(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Tips for Better Conversations in English at Work
When we are learning a new language, carrying on a conversation can be difficult. It is even harder when there is the added pressure of doing a job well using the new language. One of our readers, Emre, works at a job that requires him to talk with customers in English. He recently asked for advice on how he can improve his listening skills.
There are probably many other readers who use English in their daily work, too. So today, we will suggest some simple learning strategies to improve your ability to listen and carry on conversations.
A learning strategy can be a thought or an action you take to make learning easier.
Here are four strategies for you to consider.
Predict. The first strategy is to predict what you will hear. Maybe your customers sometimes say they have problems with placing an order on your website. You can think about the ways they usually ask about that problem. What words do they often use in that kind of conversation? For example, customers may often use the word "order."
Focus. The next strategy is to prepare a list of those words and listen for them when a customer begins talking with you. I call this "focusing when you listen." The next time you are listening to a customer, pay attention to the key words that help you understand their question.
Ask. Next, think about what you can say to the customer to let them know you need a little help understanding them. You can let the customer know you are an English learner.
There are two questions you can ask. At the beginning of the conversation, you can ask, "Would you please speak more slowly?"
The other kind of question is one I call, "asking to clarify." Remember, you predicted some of the words your customers may use. You should listen closely for those words. When you hear one, you can ask the customer a short question to be sure. "Did you say you want to order?"
You can prepare your answers to customers' questions and rehearse them in your free time. You may want to keep a notebook with your usual answers. You can practice saying them out loud to yourself.
Finally, you can put all these actions and thoughts together. Let's say a customer calls and says:
I want to order some face cream but I cannot find the button for ordering.
You are not sure of the product the customer wants. But you did note the words "order" and "button," so you can ask a question to clarify the customer's request. You rehearsed this question:
Are you looking for the button to order?
The customer says, "Yes." Then, you can ask another question that you practiced.
May I ask the name of the product you want to order?
We hope that these four strategies will help you to better deal with your customers in English. Learning English takes time and effort, but sometimes a few good strategies make things easier.
Another way you can prepare is to listen to English movies and podcasts as often as you can. The more you listen to conversations in English, the more you will understand over time.
I'm Jill Robbins.
重点解析
重点讲解：
1. ask for 请求；要求；
If you need more time, ask for it.
如果你需要更多时间，就提出要求。
2. for example 举例；比如；
Let us suppose, for example, that you are married with two children.
比方说，我们假设你成家了，还有两个孩子。
3. be sure of 对……有把握；确定；
England must win this game to be sure of qualifying.
英格兰队必须拿下这场比赛才能确保获得资格。
4. deal with 处理；对付；
We must take positive steps to deal with the problem.
我们必须采取积极步骤处理这个问题。
参考译文
工作中更好地进行英语会话的技巧
我们学习一门新语言时，很难进行对话。当有额外的压力要用新的语言做好工作时，难度就更大了。一位名叫埃姆雷的听众，他在工作中要用英语与客户交谈。他最近就如何提高听力技巧向我们寻求意见。
可能还有很多听众在日常工作中使用英语，所以今天，我们将提出一些简单的学习策略，提高听力以及进行对话的能力。
学习策略可以是你为了使学习更轻松而采取的一种想法或行动。
以下是可供考虑的四种策略。
预测。第一个策略是预测你将听到什么。也许你的客户有时会说他们在你的网站上下订单有问题，你可以想想他们通常问这个问题的方式。他们在这种谈话中经常用什么词？例如，客户可能经常使用“订单”一词
集中。下一个策略是准备出列有这些单词的清单，并在客户开始与你交谈时注意听。我称之为“倾听时集中注意力”。下一次你在听客户讲话时，请注意那些帮你理解他们问题的关键词。
询问。接下来，想想你能对客户说些什么，让他们知道你需要一些帮助来理解他们的话。你可以让客户知道你正在学英语。
你可以问两个问题。在谈话开始时，你可以问：“请说慢点好吗？”
另一类问题我称之为“要求澄清”。记住，你预测出客户可能会使用的一些词。你应该仔细听这些词。听到一个时，你可以问客户一个简短的问题来确定。“你是说要订购吗？”
你可以准备好回答客户问题的答案，并在空闲时练习。你可能想把总出现的答案记在笔记本上。你可以练习大声对自己说出这些问题。
最后，你可以把所有这些行动和想法放在一起。假设有客户打电话说：
我想订些面霜，但找不到订购按钮。
你不确定顾客想要什么产品，但是你注意到了“订单”和“按钮”这两个词，所以你可以问一个问题来澄清客户的要求。你可以练习这个问题：
你在找订购按钮吗？
顾客说：“是的。”然后，你可以问另一个你练过的问题。
请问您要订购的产品名称？
我们希望这四种策略能帮助你更好地用英语与客户打交道。学英语需要时间和努力，但有时一些好的策略会让它变得更容易。
另一个你可以准备的方法是，尽可能多地听英语电影和播客。你听的英语会话越多，随着时间的推移，你就越能理解得更多。
我是吉尔·罗宾斯。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
