Key Competencies Kit
for Facing Lifelong Learning
 |
This Project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission can not be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. |
 |
You will frequently hear:
Come here, please.
Go there, please.
Write your name here, please.
Sign here, please.
Next, please.
Someone else, please.
This way, please.
Stop here, please.
Just a minute, please.
Here you are.
When asking questions we frequently use:
When
When do you want to come?
Where
Where do you want to go?
Why
Why do you prefer to stay here?
Who
Who is there?
What
What is this?
Which
Which car do you like?
How
How do you like the coffee?
How much
How much sugar do you want?
How many
How many days do you want to stay there?
Decimals will always be indicated by a “.” (point) and not by a “,” (comma)
Numbers after decimals are spoken separately:
Eg:
35.42 = thirty-five point four two
A zero following a decimal point is spoken like the letter of the alphabet (o):
12.08 = twelve point oh eight
Percentages (%) have the following rule:
87% = eighty-seven percent (the stress in the word “percent” is on the second syllable)
For expressing totals we use:
The population of the city
Telling the time:
What time is it, please?
Could you, please, tell me what time it is?
The answer starts with “It is” followed by the number of minutes, then “past” or “to” and finally by the hour.
Fifteen minutes means a quarter (of an hour).
Thirty minutes means half (of an hour).
E.g.
What time is it?
If it is 7:15 you say: It is a quarter past seven.
If it is 6:45 you say: It is a quarter to seven.
If it is 8:30 you say: It is half past eight.
If it is 4:00 you say: It is four o’clock.
Example:
Ladies and gentlemen/Dear participants/dear guests/dear collaborators
I would like to welcome you to the official opening of …. It is a great honour for everybody. ….
Thanks everybody for participation and thanks for paying attention.
I wish you a successful activity.
Example:
Hello everybody,
As you well know, we have a little delay with our products delivery. I would like to ask all of you to make an effort to be on time with production. That’s all for today. Now, it is time to get to work.
Good morning,
We have problems. Actually, you have very big problems….
If in an airport or in a station, you must pay attention to important details such as time and place.
The text can sound like this:
Attention please, all passengers on Flight 853 to Edinburgh. We are now ready for boarding at Gate C28. Thank you.
After hearing such an announcement, you must be able to answer several questions, such as:
Who is making the announcement?
What number is the flight?
What gate is the flight?
Practice with your teacher or colleague (to make announcements and read them aloud).
When two people are discussing, you can draw a conclusion, you can get the main idea of their conversation.
Example
Alan: Tomorrow, I have a very difficult exam. I could not learn everything.
Tom: It’s a pity. You know that our teacher is very harsh on grades.
What is the main idea of the dialogue?
Most probably, Alan will fail the exam.
For more practice go to:
http://www.english-test.net/toeic/listening/announcing_the_closure_of_a_newspaper.htm
or
http://www.english-test.net/toeic/listening/welcome_speech.html
or
http://www.esl-lab.com/airport/airportrd1.htm