Red Line 4, Coursebook

38 th i r ty - e i ght Language in different situations Europeans usually find that Americans are very casual. But that doesn’t mean that you can talk casually to every American. ‘Teen talk’, for example, is not the right thing for a tourist information office. Just like in your own language, you should talk differently – or use a different ‘register’ – in different situations. 1 Different registers Think of situations where you need to use different registers. Write them in two groups. Think of two or three situations for each group. 2 Phrases Look at the phrases below and find the pairs with the same meaning. What did you say? 1 Hello, could I speak to Mr Brian Jones, please? 5 Would you like something to drink? 2 Hey, give me some help! 6 Excuse me, could you help me, please? 3 I’m sorry, could you repeat that, please? 7 Care for a drink? 4 Hi, is Brian there? 8 3 Listening: What do you say? a) Listen to two phone calls. Which register do the speakers use in each call? How does the register change in the second call? b) How could the conversations end? With a partner, choose one of the scenes and collect ideas for the rest of the conversation. Be careful with the register! c) Act out your phone calls for your class. Here are some more tips for when you meet Americans: Teenagers don’t shake hands when they meet, even the first time. Friends don’t kiss when they meet. That’s European. When you meet a friend’s parents, always use Mr /Mrs /Ms and their last name. T IPP p C p Polite Casual talking to … … Hello, how may I help you? Hey, what’s up? With phrases like ‘Could you’, ‘Would you’ and ‘Please’, you can change the register from casual to more polite. ➝ WB24, 1 ➝ WB24, 2 ➝ WB24, 3 2 Check-in Language Talkwise Text Wordwise Check-out Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv