Episode 0063
Summary
The audio captures a scene in an office or reception area. Josh O'Neil arrives for an appointment with Joanna Stevens, and a receptionist guides him to her office. The conversation is polite until the very end, when the receptionist apparently has an accident, indicated by a sudden cry.
Transcript (Click timestamp to jump)
Good afternoon. May I help you?
Yes, I'm here to see Joanna Stevens. I have an appointment at four.
Certainly. May I take your name? I'll let her know you've arrived.
Sure, it's Josh O'Neil.
Miss Stevens will be with you momentarily. Can I offer you something to drink?
Yes, uh, coffee would be nice. Thank you.
Here you are. Miss Stevens is ready for you now.
I'll show you to her office, right this way.
Just watch your step here.
Ah!
Summary
The audio is an episode of the English Pod podcast, hosted by Marco and Erica. They introduce a dialogue centered around a receptionist, focusing on polite and professional phrases used in an office setting. The dialogue features a receptionist assisting a visitor named Josh O'Neil for an appointment with Miss Stevens, culminating in a humorous moment where the visitor trips. Marco and Erica then break down and analyze key phrases from the dialogue, explaining their appropriate usage for formality and politeness. They encourage listeners to use these phrases to sound more professional and welcoming, concluding by inviting listeners to their website for further questions.
Transcript (Click timestamp to jump)
Hello English learners, welcome back to English Pod. My name is Marco.
And I'm Erica.
And today, we're bringing you a lesson that was requested by one of our listeners.
Yes, that's right. We got a request for a dialogue about a receptionist.
So, a receptionist at an office or at a hotel.
Mhm.
So, today's dialogue is simple, but we're going to be looking at some really great phrases.
Yeah, phrases that will help you sound really, really professional and really fluent.
So, we are at an office today and the receptionist is greeting somebody that has an appointment.
All right, let's see what happens.
Good afternoon. May I help you?
Yes, I'm here to see Joanna Stevens. I have an appointment at four.
Certainly. May I take your name? I'll let her know you've arrived.
Sure, it's Josh O'Neil.
Miss Stevens will be with you momentarily. Can I offer you something to drink?
Yes, uh, coffee would be nice, thank you.
Here you are. Miss Stevens is ready for you now.
I'll show you to her office, right this way.
Just watch your step here.
Ah!
Well, that's pretty embarrassing, hey?
That was embarrassing. I that's what happens to women when they wear high heels, see?
Actually, that happened to me last weekend.
Really?
I fell down the stairs and my my knees are quite blue.
Oh no, see.
High heels are dangerous. I don't know why women wear them.
Well, I don't know, but that's not what we're here to discover.
Right.
Okay, so let's take a look at some of these great phrases in fluenciy builder.
Well, I really liked how this receptionist used some excellent phrases to sound really professional.
And one thing she said was, certainly.
Certainly.
Certainly.
So why did she say certainly?
Well, this is a nice way to respond, to make the other person know that you understand what they said.
So, Josh O'Neil said, yes, I'm here to see Joanna Stevens, I have an appointment at four.
Certainly.
So, she is saying, I understand what you said.
Yes.
And then she said, may I take your name?
May I take your name?
May I take your name?
So this is a nice way of saying, what is your name?
Yeah.
Yeah.
So, now this is really important because if you said, what is your name? Is that correct?
It's correct, but it's not really very...
Exactly, or I would say polite to a certain extent.
Yes.
Okay.
So, may I take your name?
May I take your name?
You use this phrase when you are going to write down the person's name.
Right. So, if you meet somebody on the street or at a bar, you wouldn't say, may I take your name?
No.
Right. Unless you're going to write it down.
So usually for an office setting where the receptionist has to write down the name.
Yes.
All right, one more phrase. Miss Stevens will be with you momentarily.
Okay, Miss Stevens will be with you momentarily.
Will be with you momentarily.
Okay, so this is really polite.
Yes.
Momentarily, what does that mean?
In a moment, soon.
Soon.
Mhm.
Again, she could have said, Miss Stevens will come out soon or Miss Stevens will see you in a minute.
Yes.
But that's again, it's not really that polite, right?
Yeah, so when you want to be formal, you can say, Miss Stevens will be with you momentarily.
Okay, that's a really nice phrase.
All right, there's so much in this dialogue, so many great, wonderful, polite phrases.
So why don't we listen to it one more time, but this time slowed down.
Good afternoon. May I help you?
Yes, I'm here to see Joanna Stevens. I have an appointment at four.
Certainly. May I take your name? I'll let her know you've arrived.
Sure. It's Josh O'Neil.
Miss Stevens will be with you momentarily. Can I offer you something to drink?
Yes, uh, coffee would be nice. Thank you.
Here you are. Miss Stevens is ready for you now.
I'll show you to her office, right this way.
Just watch your step here.
Okay, so it's pretty clear now, but there are still a couple of phrases that I would like to look at.
So, why don't we look at the last two sentences.
Okay.
Miss Stevens is ready for you now.
Miss Stevens is ready for you now.
Miss Stevens is ready for you.
So, when she says ready for you, what does that mean?
Prepared to speak to you.
Okay.
So instead of saying Miss Stevens is ready or Miss Stevens can see you now.
Yes.
You use this great little phrase, is ready for you.
Mhm.
Okay.
And then she said, I'll show you to her office.
I'll show you to her office.
I'll show you to her office.
This is a lovely way of saying, I will take you to the office.
I will take you to the office.
And she followed it by saying, right this way.
Right this way.
Right this way.
So, again, walk this way.
Walk this way.
This way, please.
Yes.
Right this way.
It sound it sounds really, really nice, really polite, really welcoming.
Right.
And especially if you use it together, right? I'll show you to her office, right this way, please.
Yes.
Okay, so it's a really great way of being polite to somebody at an office.
Now, the final useful phrase, watch your step.
Watch your step.
Watch your step.
Watch your step. You see that everywhere in signs.
Be careful.
Be careful where you step.
Yes, be careful where you're walking.
Okay.
So, obviously, she didn't watch her step and she fell.
She fell.
Okay, so really great phrases, let's listen to this dialogue one last time.
All right, so a really simple dialogue but with a lot of good phrases in there. And it's also a good review for more advanced students, right?
Yeah, remember, like these phrases can really help you sound more professional, more welcoming, more polite, basically.
Okay.
So, if you have any questions or doubts, please come to our website Englishpod.com.
And Marco and I are always around to respond to your questions and comments.
Okay, guys, so we'll see you there and until next time, it's goodbye.
Goodbye.
Summary
This audio is an English language learning exercise, featuring two speakers who introduce vocabulary words and phrases, explain their meanings, and then use them in context or sentences. The content focuses on common expressions related to introductions, directions, and office environments, such as 'momentarily,' 'right this way,' 'secretary,' 'lobby,' and 'watch your step.' The tone is instructional and neutral.
Transcript (Click timestamp to jump)
The English Pod audio review.
Listen to the meaning, then say the vocabulary word.
Without doubt, of course.
Certainly.
Polite way to ask for someone's name.
May I take your name?
Tell someone.
Let someone know.
In a very short time.
Momentarily.
Is prepared to meet with you.
Be ready for you.
Show a person the way to a place.
Show someone to.
Phrase you use to show someone the direction to walk.
Right this way.
Secretary.
Administrative assistant.
Lobby.
The desk at the entrance of a building where the receptionist sits.
Front desk.
Receive and direct phone calls.
Field calls.
A system used to connect phone calls to many different phone lines within a building.
Switchboard.
Let's try that faster.
Lobby.
Show a person the way to a place.
Show someone to.
Secretary.
Administrative assistant.
Without doubt, of course.
Certainly.
Receive and direct phone calls.
Field calls.
Is prepared to meet with you.
Be ready for you.
Phrase you use to show someone the direction to walk.
Right this way.
Tell someone.
Let someone know.
Polite way to ask for someone's name.
May I take your name?
A system used to connect phone calls to many different phone lines within a building.
Switchboard.
The desk at the entrance of a building where the receptionist sits.
Front desk.
In a very short time.
Momentarily.
Now say the word and hear it in a sentence.
May I take your last name, please?
May I take your phone number and call you back later?
May I take your full name and ID number, please?
Momentarily.
Food will arrive momentarily.
Momentarily.
Ladies and gentlemen, the movie will begin momentarily.
Momentarily.
The flight was delayed, but it will arrive momentarily.
Right this way.
I will show you where the bathroom is. Right this way, please.
Right this way.
The meeting room is right this way.
Right this way.
Right this way, please. The exit is straight ahead.
Watch your step here, the floor is wet.
Please watch your step on the stairs.
Watch your step as you exit the train.