Making contact

Today we will

• understand phone numbers and answering machine messages
• find information in newspaper advertisements

Read the advertisements and put them into four groups: Accommodation - English language lessons - Jobs - Making friends

Read the advertisements again and answer the questions.

1. What does Mary teach?
2. What is the name of the recruitment agency?
3. Where does Mike live?
4. When are the Kung Fu classes?
5. What does Patrick want?
6. How much does the room near London Bridge cost?
7. Where can you get free accommodation?
8. What languages can you practise on Thursday evenings?

Imagine that you are in London and you want to improve your English. Which advertisements would you choose and why?

Think of the last three phone calls that you made.

Who did you call? (a friend/business call?)

Why did you call her/him? (to give some news/ask a question?)

Match the calls 1-4 to the advertisements A—H.

Which caller does not leave a message on an answering machine?

Listen to the messages again and answer the questions.

• What is Davina's phone number?
• What is a good time to call her?
• What is Bella's phone number?
• What is her family name?
• What is Ruby's number?
• Why does Sara want English lessons?

Listen to a phone message and choose the best option

• To listen to the menu, press... 4 # *
• For general enquiries, press... 1 # 2 # 3 #
• Kate's home phone number is ... 0307 775 3046 0307 755 3846 0307 755 3046
• Kate's mobile number is ... 0477 320188 0477 328118 0477 321880

Work in pairs, A and B.

You are going to practise saying phone numbers.

Listen to the phone numbers your partner says and write them down.

Listen and complete the phone messages.

This is 641480. I'm afraid there's no one to take your call right __________________ Please leave your __________________ and __________________ after the tone and I'll call you back.

Ah, yes, hello. Mr Trotter, my __________________ is Davina and I'm __________________ in your advertisement. Could you call me back, please? Any time before ...

Stuart here. I'm not home at the __________________, so please leave a __________________ after the beep. Thanks. Hello, good morning. __________________ is Bella Moor, that's Moor - M - double 0 - R. I'm __________________ about the Kung Fu classes. You can call me back on my __________________, that's 0447 ...

Work in pairs, A and B.

A: You are going to telephone another student. First of all, decide why you want to call them. Use the language in exercise 1 and in the Useful language box below to prepare what you want to say. Listen to the message on their answering machine and then leave your own message.

B: Another student is going to telephone you. Read out the answering machine message that you have prepared and then listen to the message that your partner leaves. Write down their name, phone number and any other important information.

Now I can

• Can you find information in newspaper advertisements?
• Can you understand phone numbers and answering machine messages?