it? = Môžeme to pre istotu ešte raz skontrolovať?

Pozrite si aj:

BE.1 5 najčastejších chýb pri telefonovaní v angličtine I.

Prvá chyba

Nie sme dosť zdvorilí! Skúste použiť zdvorilostné otázky a frázy, ktoré poznáte z bežnej komunikácie aj počas telefonovania.

Zbaviť sa prvej najčastejšej chyby je veľmi jednoduché, stačí keď si zapamätáte, že by ste mali byť zdvorilejší. Rôzne zdvorilostné otázky a frázy, ktoré poznáme z každodennej angličtiny, môžeme smelo použiť aj keď ide o telefonický hovor.

Určite poznáte frázu:

I would like to … (Chcel by som…)

V bežnej angličtine ju používame namiesto strohej vety:

I want to… (Chcem…)

Skúste ju nabudúce použiť:

I would like to speak to Mr. Smith. (Chcel by som rozprávať s pánom Smithom.)

Túto vetu môžete aj skrátiť:

I’d like to speak to Mr. Smith. (Chcel by som rozprávať s pánom Smithom.)

Samozrejme túto väzbu môžete použiť aj v podobe otázky:

Would you like to leave a message? (Chceli by ste zanechať odkaz?)

Friendship Idioms

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, an idiom is “a group of words in a fixed order that has a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on its own”. There are many idioms in the English language, and native speakers tend to use them a lot, so if you are a learner of English, it might be a good idea for you to study idioms from time to time.

Here is a short list of friendship idioms:

Birds of a feather flock together.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
man’s best friend
to hit it off
to speak the same language
a fair-weather friend
to go back a long way
asking for a friend
false friends
to call yourself a friend

Let’s have a look at the meanings of these idioms.

Birds of a feather flock together. Meaning: We tend to surround ourselves with people who are similar to us. We have a lot in common, for example we share the same beliefs and interests. You can use this idiom to show your disapproval of the behaviour and opinions friends have in common.

A friend in need is a friend indeed. Meaning: If things are not going well for you and your friend is willing to help you out, you can be sure that this person is your true friend. Sometimes, we can have fake friends who are by our sides just in good times.

man’s best friend = a dog 🙂

to hit it off = to become friends almost immediately. When we say that two people hit it off immediately, we mean that they liked each other from the start and soon felt comfortable around each other. They also find it easy to talk to each other and/or have a similar sense of humour.

to speak the same language = to have similar ideas and present them in a similar way. If two people speak the same language, they obviously understand each other well and find it easy to compromise or work together.

a fair-weather friend = a “friend” who stops being friendly when we have some problems. The opposite of a true friend.

to go back a long way = to know each other for a long time. If we say that person A and person B go back a long way, we mean that they have known each other for ages.

Asking for a friend. Meaning: If you use this idiom as a short sentence, it means that you are pretending to ask a kind of embarrassing question on behalf of somebody else. It is humorous.

false friends = confusing words that sound like or appear to be like words you would know the meaning of in another language, but they mean something different in the language you are learning. For example, college in English means an institution offering post-secondary education. The German word, Kollege, that seems to be very similar to the English one, however, means co-worker. So the German equivalent of college would be Hochschule. And the English word for Kollege would be colleague.

And you call yourself a friend? Meaning: When we use this question, we show our dissatisfaction. The person we are telling this has not been a good friend and has done something a good friend would not do. You can also replace the word friend with other nouns signifying roles in our lives.

If you want to learn more about idioms, check out my resources:

10 Great Sport Idioms (worksheet)

10 Great Sport Idioms (video about the worksheet)

Best English Idioms about Sport (online class with Matt Purland)

25 Idiom Flashcards (printable)

12 Fail-proof Tips to Build Rapport with Your Students

Are you new to teaching, and all the things you should be doing seem overwhelming? Been there, done that. When I became an English teacher, I realized that I had not thought about a burning question. I asked myself what I teach, how I teach it, and how I assess my students. These are valid questions, and it is essential to deal with them. However, looking back, I should have known that there is more to making your students learn efficiently. We tend to overlook another equally important aspect of teaching that is at the core of How do I build rapport with my students? If you want to know the answer and build fulfilling relationships with your students, read on to find out more. I am excited to share my 12 fail-proof tips to build rapport with your students. Take note of the ‘quick fixes’ that match each tip so you can start shaping the relationship with your students in your next class.

1. Call your students by name.

The first tip speaks for itself, but it might be challenging to use, especially when you work with larger groups of students. I usually teach one-to-one lessons or small groups, even so, I am not good with names. For this reason, I always write my students’ names down. I make sure to check their names before meeting them either in person or online. As time goes by and you get to know your students, remembering their names will not be an issue anymore.

Quick fix: Write down your students’ names and if you work with larger groups of people, add a distinguishing feature to each name. Even though this name list is only for your personal use, be kind when you think of traits that help you tell your students apart.

2. Care about your students’ interests and aspirations.

Your students’ hobbies and goals make up a huge part of who they are. You might find it easier to motivate your students when you present them with topics that they are invested in. You can tailor vocabulary words to fit topics your students are interested in. When it comes to teaching adult learners, they often have a realistic idea about the vocabulary they want and need to learn. It makes more sense to teach them words they will end up using. Discussion questions and icebreaker activities are a great way to find out where your students’ interests lie.

Quick fix: The next time your students talk about themselves, make note of the free time activities and entertainment they enjoy. Make sure to occasionally ask your students about them. Surprise your students with a topic that matches their interests without losing sight of the learning objectives.

3. Show a sense of humour.

Many of us can remember at least one teacher who would beat any stand-up comedian. Not everybody is naturally funny though. I can get behind the idea of bringing our ‘A’ game, yet I do not want to put on an act. If you are a genuinely funny person, you do not necessarily need to tune it down in class. Being able to laugh at your own expense comes in handy on days when either you or your students are a little tongue-tied.

Quick fix: If you make a mistake, just laugh it off. Crack a joke or share a funny meme. Do not get discouraged if your students do not appreciate your comedic genius. Finding age-appropriate material is key. Do not shy away from self-deprecating humour if it matches your personality.

4. Be there for your students outside of class.

You should do a little soul-searching and set healthy boundaries because it is a double-edged sword. I agree that you should be there for your students but with reasonable limitations. I do not believe in arriving to class early and staying late because sticking to my schedule is a priority to me. I try to be as punctual as possible and I take my well-deserved breaks. Lunchtime is also sacred. However, I allow my students to contact me outside of class. I have designated office hours and I have built an online presence. These days, it could be easier to get in touch online for some students.

Quick fix: Think about having office hours, setting up an email address or social media profile to keep in touch with your students. Do not be available 24/7, that is what automated responses are meant to do. You should treasure your downtime.

5. Be respectful.

Respect is a two-way street in my book. If you want to earn the respect of your students, you should also treat them with respect. Under no circumstances should you ridicule or put down your students. If they are disruptive, try to bear in mind that it is not who they are but what they do. I cannot stress enough how important it is to take care of yourself. If you are overworked and you have not had a good night’s sleep for ages, it is more probable that you will overreact.

Quick fix: Educate yourself about Classroom Management and learn from seasoned teachers in Facebook groups or forums. If a classroom management technique does not work for you and your students, try a different approach.

6. Be humble.

You should be a person your students can look up to, not a know-it-all who thinks that he is better than everybody else. Yes, your students know less about the subject matter than you, but that is the reason why you are in a privileged position to teach them. Put yourself in their shoes and keep in mind that you also had to start somewhere. You did not become an expert in your field overnight, either. Do not hold grudges if a student of yours outgrows you. Even though it is quite rare, it can happen, and you should not let it drive a wedge between you.

Quick fix: Surround yourself with people of different ages, experiences, and areas of expertise. If there is somebody who knows more than you, learn from that person! When you meet somebody who knows less, you should help that person grow.

7. Be aware of your body language.

You might or might not be aware of your body language, your students pick up on it either way. Body language is a powerful tool that may engage your students or discourage them from learning. Ways to keep your students alert include maintaining eye contact, using mime and gestures to help retain new vocabulary, or to encourage and praise students. A simple smile goes a long way. Be mindful of nonverbal cues that send a negative message. Do you often fidget? Are you constantly checking your phone? Do you slouch in class and seem indifferent to what your students are saying? You might want to change these patterns of behaviour.

Quick fix: Pick one thing at a time and work on it. For example, put a sticky note on your laptop reminding you not to slouch. Get rid of distractions. Turn off your notifications or put your phone away so you are not tempted to check it every 10 seconds.

8. Enjoy teaching and be passionate about what you teach.

Being overly enthusiastic and optimistic all the time is emotionally draining and might be perceived as fake. However, if you seem content and your students think that you genuinely enjoy teaching them, they will also find joy in learning. If you are dissatisfied with things that you have the power to change, change them for the better.

Quick fix: If you feel a little bit down, try to remember why you got into education in the first place. Keep a box of treasured little gifts, drawings, and notes your students got you to remind you this is all worth it.

9. Be consistent.

Organisation, structure, and consistency are gifts that keep on giving. Being organised takes effort, but once you have put your systems in place, you can rely on them every day. To achieve the best results, re-evaluate your practices once in a while and modify them if necessary. Being consistent also means that you should keep your word. Your students need to know that you are a trustworthy and reliable person. Trying to make your students meet deadlines and be responsible defeats its purpose if you are absent-minded.

Quick fix: When did you last revise your organisational systems? If it has been a while, brush up on them. Do you have your course policies in writing? Explain them to your students, they have the right to know what standards they are held to.

10. Be relatable.

You are not infallible, and you are not a person to be feared. You are a mentor whose role is to guide your students and make expert knowledge accessible to them. To put your ideas across easily, limit specialised language, and explain things in everyday terms. If you relate the information to your students’ lives, they will remember it with ease. If you give examples from your private life, your students will get to know you better. Bringing up spare-time activities, the movies or books you enjoy could be nice ways to connect with your students without giving too much away about your personal life.

Quick fix: Use simple words. Give personally relevant examples from your life or students’ lives.

11. Do not be too hard on yourself or your students.

Some days are better than others. The sooner we accept that there are problems hindering our students’ progress and performance, the better we will feel about ourselves. Your students are allowed to have a bad day, and so are you. To put things into perspective, try to recall your own experience with great teachers. Chances are that you remember the values they represented and the way they made you feel. It is not about being perfect all the time but helping others succeed.

Quick fix: To justify not being a perfectionist, think about inspiring educators in your life.

12. Foster active learning and interaction.

I am sure that you want your students to be active learners. One of the possible ways to do so is to think in terms of teacher talking time (TTT) and student talking time (STT). Teacher talking time is the time that you spend talking in class instead of your students. Student talking time is the time your students spend talking. Pair work and group work, with you monitoring these activities, are the most self-explanatory ways to give your students more talking time.

Quick fix: Limit teacher talking time. Agree with your students on having a set collection of gestures to substitute oral instructions.

If you are interested in more content for teachers, check out The Peira.English Podcast for educators on YouTube.

10 Common Writing Mistakes

Are you wondering what they might be? Well, let me give you the backstory first. I conducted a little experiment. I have been teaching English for four years now, and I had the chance to work with students and English teachers who had to tackle essay writing. I gathered a collection of more than 50 essays, and I decided to make use of it.

A question came to my mind. Would it be possible to identify a set of writing mistakes that repeat themselves in these essays? The post title gives away the answer to this question. The errors in more than fifty essays boiled down to a list of 10 common writing mistakes. I wanted to share what I have learned with the world, so I made an essay writing guide in a form of a digital product Essay Writing 101 that features the list.

Of course, that was not the end of it! I came up with the idea of organizing several online events to proofread and edit pieces of writing submitted by my students or viewers at the time live on Twitch. To my surprise, the mistakes I came across in these essays were almost identical to those on the list! It confirmed my initial idea and I managed to come up with another list similar to the previous one. The new list is included here.

10 Common Writing Mistakes

1. Using short forms in essays.

We have to avoid using short forms in essays. So, we have to write:

does not, did not, should not, would not, etc.
cannot (written together)

2. An article is missing.

Nouns with superlative adjectives normally have a definite article.

For example:

It was the best holiday ever.

3. There is an article that should not be there.

We do not use the combination of possessive adjectives and nouns with a definite article.

For example:

It was my best holiday ever.

We use articles with nouns, not adjectives standing alone.

For example:

It was amazing. He is retired.

4. We do not use the correct comparative or superlative form of adjectives.

For example:

happy, happier, the happiest
comfortable, more comfortable, the most comfortable

5. Subjects and verbs do not agree with one another in number.

Correct sentences are:

He goes swimming twice a week.
My family is close-knit.

6. We use which for people.

We cannot use which for people. We have to use who.

For example:

My friends met some people who were friendly.

Sometimes, it might be even better to use shorter sentences.

For example:

My friends met some friendly people.

See what we did there? We get rid of who by shortening the sentence.

7. There is a comma (,) missing.

Correct sentence:

In many countries, senior positions have higher salaries compared to those of young workers of the same company.

Other examples are:

However, … Thus, … Therefore, … In addition, … Furthermore, … Overall, … So, … etc.

8. We use possessive pronouns instead of possessive adjectives.

Correct sentences are:

This is my book.
This book is mine.

9. We use possessive adjectives instead of possessive pronouns.

Correct example:

a friend of mine

10. Not paying attention to signal words.

Knowing which signal words and tenses go together makes essay writing a lot easier.

Signal words for Present Simple:

always, never, usually, sometimes, often, hardly ever, seldom, rarely (adverbs of frequency), on the whole, on Tuesdays, in the mornings, at night, on Saturday afternoon, in summer, on New Year’s Eve, every + (day/Saturday/August/winter), once/twice/three (times) + a (day/month/year)

Signal words for Present Continuous:

at the moment, at present, now, right now, today, tonight, these days, this year, currently, tomorrow, next month, at 5 o’clock, this afternoon, tomorrow morning
Listen! Watch out! Look!

Signal words for Present Perfect Simple:

already, yet, still, just, so far, up to now, lately, recently, for, since, never, ever, all my life, today, this + week, month, year, once/twice/three (times)
How many times have you…?

Signal words for Present Perfect Continuous:

since/for, all (day/week/morning), the whole (day/week/night)
How long have you been…?