Preparing for your Skype call

1. Preparing for your
Skype call

2. How to introduce myself?
 Greet with smile
 Maintain eye contact
 Tell them your name
 Ask for the other person’s name
 Repeat the other person’s name

3. How to have a great
conversation?
 Relax and forget about yourself
 Listen
 Ask questions
 Use a friendly tone
 Choose your words and questions carefully
 Neither interrupt a person in the middle of his thought,
nor speak on top of it
 Compliment the other person
 Thank them for a great conversation

4. How to handle a difficult
question?
 Personal, intimate question
I’m sorry, but I’d prefer not to answer this question.
 Question you don’t know the answer
I have no idea.
 Question you didn’t catch
Can you repeat the question?
 Question you don’t understand because of unfamiliar
words or question structure
I’m sorry, but I don’t understand your question. Would
you mind telling it in different words?/What do you
mean by…?/What does…mean?

5. How to improve speaking?
 Listening and reading aloud
 Writing
 Networking and making friends
 Greeting people on the street
 Having small talks in public
 Watching foreign movies with English subtitles
 Joining one-on-one conversations, conversation and
common interest groups

6. Resources
 Daily Conversations:
http://www.worldenglishclub.com/daily-english-conversations
 EBooks:
http://www.gutenberg.org
 Phrases and Expressions for Speaking:
http://www.eslgold.com/speaking/phrases.html

7. How to improve listening?
 Speaking to English speakers
 Watching TV and movies
 Listening to radio
 Reading audio books
 Singing English songs
 Practicing pronunciation
 Joining conversation groups/one-on-one conversations

8. Resources
 Listening Lab:
http://www.esl-lab.com
 Listening Activities:
http://www.manythings.org/e/listening.html
 Audio Books:
http://librivox.org
http://www.audiobooks.org
http://www.audiobooks.net

9. How to improve
comprehension?
 Reading picture books or comics
 Reading newspapers and magazines
 Asking questions during conversations
 Watching TV and movies
 Browsing English websites
 Consulting dictionaries
 Constantly learning new words
 Clarifying meaning of slang and idioms
 Knowing grammar

10. Resources
 Idioms:
http://www.idiomconnection.com
 Slang Words:
http://www.eslcafe.com/slang/list.html
 Reading Comprehension Exercises:
http://www.englishcorner.vacau.com/reading/reading.html
 Listening Comprehension Exercises:
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/eslvideo/
 Vocabulary Games:
http://www.vocabulary.co.il

11. How to improve
pronunciation?
 Listening to native English and imitating
 Reading along with audio books
 Speaking, being corrected or asking for correct
pronunciation and repeating after
 Paying attention to letter combination sounds, stressed
syllables, word linkage and intonation
 Training speech organs position, shape and movement
of English sounds

12. Resources
 Accent School:
http://www.accentschool.com/run_software.html
 Some Pronunciation Rules:
http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/index.htm
http://www.fonetiks.org
 Pronunciation Exercises:
http://www.pronunciationworkshop.com/pronunciationexercises.htm
http://www.englishmedialab.com/pronunciation.html
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/pronex/pronex.htm
http://www.manythings.org/pp/
 Dictionaries with Pronunciation:
http://www.merriam-webster.com
http://www.howjsay.com
http://www.thefreedictionary.com
http://dictionary.cambridge.org

13. How to improve grammar?
 Reading, listening, writing and speaking
 Using subject-verb structure
 Differentiating questions from statements
 Understanding parts of speech
 Practicing verb tenses
 Knowing words beyond their meaning
 Learning phrasal verbs
 Doing grammar exercises
 Quizzing yourself

14. Resources
 www.eslflow.com
 http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk
 http://www.onestopenglish.com
 http://www.waze.net/oea
 http://www.englishclub.com
 http://www.eslgold.com
 http://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans
 http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/esl-printables-
worksheets.html