Focus on skills
Introductions and greetings. Welcoming
a visitor
1 1.3 Eric arrives at NMP to meet Piet. Listen to the conversation.
1. What does Piet say when he greets Eric?
Hello, Eric, how are you? Good to see you again.
2. How does Piet introduce Eric to Claire?
Eric, I’d like to introduce you to Claire, our secrectary.
3. What do Eric and Claire say when they are introduced?
Please to meet you (too).
2
Work in pairs. Write what you would say in the following situations.
11. You are at a conference. Introduce yourself to the person sitting next to you.
22. You are meeting a visitor you have never met before in a hotel lobby. You see
someone you think might be your visitor. Speak to her.
33. Introduce a person visiting your organization to a colleague.
44. You arrive at a new company. Introduce yourself to the receptionist.
55. Introduce two friends of yours at a party.
3
Read the introductions below. Match them with the situations in (2) above.
N/F
3 a. Signor Butani, I'd like to introduce you to a colleague of mine, Michelle Johns.
4 b. Good morning. My name is Giles Truro. I have an appointment at 10.30. N/F
1 c. Can I introduce myself? I'm Javier Corzon from Global Auto, Madrid. N
2 d. Excuse me. Is your name Karen Miles? N/F
5 e. I don't think you know each other, do you? Julia, this is Claude. I
4
Write F (formal), N (neutral), or I (informal) next to each of the introductions
in (3)
5
Match the phrases in A with appropriate responses in B.
A
b
e
a
g
h
c
f
d
1. How's work?
B
aa. Pleased to meet you, too.
2. How are you?
b. Not too bad thanks. A bit busy.
b
3. Pleased to meet you.
cc. How do you do.
4. I haven't seen you for ages! d
d. Yes, that's right.
5. How are things going?
6. How do you do.
7. Nice to see you again!
8. You must be Marco.
6
ee. Very well, thanks. And you?
f It's good to see you again, too.
f.
g. No, I've been away a lot recently.
g
h. Everything's going fine, thanks. What about you?
h
Which of the phrases in (5) would you use
a. when you meet someone for the first time?
b. when you meet someone you already know?
7
Walk around the class. Practise introducing yourself and others, and
greeting people
Welcoming a visitor
1
Work in pairs. List four topics which people often talk about when they meet
professionally for the first time. Write a question on each topic to ask a
visitor.
2
Piet van Els is welcoming Bob Wyatt, a visitor from Toronto, Canada. Read
the conversation.
1. What topics do they talk about?
2. What questions do you think they asked?
Piet
Mr W
Piet
Mr W
Piet
Mr W
Piet
Mr W
Piet
So, did you have any problems finding us?
No, none at all. I walked here. My hotel is only a few minutes away.
Which hotel are you staying in?
Oh really? Which ____________________________________________»
I'm staying at the Garrick. It's in King Street. Do you know it?
What’s it like?
I know the name. What_______________________________________
Oh, it's very pleasant. I always stay there when I come to London.
3?
do you come to London?
How often __________________________________________________
4?
Do you travel abroad much?
Four or five times a year. What about you?_______________________
Yes, I do quite a lot of travelling - mostly in Europe, but I go to Canada and the
States as well - about two or three times a year.
5?
Have you been to Toronto?
Mr W Canada? That's interesting. ____________________________________
Piet
No, I've never been to Toronto, but I had a wonderful holiday on Vancouver
Island not long ago.
3
1.4 Listen to the conversation. Write the questions.
4
Read later extracts from the conversation between Piet and Mr Wyatt. What
questions do you think they asked?
Piet
_____________________________________
How long are you staying here?
Mr W Just three days. I'm flying back the day after tomorrow.
Piet
How long have you been with your company?
_____________________________________
Mr W I've been with Star TV for four years now.
Isn’t this weather wonderful?
Mr W _____________________________________
Piet
Yes, it is. We do get good weather in London sometimes!
Piet
Where
did you spend your last holiday?
_____________________________________
Mr W
Piet
I went to New Zealand with my wife and our two daughters.
Do
you do any sport?
_____________________________________
Mr W Yes, I play ice-hockey in winter and I do some sailing in summer.
5
1.5 Listen to the extracts from the conversation. Write the questions.
6
Study conversations 1.4 and 1.5 between Piet and Mr Wyatt.
1. Who asks questions? The host (Piet) only, or both the host and the visitor?
Both the host and the visitor.
2. Do they give Yes or No answers only? No.
3. How do they show interest in what the other person is saying?
By asking more questions relating to what the speaker has just said.
7 Role-play. Work in pairs.
Student A You are Piet van Els or Rosa Lanson.
Student B You work for a multimedia company in your country. It's your
first visit to NMP.
1. Student A welcomes Student B to NMP. Speak for three minutes.
2. Change roles.