ENGLISH FOR SECRETARIES

LISTENING SPEAKING READING WRITING

2018

RAHMAYANI KADIR
UM PAREPARE PRESS
UNIT 1
COMMUNICATING VIA TELEPHONE

English for Secretaries Page 1

PART I - LISTENING

In this section, you are going to watch a video conversation between a

secretary of an office and someone on the phone and also with her boss.
Watch the video carefully and then answer the tasks!

PRE LISTENING ACTIVITIES

Task 1. Predicting

Below are some vocabularies that related to the secretarial. Check out
which words are included in the video!

Meeting Schedule Office Document

s

Secretary Paper Deadline

Telephone Colleague Client Company

Task 2. Setting the Scene

1. Where do you think the situation of the video takes place?

2. Can you mention the name of the ladies in the video? Who are they?

Task 3. Listening for Information

Match the words in the column A with the definition in the column B!
No. Column A Column B
1 Secretary formal arrangement to meet discussing
something related work
2 Office an occasion when people come together to
discuss about something
3 Company official paper giving information, evidence,

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 etc.
4 Deadline room or building where people work
5 Document someone who works in an office, types
letters, makes a phone, schedule a meeting,
make arrangements and appointments, etc.
6 Meeting business organization
7 Appointment fixed date for completing a task

Task 4. Listening for Confirmation

Watch again the video! Fix your responses in Task 1, 2, and 3 if needed!

INTENSIVE LISTENING ACTIVITIES

Task 5. Predicting

Predict the following statements, tick true or false based on the video!

No. Statements True False

1 Michelle Anderson is a secretary.

2 Mr. Smith wants to answer Ms. Anderson’s
call.
3 Ms. Anderson does not want to be called back
by Mr. Smith.
4 Ms. Anderson mentioned her number on the
phone.
5 Mr. Smith is on a meeting when Mr. Johnson’s
secretary called.

Task 6. Responding

Answer the questions below based on the video above!

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 1. What the video talks about?
:………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Where the video take place?
:………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Who are included in the video?
:………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Why Mr. Smith cannot answer the phone?
:………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
5. How Michelle Anderson tells the secretary that she wants to be called back?
:………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………

Task 7. Clarifying

Watch again the video! In a group, discuss your answer!

POST LISTENING ACTIVITIES

Task 8. Evaluating

After analyzing the vocabulary in the task 1, try to find out the synonym
of each vocabulary!
No. Term Synonym
1 Meeting
2 Schedule
3 Office
4 Document
5 Deadline

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 6 Telephone
7 Client
8 Company
9 Colleague
10 Paper

Task 9. Reflecting

1. Is the listening activity easy or difficult? Why?

2. What problem do you find during the listening activities?
3. How to solve that problem?

Task 10. Projecting

In pairs, write a report describing the information you got from the video!

PART II - SPEAKING

In this section, you are going to watch again a video conversation between a
secretary of an office and someone on the phone and also with her boss.
Watch the video carefully and then do the tasks!

Task 1. Analyzing

After watching the video, you got some vocabularies in your mind about
secretarial. Now, think and list another vocabulary that related to the secretarial
on the box provided!

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 Task 2. Developing

With your partner, try to find out the meaning of each vocabulary that you
have written in the Task 1!
No. Vocabulary Meaning
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Task 3. Designing

By using some vocabularies about secretarial that you have learnt, make
a new short dialogue about an activity of secretary with your partner!

DIALOGUE

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 Task 4. Practicing

Come forward in front of the class! Practice the dialogue you have made
with your partner!

Do a
conversation!

Task 5. Evaluating

Speak up! Retell what your friends have talked about on their dialogue!
The following box will help you listing them before your teacher asks you to
speak it up!

First pair talked about………………………………………….....................

Second pair talked about……………………………………….....................

Third pair talked about………………………………………….....................

Next pair talked about………………………………………….....................

Polite Requests

Focus on Language Can I see Mr….?

Will you call…?
SPEAKING Can you spell…?
Take a seat, please!
Wait a moment.
More Polite:
May I speak to Mr….?
Could you wait….?

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PART III - READING

In this section, you are going to read a conversation between a secretary of

an office and someone on the phone. Read the dialogue carefully and then
answer the tasks!

First Dialogue
(A)Secretary (B) Caller
(A): Hello. Muhammadiyah University. English Department’s Office. How
can I help you?
(B): This is Steven Jones. Could I speak to the English Department-
Director, please?
(A): I’m sorry – I’m afraid he’s out at the moment. Can I take a message?
(B): Yes. Could you ask him to call me back? I need to talk to him about
the workshop next week - it’s urgent. Here is my office phone
number – 0256610918.
(A): Could you repeat the number for me, please?
(B): Of course, it’s 025 6610918.
(A): Thank you – and could you also spell your name for me?
(B): No problem – this is Steven Jones – S T E V E N J O N E S.
(A): Thank you. Let me repeat that - your name is Steven Jones and
your office phone number is 025 6610918.
(B): That’s correct.
(A): Thank you Mr. Jones - I’ll make sure he gets this message as soon
as he gets back.
(B): Bye! Thanks for your help!
(A): You’re welcome. Goodbye!

Task 1. Surveying

Below is a box message that you have to give to your director after
finishing his meeting. Make a correct message!

TELEPHONE MESSAGE
Message for: …………………………………………………………………………
From: ………………………………………………………………………………….
Telephone number: …………………………………………………………………
Regarding: …………………………………………………………………………….

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 Task 2. Questioning

Answer the questions below based on the dialogue above!

1. What the dialogue talks about?
:………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Who is the caller?
:………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Why the caller looking for the director?
:………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Why the secretary did not hold the phone line to the director?
:………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
5. Does the caller leave a message? If yes, what is his message?
:………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
Second Dialogue
(A) Secretary (B) Caller
(A) Hello. Muhammadiyah University. Education Faculty. How can I help you?
(B) Hello. Can I speak to Dr. Amaluddin, please?
(A) I’ll just get him. Can you call back in 10 minutes, please?
(B) Yes, of course.
(A) Who shall I say is calling?
(B) Sarah Brown.
(A) I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Could you repeat it, please?
(B) Certainly. This is Sarah Brown.
(A) Thank you, Ms. Brown. Please call back in 10 minutes.
(B) O.K. Bye!
(A) Goodbye!

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 Task 3. Reading

Read the second dialogue above and match each phrase below with the
correct definition!

No. Phrase Definition

1 I’ll just get him/her asking for the caller’s name
2 Who shall I say is calling? asking the caller to say his/her name
again
3 Please call back explaining that she didn’t
understand
or hear the caller’s name correctly.
4 Could you repeat it, please? explaining that she will go and find
the person the caller wants to speak
to.
5 I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. asking the caller to phone again but
at a later time.

Task 4. Reciting

Recite the two dialogue by using your own words! Write down your ideas
before reciting it!

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Task 5. Reviewing

Review the following statements, tick true or false based on the

dialogues!

No. Statements True False

1 Mr. Jones wants to talk about workshop.

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 2 The secretary does not work at
Muhammadiyah University.
3 Mr. Jones left his phone number.
4 Sarah Brown was looking for Mr. Smith.
5 The secretary asked Ms. Brown to call back
15 minutes later.

PART IV - WRITING

In this section, you are going to write conversation between a secretary of

an office and someone on the phone. Read the dialogue carefully and then
answer the tasks!

Task 1. Analyzing

Analyze some dialogues you have learnt before! Pay attention to the
grammatical use!

Task 2. Designing

Choose one of the topics below! Make a paragraph!

Secretary’s daily activity

Secretary’s ability

Secretary’s performance

Secretary’s family background should be

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 Task 3. Developing

Develop your ideas! Read again your draft and remove the usefulness
information!

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
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_____

Task 4. Evaluating

Evaluate you draft! Correct the grammatical!

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
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_____

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