Friday, March 20, 2020

The India Video essays

The India Video essays In the video describing ancient India the filmmakers goal was to educate the audience by showing various places that still exist in India and describing the cultures of those times. The tone of the coverage was serious and straightforward with no biases made from the individuals interviewed. They all spoke from an educators point of view, which helped the videos credibility. Unfortunately, it was very difficult to understand what the commentators were saying due to their thick accents and the audiences limited knowledge on the subject. The text is a much better coverage source because one can read, and if necessary reread, the text at leisure to learn and understand the ancient Indian civilizations. This type of video should not play a large role in the overall education process for several reasons. The video was extremely difficult to understand, everything was explained very fast and no time was given to pause for note taking, and the names and places mentioned were not spelled f or the audience so there was no way one could look up the information when they returned home. The filmmakers goal to educate the audience was fulfilled to some degree. There were many interesting facts and explanations mentioned throughout the video. One of these interesting facts being that a man should marry at age twenty and his bride should be one-third his age, with the man promising sex and wealth and women had no independence in the Brahamian society. The filmmaker also covered a large period of time, starting with early paintings before 8000 BCE and ending with architecture and culture well after the nineteenth century AD. He included various landmarks such as the Arc and Temples, the Harrappan, Aryan, and Ashukas cultures and customs, and several religions like Hindu, Buddhism, and Mormonism and how they pertained to India. However, one problem that seemed to arise is that the video seemed to be on an interme ...

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Important Phrases for English Phone Conversations

Important Phrases for English Phone Conversations Telephoning in English includes learning a number of special phrases, as well as focusing on listening skills. Some of the most important phrases include how to answer the phone, how to ask for others, how to connect, and how to take messages.   Introducing Yourself Here are a few ways to informally introduce yourself on the telephone: This is Ken.Hello, Ken speaking If youd like to reply more formally, use your full name. This is Jennifer Smith speaking.Hello, Jennifer Smith speaking. If you are answering for a business, just state the business name. In this case, its common to ask how you can help: Good morning, Thomson Company. How may I help you?Plumbers Insurance. How can I be of service today? British / American Difference Hello, this is KenBrighton 0987654 The first example response is in American English and the second is in  British English. As you can see there are differences in both forms. The telephone articles include both  British and American English, as well as phrases that are common to both forms. In  American English, we answer the phone stating This is ... In British English, its common to answer the phone by stating the telephone number. The phrase This is ... is used only on the telephone to substitute the phrase My name is ... which is not used to answer the telephone. Asking Who Is on the Telephone Sometimes, youll need to find out who is calling. Ask them politely for this information: Excuse me, who is this?May (Can) I ask who is calling, please? Asking for Someone At other times, youll need to speak to someone else. This is especially true when you telephone a business. Here are some examples: Can I have extension 321? (extensions are internal numbers at a company)Could I speak to...? (Can I - more informal / May I - more formal)Is Jack in? (informal idiom meaning: Is Jack in the office? Connecting Someone If you answer the phone, you might need to connect the caller to someone at your business. Here are some useful phrases: Ill put you through (put through - phrasal verb meaning connect)Can you hold the line? Can you hold on a moment? When Someone Is Not Available These phrases can be used to express that someone is not available  to speak on the telephone. Im afraid ... is not available at the momentThe line is busy... (when the extension requested is being used)Mr. Jackson isnt in... Mr. Jackson is out at the moment... Taking a Message If someone isnt available, you might want to take a message to help the caller.   Could (Can, May) I take a message?Could (Can, May) I tell him who is calling?Would you like to leave a message? Continue practicing your skills by using the  practical exercises  below which include information on leaving messages on the telephone, how to ask  native speakers  to slow down, role plays on the telephone and more. Practice With a Role Play Begin by learning important telephone English with the dialogue below. Here is a short telephone conversation with some of the key phrases: Operator: Hello, Frank and Brothers, How can I help you?Peter: This is Peter Jackson. Can I have extension 3421?Operator: Certainly, hold on a minute, Ill put you through... Frank: Bob Petersons office, Frank speaking.Peter: This is Peter Jackson calling, is Bob in? Frank: Im afraid hes out at the moment. Can I take a message?Peter: Yes, Could you ask him to call me at ... I need to talk to him about the Nuovo line, its urgent. Frank: Could you repeat the number please?Peter: Yes, thats ..., and this is Peter Jackson. Frank: Thank you Mr. Jackson, Ill make sure Bob gets this asap.Peter: Thanks, bye. Frank: Bye. As you can see, the language is rather informal and there are some important differences from face-to-face conversational English.