Learn how to make highly formal introductions and speak respectfully with a superior
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Jonathan: Hi everyone! Jonathan here. |
| Dede: And I’m Dede! Greeting Your American Boss. |
| Jonathan: In this lesson, you'll learn how to address someone formally, from a conversation in a government office. |
| Dede: The conversation takes place between Sheila and her new boss, Mark. Sheila just showed up for her first day at work on her internship. |
| Jonathan: Since Mark is Sheila’s boss and they don’t know each other yet, the language starts off very formally. |
| Dede: Alright- let’s listen to the conversation! |
| DIALOGUE |
| SHEILA: Good morning, are you Mr. Cantor? I was told to report here, I have an internship with this office starting today. |
| MARK: Ah yes. You must be... |
| SHEILA: Sheila Jones, sir. |
| MARK: Right, I remember speaking on the phone with you. Let's see... We have a cubicle for you right over there. Why don't you get settled in? |
| SHEILA: Thank you Mr. Cantor. |
| MARK: Oh, by the way, Mr. Cantor is my father, we’re on a first-name basis here so you can call me Mark. |
| SHEILA: Of course, sir. |
| MARK: And you can drop the "sir" too, unless you want me to start calling you "Ma'am". |
| SHEILA: Of course not sir... er... Mark. |
| MARK: That's better now. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Dede: It seems strange that after just two minutes, Sheila’s boss asked her to use his first name… |
| Jonathan: The American workplace can actually be quite casual. Many, perhaps even most, bosses and employees interact with each other in an informal manner and on a first-name basis. |
| Dede: Hmm, so for my next job in the United States, should I just start calling my boss by his or her first name? |
| Jonathan: I wouldn’t recommend that. It's always better to speak too formally rather than too informally. Especially during introductions, you can leave a positive impression by using “Mr.”, “Ms.”, or “Dr.” when speaking with your boss, a client, or even a co-worker. |
| Dede: What about “sir” and “ma’am”? |
| Jonathan: Using “sir” or “ma’am” elevates the other person’s status. It’s not used as much these days in an office, but if you are dealing with clients or customers or talking with strangers, it is appropriate to address them as “sir” or “ma’am”. Like I said, it’s always OK to be too formal. Alright, are you ready for vocab? |
| Dede: Yes sir! |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Dede: Let's take a look at the vocabulary for this lesson. |
| The first word we shall see is: |
| Jonathan: to report [natural native speed] |
| Dede: to show up, to come to |
| Jonathan: to report [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: to report [natural native speed] |
| Next is: |
| Jonathan: cubicle [natural native speed] |
| Dede: an office made by low dividing walls |
| Jonathan: cubicle [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: cubicle [natural native speed] |
| Next we have: |
| Jonathan: to settle in [natural native speed] |
| Dede: to put your things down, organize your belongings, get used to the place |
| Jonathan: to settle in [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: to settle in [natural native speed] |
| Next is: |
| Jonathan: sir [natural native speed] |
| Dede: polite way to address a man |
| Jonathan: sir [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: sir [natural native speed] |
| Next we have: |
| Jonathan: ma'am [natural native speed] |
| Dede: polite way to address a woman |
| Jonathan: ma'am [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: ma'am [natural native speed] |
| Next is: |
| Jonathan: by the way [natural native speed] |
| Dede: also (used when talking about related items) |
| Jonathan: by the way [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: by the way [natural native speed] |
| Next we have: |
| Jonathan: first-name basis [natural native speed] |
| Dede: the state of using first names rather than formal titles and last names |
| Jonathan: first-name basis [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: first-name basis [natural native speed] |
| Next is: |
| Jonathan: to drop [natural native speed] |
| Dede: to stop using |
| Jonathan: to drop [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Jonathan: to drop [natural native speed] |
| VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE |
| Jonathan: Let's have a closer look at the usage for some of the words and phrases from this lesson. The first one is… |
| Dede: Mark says “Oh, by the way…” As we learned in the vocab section, “by the way” means “also” or “on a related matter”. |
| Jonathan: So when we add “Oh”, we can use this as a transition between ideas when we are talking about a related topic. |
| Dede: OK! I understand… |
| Jonathan: Great! Oh, by the way, what’s the next phrase? |
| Dede: (laughs) Mark says “Mr. Cantor is my father, you can call me Mark, we’re on a first name basis here.” Why is Mark talking about his family? |
| Jonathan: When Mark says “Mr. Cantor is my father” it is a very friendly and humorous way for him to say that it is alright to talk on a first-name basis. The implication is that it makes him feel old to be called “Mr.” and that he would prefer to be called by his first name. |
| Dede: I see. And could I do the same thing if someone called me Ms. Dede? |
| Jonathan: Sure, just substitute mother for father! Good job, Ms. Dede. |
| Dede: Please, call me Dede, Ms. Dede is my mother. Are you ready to move on Mr. Jonathan? |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Dede: The focus of this lesson is addressing people formally when meeting them. |
| Jonathan: Right, Sheila said “Thank you, Mr. Cantor.” |
| Dede: You probably already know that “Mr.” is a formal and polite way to refer to a man. |
| Jonathan: We also heard some good examples of other formal titles later, like when I called you Ms. Dede and you called me Mr. Jonathan. Mr. for men and Ms. for women are the most commonly used titles in formal situations. They are always acceptable and you can use them without worrying about ever offending someone. |
| Dede: But they aren’t the only ones you will encounter. Let’s start with… |
| Jonathan: Dr. |
| Dede: We can address someone as Dr. even if he is not a medical doctor. We use this when they have graduated from a PhD or other Doctorate program. |
| Jonathan: Exactly. Take Mr. Albert Einstein. |
| Dede: Uhm, I believe you are referring to Dr. Albert Einstein |
| Jonathan: Right! “Dr.” is a good title that can be used for either women or men, it doesn’t matter. |
| Dede: There are a few other titles we can use, but they are more specific. Like... |
| Jonathan: Mrs. And Miss. |
| Dede: Let’s listen to that again. |
| Jonathan: Mrs… and… Miss. |
| Dede: They sound similar but are very different in their meaning. |
| Jonathan: Mrs. is always used for a married woman. Take Michelle Obama, the wife of US President Barack Obama. It’s appropriate to address her as Mrs. Michelle Obama or Mrs. Obama. In some cases we can even say “Mrs. Barack Obama” meaning the wife of Barack Obama, but this usage is getting less popular with time. |
| Dede: Right, but what about “Miss”? |
| Jonathan: “Miss” is used only for unmarried women. Before Michelle Obama was married, we could have called her Miss Michelle Robinson. Robinson was her maiden name. |
| Dede: You have to be careful with these terms though. While you will still hear them frequently in the United States, they are getting less popular with time as “Ms.” becomes the most accepted title for women. |
| Jonathan: Especially in a business setting – it doesn’t matter whether or not the person is married so it’s best to use “Ms.” |
| Dede: Mrs… Ms… Miss… They all sound so similar though! |
| Jonathan: That’s true, but you should still try and be careful! |
| Dede: We also heard the term “ma’am” and “sir” during the dialogue. They were defined for us during the vocab section, but how can we use them appropriately? |
| Jonathan: Great question. When we are talking to someone of higher status, we can use “sir” for men and “ma’am” for women. These terms are still widely used when talking with strangers but are not used in the workplace as much these days. The one exception is in the military, however, where you must address your superiors as “sir” or “ma’am” |
| Dede: You will mostly hear them from strangers though. Especially if they approach you in a public place, it is appropriate for them to say “Excuse me, sir” or “Excuse me, ma’am” followed by a request. |
| Jonathan: Excuse me, ma’am… |
| Dede: Uhh… yes? |
Outro |
| Jonathan: I think we’re running out of time. |
| Dede: Oh, you’re right! |
| Jonathan: We’ll be back next lesson for more English learning fun! |
| Dede: See you next time! |
Comments
HideHello Listeners! Is your office on a first-name basis as well?
Hello Naouel,
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us! It's always interesting to hear about the different ways people communicate in various professional settings. 😄👍
Your message is clear and well-structured. However, here are a few suggestions to make your English even better:
1. "In our department, we address each other using our last names, so we are not really on a first name basis unless we are close friends, but when we encounter someone from other departments we call them starting by Dr. or Pr. depending on their status in the hospital."
Correction: "In our department, we address each other using our last names. We are not really on a first-name basis unless we are close friends. However, when we encounter someone from other departments, we address them as Dr. or Pr., depending on their status in the hospital."
The reason for this correction is to improve clarity and readability. Breaking up long sentences into shorter ones can make your message easier to understand. Also, remember to use a comma after introductory words or phrases (like "However,").
Keep practicing and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions. Your progress is evident in your writing!
Thank you!
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Hello everyone,
In our department, we address each other using our last names, so we are not really on a first name basis unless we are close friends, but when we encounter someone from other departments we call them starting by Dr. or Pr. depending on their status in the hospital.
Thank you for the lesson.
Hello Nelia,
It's great to hear about your experiences as a teacher in a new country! It certainly seems like you're adapting well and making a positive impact on your students' lives. 👍
In response to your question, using 'close' in your sentence is perfectly acceptable. However, I believe the word 'connected' might be a better fit. Here's how I would suggest revising your sentence:
"Now I think it's the best way to feel more connected to each other in order to better support students in pivotal moments of their lives."
The word 'intimate' or 'intimately' usually refers to very close personal relationships or private, personal matters. It might not be the most appropriate word to use in a teacher-student context.
Here are some corrections and suggestions for your paragraph:
1. Instead of "I’ve become a form teacher there," you might say, "I became a form teacher there." We usually use simple past tense after 'when' for completed actions in the past.
2. Instead of "support students in need moment," you might say, "support students in their moments of need." This is a more common way to express this idea in English.
I hope this helps! Keep up the good work! 😄
Sincerely,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Hello!
When I moved to another country I was hired as a teacher. I've become a form teacher there. And I was really surprised when students were on the first-name basis while communicating to a teacher. But then I got to use it very quickly. Now I think it's the best way to be close each other in order to have an opportunity for support students in need moment of their lives.
I have a question to you, as my teacher. Is it right way to use the word 'close' in the previous sentence? Or maybe I should use the word 'intimate' or 'intimately' instead. Thanks for your answer beforehand!
Hello Lucas,
Thank you for your feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you found the lesson helpful and that you learned new expressions. It's always exciting to expand our vocabulary, isn't it? 😄❤️
Here are a few corrections to your message:
1. "The lesson was amazing. I learned how addressing people formally and how is the Office environment in USA." should be "The lesson was amazing. I learned how to address people formally and what the office environment is like in the USA." The word "addressing" needs to be "to address" and "how is" should be "what...is like" for a more natural sentence structure.
2. "In addition i learned new expressions like..." should be "In addition, I learned new expressions like...". Remember to capitalize "I" and to put a comma after "In addition" to separate the ideas.
3. "Thank you. Greetings from Brazil." is perfectly fine, but you could also say, "Thank you and greetings from Brazil!" to combine the two sentences.
Keep up the great work and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions! 👍
Thank you!
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
The lesson was amazing. I learned how adressing people formally and how is the Office enviromment in USA. In addition i learned new expressions like "first-name basis", "to drop", "cubicle" and "to settle in". Thank you.
Greetings from Brazil.
Hello Ivette,
I'm thrilled to hear that you're finding the lessons beneficial and that you're learning new vocabulary! That's a fantastic achievement. Remember, every new word you learn brings you one step closer to fluency. Keep up the great work! 😄👍
Here are a few corrections to help you improve:
1. "Today I did the lesson 4" should be "Today, I completed Lesson 4". We use 'completed' instead of 'did' when talking about lessons or tasks.
2. "learned so many vocabulary" should be "learned so much vocabulary". We use 'much' instead of 'many' with uncountable nouns like 'vocabulary'.
3. "how to drop, cubicle" could be "words like 'drop' and 'cubicle'". This makes it clearer that these are examples of the words you learned.
4. "by the way I like because I learning words" should be "By the way, I like it because I'm learning words". Don't forget to use 'it' to refer back to the lessons, and 'I'm' (I am) before 'learning'.
Your sentence would then read: "Today, I completed Lesson 4 and learned so much vocabulary, like 'drop' and 'cubicle'. By the way, I like it because I'm learning words that I didn't know."
Thank you for your dedication to learning English. Keep going!
Thank you!
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Today I did the lesson 4 and learned so many vocabulary how to drop, cubicle, by the way I like because I learning words that didn’t know …. Thank you 🙏
Hello again Umme,
I'm thrilled to hear that you're learning new words from our lessons! Your curiosity and eagerness to learn are truly admirable. ❤️
The word 'report' in the context you provided usually means 'to show up' or 'to present oneself', often in a professional or formal setting. For example, you might hear it used as in "He reported for duty at 8 am."
Incorporating new vocabulary into your speaking can be a bit challenging at first, but with practice, it becomes easier. Here are a few tips:
1. **Practice in Context**: Try to use the new words in sentences. This will help you understand the context in which they are used.
2. **Speak Out Loud**: The more you use these words while speaking, the more comfortable you will become with them.
3. **Read and Listen**: Reading books, listening to music, or watching movies in English can expose you to new vocabulary in context, which can help you understand how to use them.
4. **Flashcards**: Write the new words on flashcards with their meanings and use them in sentences. Review these flashcards regularly.
As for your message, there are a few corrections to make for it to be more clear and grammatically correct:
1. "I didn’t know the meaning of report here: to show up." should be "I didn't know that 'report' could mean 'to show up'."
2. "I learned many words from your lessons but I don’t know how I bring them in to use in speaking." should be "I've learned many words from your lessons, but I don't know how to incorporate them into my speaking."
3. "I would appreciate it if someone could give me any recommendations on to use of vocabulary words in speaking." should be "I would appreciate it if someone could give me any recommendations on how to use vocabulary words in speaking."
Keep up the good work, and don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions!
Thank you!
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Hello,
The report here is the new word I heard for the first time. I didn't know the meaning of report here: to show up. I learned many words from your lessons but I don't know how I bring them in to use in speaking. I would appreciate it if someone could give me any recommendations on to use of vocabulary words in speaking.
Hello Hernan,
Thank you for your message and welcome to our community! 😄😄😄
It's wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the lesson and I'm thrilled to see you're eager to improve your English skills. Remember, practice is key in language learning. So, keep up the good work!
Regarding your message, here are a few corrections:
1. "Very nice lesson." - This sentence is perfect, well done!
2. "Its my first time here." - You should use "It's" instead of "Its". "It's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has", while "its" is a possessive pronoun. So the correct sentence is "It's my first time here."
3. "I expect improve my english" - In this sentence, you need to use 'to' after 'expect'. So, the correct sentence is "I expect to improve my English." Also, remember to always capitalize the 'E' in 'English'.
Keep going, Hernan! You're doing well and every mistake is an opportunity to learn.
Thank you!
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Very nice lesson.
Its my first time here.
I expect improve my english
Hello Rima,
You're welcome. Glad you like our site!
Thanks for the suggestion! We will review it and take relevant action.
Please let us know if you have any questions throughout your studies.
Cheers,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
hello team.
thanks for your good website for learning English.
I started for about a week and I'm enjoying it.
I have a small suggestion that is to have a full exam between 2 or 3 lessons.
vocabs, phrases, idioms, grammar and others.
to be more inclusive so we can test our level step by step.
thanks again.
Hello Alaa,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this lesson!
We love hearing from our students, so please continue to comment.
If you ever have any questions throughout your studies with us, don't hesitate to ask!
Regards,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
that's very useful , i appreciate it
Hello Roger,
That's such great news!
We are constantly updating the lessons on our site so please stay tuned! 👍
We hope you continue to enjoy your studies with us.
Cheers,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Finally I understand that terms, Ms and Mrs, good teachers, thank you so much.
Hello Yougens,
You're very welcome!
Thank you for joining us! 😄
We have a great team of teachers here at EnglishClass101.com and we are happy to help you with your learning needs.
Please feel free to ask us any questions you have here or direct to your teacher in the ‘MyTeacher’ feature. 👍
Most kindly,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
useful
I appreciated
Thank you so much👍