Introduction to Call Center Language Training Day 1
1. DAY ONE AGENDA
1. Military Phonetic Alphabet/Telephone Alphabet
2. Symbols
3. Numbers
4. Parts of Speech
5. Consonant Sounds
6. Vowel Sounds
7. Diphthongs
8. Listening Strategies
Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
3. Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
YOUR WORKSPACE AND TOOLS
4. The NATO phonetic alphabet or military alphabet, more accurately known as the
International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet, is the most widely used spelling
alphabet. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has assigned code
words to the letters of the English alphabet so that critical combinations of letters
and numbers can be pronounced and understood despite language barriers or
transmission static.
This alphabet contains 26 code words as follows:
What is the NATO or Military Phonetic Alphabet?
ALFA or
ALPHA
/ælfə/
BRAVO
/brɑvoʊ/
CHARLIE
/tʃɑrli/
DELTA
/dɛltə/
ECHO
/ɛkoʊ/
FOXTROT
/fakstrat/
GOLF
/ga:lf/
HOTEL
/hoʊtɛl/
INDIA
/ɪndiə/
JULIET
/dʒuliət/
KILO
/kiloʊ OR
kɪloʊ/
LIMA
/limə / OR
/lima/
MIKE
/maɪk/
NOVEMBER
/noʊvɛmbər/
OSCAR
/a:skər/
PAPA
/pa:pə/
QUEBEC
/kwɪbɛk
ROMEO
/roʊmioʊ/
SIERRA
/siɛrə/
TANGO
/tæŋgoʊ/
UNIFORM
/yunəfɔrm/
VICTOR
/vɪktər/
WHISKEY
/wɪski/
X-RAY
/ɛksreɪ/
YANKEE
/yæŋki/
ZULU
/zulu/
Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
5. Spell the following last names. Use:
K as in_______ or K for_______.
KELLERMAN LYNCH WEYERHAUSER NOLAN
SCHWEINSTEIGER BUNTING HARARY PARKER
STROMBERG RYFFEL RIBLEY PHYLLIS
SELTZER HUGHES RUSSELL CAMPBELL
CARTER BENNETT TURNER EVANS
PIERCE JONES WRIGHT CZYZEWSKI
WEINSTOCK HERMAN GLYNN READE
SCIASCIA GALLAGHER BARTON GRIMES
Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
6. 1. Asking someone to spell a word, name or
last name
• Could you please spell your last name for me?
• I’m sorry I didn’t quite understand your first name. Can
you please spell it out for me?
• Would you mind spelling the word for me?
DON’T EVER say “Spell me”. If you say that, then the answer
would be M-E. Be sure to say “Spell your name for me.”
Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
8. CASE 1: /b/ vs /v/ as MINIMAL PAIRS. A minimal pair
is two words that differ in only one sound. Example: BOAT /boʊt/ and VOTE /voʊt/
BILABIAL /b/ Upper and lower lips
pressed firmly together
LABIODENTAL /v/ Lower lip
and upper teeth with same position as for /f/
BEER VEER
BOAT VOTE
BASE VASE
BERRY VERY
BENT VENT
BOWELS VOWELS
BEST VEST
Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
9. MINIMAL PAIRS /b/ vs /v/ PRACTICE
Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
/b/ /v/
BALE VAIL
BANE VEIN
BAT VAT
BENT VENT
BID VID
BILE VILE
BOLT VOLT
BOWELS VOWELS
CURB CURVE
DUB DOVE
GIBBON GIVEN
DRIBBLE DRIVEL
10. Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
Practice: Identify and practice phonemes /b/ and /v/.
11. CASE 2: C /si/ vs Z /zi/
“C as in Charlie or Z as in Zebra?”
ENVIRONMENT 1:
between two vowels : /s/ is usually
pronounced /z/ when it occurs
between two vowel sounds:
ENVIRONMENT 2 If the
spelling Pattern “se” comes after a
vowel, it is usually pronounced /z/.
ENVIRONMENT 3 Final “s”
as the plural form or third person
singular form:
MUSIC USE CARS
REASON THESE LOVES
SEASON LOSE CUBICLES
COUSIN CAUSE PHONES
DISEASE CHOOSE CUSTOMERS
EASY PHASE GUIDELINES
ROSE TEASE IS-WAS-HAS
http://www.englishpronunciationp
od.com/podcast_44.html
Exceptions: promise, house,
mouse, lease
Exceptions: CUPS-DATES
TAKES-WAITS: p-t-k-f endings
Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
12. CASE 3: “th” sounds /θ/ vs /ð/
Voiceless “th” /θ/ Voiced “th” /ð/ Lower lip and upper teeth with same
position as for /f/
BEGINNING MIDDLE END BEGINNING MIDDLE END
thank toothache Ruth that feather breathe
thumb healthy oath those either bathe
therapy truthful mouth them although scathe
thirty pathway strength there father loathe
toothpick athlete bath this another clothe
three birthday ninth they brother smooth
Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
13. CASE 4: “S” sounds at the beginning of a word
and before a consonant
Avoid “aspiration” as “speak” vs “(es)speak
CLUSTERS at the beginning of
a word
/sp/ SPEAK
/st/ START
/sk/ SCHOOL
/sl/ SLIDE
/sn/ SNAP
/sm/ SMALL
/sp/ SPLIT
/sw/ SWUM
Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
14. PRACTICE reading the following
numbers using fake account
numbers, tickets, addresses,
amounts, and telephone numbers.
Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
15. Student A should fill in the
blank spaces with the
required information. Ask
student B to provide this
information.
Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
16. Student B should provide
the information requested
by student A.
Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
18. Read the following addresses
1441 Camino Del Río S.
San Diego, CA 92108
429 S. Keller Rd. Orlando,
FL. 32825
7315 State Road 53,
Windermere, FL. 34786
2295 Hiawassee, Rd.
Orlando, FL 32835
11757 S. Orange, Trl.
Orlando, FL 32837
250 N. Orange Ave
#1220, Orlando, FL
32801
13574 Village Park, Dr.
#110, Orlando, FL 32837
1220 Commerce Park Dr.
Ste. 207, Longwood
1233 N. 30th St. Billings,
MT 59101
4650 Palm Ave. San
Diego, CA 92154
675 Main St. #10,
Lewiston, ME 04240
302 Husson Ave. #1,
Bangor, ME 04401
509 Fores Ave. #1,
Portland, ME 04101
3222 East Ave, Central
Square, NY 10036
3801 E. Florida Ave #604,
Denver, CO 80210
7200 E. Hampden Ave,
Denver, CO 80224
4201 S. 69th West Ave,
Tulsa, OK 74107
419 S. Wheeling Ave
#600, Tulsa, OK 74104
105 Gatewood Dr.
Chickash, OK 73018
4479 N. Elson Ave,
Chicago, IL 60630
4472 Pond Branch Rd,
Leesville, SC 29070
190 Gibson St. #110,
Orangeburg, SC 29115
1510 Calhoun St.
Columbia, SC, 20201
111 Baltimore Ave, Derby,
KS 67037
108 S. Webster St. Spring
Hill, KS 66083
4707 College Blvd,
Leawood, KS 66211
5605 SW Barrington Ct, S.
Topeka, KS 66614
130 N. Cherry St. #203,
Olathe, KS 66061
1211 Massachusetts St.
Lawrence, KS 66044
1401 Brickwell Ave,
Miami, FL 33131
98 Merchants Row #400,
Rutland, VT 05701
806 Broad St.
Lyndondvilla, VT 05851
Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
22. A diphthong is a combination of a strong vowel and a weak vowel, or
two weak vowels to make one syllable or sound. Fill in the below char
with words containing diphthongs.
What is a diphthong?
/eɪ/ /oʊ/ /aɪ/ /aʊ/ /ɔɪ/
Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014
23. Thank You!
Q’s & A’s
ghernandezq@gmail.com
Educational material created and customized by TEFL Specialist Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós. 2014