Learn about some special rules of formal speech, from a conversation between a hotel staff member and a guest
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Eric: Hi everybody! Eric here! |
| Becky: Hello everyone! Becky here. Asking a Guest to Sign a Waiver. |
| Eric: In this lesson, you’ll learn about a few other formal English rules to take note of. |
| Becky: This conversation takes place in the hotel dining area just after breakfast. |
| Eric: It’s between a hotel staff member and a customer. |
| Becky: The speakers are in a professional relationship, so they’ll be using formal English. Let’s listen to the conversation. |
| DIALOGUE |
| Customer: Hello, do you guys have a fitness center? |
| Staff: We do! It’s on the 2nd floor, next to the pool. |
| Customer: Great! Is it free to use? |
| Staff: It is, but you need to sign a liability waiver and get a key from the front desk. |
| Customer: Always with the waivers. |
| Staff: I know. It’s how the hotel protects itself. |
| Customer: I don’t mind signing waivers, it’s just that some of them are a bit overreaching. I have to read each and every one to make sure I’m not signing away my rights. |
| Staff: That’s very wise, sir. The front desk agent could review the waiver with you if you wish. |
| Customer: That would be nice, thank you. |
| Becky: Let’s hear the conversation one time slowly. |
| Customer: Hello, do you guys have a fitness center? |
| Staff: We do! It’s on the 2nd floor, next to the pool. |
| Customer: Great! Is it free to use? |
| Staff: It is, but you need to sign a liability waiver and get a key from the front desk. |
| Customer: Always with the waivers. |
| Staff: I know. It’s how the hotel protects itself. |
| Customer: I don’t mind signing waivers, it’s just that some of them are a bit overreaching. I have to read each and every one to make sure I’m not signing away my rights. |
| Staff: That’s very wise, sir. The front desk agent could review the waiver with you if you wish. |
| Customer: That would be nice, thank you. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Eric: Listeners, complimenting a guest can be a bit tricky. You should avoid complimenting the guest directly. For example, saying something like "You are very wise, sir" is too direct. |
| Becky: That’s why, in the dialogue, the staff member said "That is very wise, sir," complimenting the behavior instead. |
| Eric: That is a more indirect way of complimenting the guest. Direct compliments can make the situation awkward, especially if you are the opposite gender of the guest. |
| Becky: That’s right. It can make it sound as if you’re flirting. Also, be careful not to exaggerate. If the guest says something that sounds smart, don’t compliment them by saying something extreme like "Wow, sir, that is the most intelligent thing I’ve ever heard!" |
| Eric: Yeah, that’s too much, and they may think you're being sarcastic! |
| Becky: Definitely. Okay, now let's move on to the vocabulary. |
| Vocab list |
| Becky: Okay, now let’s take a look at the vocabulary for this lesson. The first word is... |
| Eric: each and every one [natural native speed] |
| Becky: all, every single |
| Eric: each and every one [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Eric: each and every one [natural native speed] |
| Becky: Next we have... |
| Eric: waiver [natural native speed] |
| Becky: formal release of something required, form that removes certain responsibilities from a hotel |
| Eric: waiver [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Eric: waiver [natural native speed] |
| Becky: Next we have... |
| Eric: right [natural native speed] |
| Becky: liberty, power |
| Eric: right [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Eric: right [natural native speed] |
| Becky: Next we have... |
| Eric: overreaching [natural native speed] |
| Becky: too powerful, more than is necessary |
| Eric: overreaching [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Eric: overreaching [natural native speed] |
| KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES |
| Becky: Let’s take a closer look at some of the words and phrases from this lesson. The first phrase we’re going to look at is "Each and every one." |
| Eric: This phrase has a similar meaning to "all of them" and is a combination of the phrases "each one" and "every one." |
| Becky: That’s right. "Each and every one" is used in English to emphasize the "all" feeling. In other words, the guest must review every single waiver they are presented. ALL of them. For example, "I have to try each and every one of those dishes!" |
| Eric: The next phrase we are going to look at is "overreaching." |
| Becky: This phrase refers to certain boundaries, and the feeling that something has gone beyond or past those boundaries. |
| Eric: Exactly. In the dialogue, the guest was referring to how waivers sometimes "overreach" or "go beyond the boundaries" of his rights. |
| Becky: In most countries, waivers are only supposed to provide reasonable amounts of protection for the facility, which is why he has to make sure he reads "each and every one," to make sure he is not signing anything unreasonable. |
| Eric: Could you give us an example sentence for this? |
| Becky: Sure. "I don’t like the current government because the laws they make are too overreaching." Okay, now onto the grammar. |
| GRAMMAR POINT |
| Eric: In this lesson, you'll learn special rules of formal speech. |
| Becky: In the dialogue, we heard the phrase "That’s very wise, sir." |
| Eric: Sometimes, when we talk about formal speech, we think of being grammatically correct. Do you do that? |
| Becky: Yes I do. In English, formal speech is often compared to written English and essay writing at college. In other words, formal speech and formal writing are the same thing. But in reality, this is not true. |
| Eric: Right. The first thing about formal speech that’s different from formal writing is contractions. You should avoid using contractions as much as possible in formal writing. |
| Becky: Contractions in an essay or even a company email might be seen as lazy, especially if you are writing to someone from an older generation. |
| Eric: So you should write "I am happy to see you." Don’t write "I’m happy to see you." |
| Becky: However, you can still use contractions in formal speech. In other words, contractions such as "it’s," "that’s," and "we’re" are just as acceptable as anything else. For example, "That’s a good idea, ma’am" and "It’s $80 per night" are formal and perfectly fine. |
| Eric: Now, if you’re concerned about grammar, don’t be. Contractions are grammatically acceptable in spoken English in all situations. |
| Becky: That’s right. In fact, if you don’t use contractions in spoken formal language you will sound stiff and kind of strange. |
| Eric: The level of directness you use when you talk to and about other people is also important. That’s why the question "How may I help you?" is more polite than "Can I help you with anything?" |
| Becky: Grammatically they are similar and in both sentences, you are trying to help the guest. However, "How may I help you?" is less direct and therefore more polite. |
| Eric: The words "would" and "could" function in much the same way. So, in polite conversation, you should use "would." For example, "Would you sign here please?" is much better than "Could you sign here please?" |
| Becky: The difference between "would" and "could" is similar to the difference between "may" and "can" respectively, and it's another case where even native speakers misuse them. |
| Eric: Just remember that technically, "Would you sign here, please?" is requesting that the guest sign the paper and "Could you sign here, please?" is asking if the guest is capable of signing the paper. |
Outro |
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| Eric: Well, that's all for this lesson. Thanks for listening! |
| Becky: And see ya next time! Bye! |
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