Carolina Z.

Bucal, EdD

The boom in the offshore call center industry created a demand for employees competent in the English language. Unfortunately only about 5 percent of applicants are deemed qualified and thus hired. Because of this call center companies hired applicants regardless of age, sex and other factors. The bottom line - whether an applicant is hired or not - is competence in the English language.

Since call center employees particularly the customer sales representatives were hired based largely on their competence in the speaking the English language, this study looked onto their competency based on a 50-item written test. To find out if there are some factors or determinants related to their competency, the following aspects of their personal profile were considered: age, sex, ethnic group, dialect spoken, degree finished, type of school attended (private or public), and length of service.

Based on comparisons using the chi-square test, results indicated no significant differences as regards age, sex and type of school attended. Very few significant differences were noted in some comparisons among ethnic groups, dialects spoken, and length of service.

In this particular study, it appeared that the aspects of profile considered could not be used as accurate determinants in predicting competency in the English language. It implies that its basically an effective instruction in the English language that could influence ones competency. Thus, interventions have to be identified to make instruction effective.

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

The quality of graduates is affected by three major factors the conditions prevailing in the school where they studied, the competence of the teachers, and the personal circumstances of the students.

As to the conditions in the school, the following are important considerations: availability of stateof the- art facilities, books and other instructional materials, effective curriculum, and level of management of the school.

As regards the teachers, their competence may be measured in terms of their educational qualifications, trainings attended, dedication and commitment to teach their students, motivation they provide to their students and the effective teaching strategies they bring to the classroom. On the part of the students, personal circumstances as age, sex, economic background, ethnic group, parents' support, choice of school, desire to learn, and succeed and others may influence their proficiency.

The three cited factors all come into play interacting with each other to produce either excellent graduates or mediocre ones. Since the recruitment rate for call center representatives is a measly five percent of all applicants, it implies that the quality of graduates is generally poor. As such, there is a need to pin point where the problems lie so as to make the necessary interventions to address the situation. Hence, this study attempted to find out what may be the factors that determine the competency in the English language of the call center representatives.

The academe bears the burden of providing quality education to students in terms of material resources, relevant curriculum, and hiring of competent teachers. The students, on the other hand, hold the responsibility of taking advantage of the opportunities that the school can offer.

This study tried to look on what possible factors determine the proficiency in the English language of graduates employed in call centers. The results may help academics come up with possible interventions that may enhance instruction in teaching the English language.

In the conceptual paradigm, the first box pointing to the second box shows what the academe provided to the graduates, The second box indicates the personal profile of the graduates. What the school provided and the personal profile of the graduates interact together to affect their scores in the test. The scores obtained by the graduates can be considered as a reflection/indication of their proficiency in the English language. A feedback loop connects the proficiency of the graduates to the academe through interventions that may enhance instruction in order to benefit future graduates.

Instructional Interventions Better facilities Improved curriculum Competent teachers

Academe Material Resources Curriculum Quality teachers

Test Score of

Proficiency in the English Language

Graduates Age Sex Ethnic group Dialect spoken Degree finished Type of school attended Length of service

Figure 1. Conceptual Paradigm

1. How may the profile of the respondents be described in terms of the following dimensions: age, sex, ethnic group, dialect spoken, degree finished, type of school attended (private or public), and length of service? 2. How proficient are the call center representatives in English based on a 50-item written test?

3. Are there significant differences in the test scores of the call center representatives when they are grouped according to age, sex, ethnic group, dialect spoken, degree finished, type of school attended (private or public), and length of service?

The subjects were limited to those who were successfully recruited as call center representatives wherein one of the bases for recruitment is on how articulate and fluent they are in speaking the English language. The proficiency in the English language was only measured based on a 50-item written test, a two-part test in writing and reading using the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), by Milada Broukal.

The personal profile dimensions of the subjects were limited to age, sex, ethnic group, dialect spoken, degree finished, type of school attended (private or public), and length of service.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

At the heart of the countrys BPO success story is the Filipino worker well-educated and with good communication skills. However, at present, the huge demand cannot be met because of deficient skills in English. Only 5% of the job applicants are accepted, although there is a very big percentage of near hires those who do not quite make the grade (in English) to get the job. It has been pointed out that these near hires may only need some remedial/refresher courses to upgrade their English skills for them to qualify for a BPO job.

In a global economic setting, whichever way one looks at it, English will be a ticket to good jobs for most Filipinos whether they choose to work in the country or elsewhere. We already have an inherent competitive advantage in English, years ahead of other countries that are fast catching up; hence, it is only logical for us to build on this strength and work even harder at maintaining quality and quantity of English-speaking skilled Filipino workers.

To maintain the country's competitive edge, the council of the Makati Business Club and the American Chamber of Commerce has undertaken a join project the English Proficiency Program to improve the level of proficiency in English among teachers and students in both formal and non-formal sectors. Amcham chairman of community affairs committee John Forbes affirmed the project came about due to increasing reports that the quality of English among Filipino workers, teachers and students is deteriorating.

This jeopardizes the future of the countrys great competitive advantage in the growing demand for skilled workers and professionals. Because of the lack of adequate proficiency in English, the odds are against Filipinos chances of becoming a successful accountant, nurse, teacher, maritime worker or IT (Information Technology) professional, he said during an Amcham-sponsored forum at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel (Makati Business Club & Amcham).

In September 2005, the Hong Kong Management Association sent a letter to the University Grant Committee (UGC) regarding Common English Proficiency Assessment Scheme (CEPAS). UGC pledged support to the CEPAS scheme and agreed in the usage of the IELTS scores to shortlist job applicants. With its commitment of support to the CEPAS Scheme, member of the UGC will be updated of the most current information to fill the shortage gap.

In May 2005, the Big Four international accounting firms (Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers) sent letters to the local tertiary institutions indicating their support to UGC to provide a common framework for assessing and documenting graduating students English proficiency and the new initiative to facilitate students job applications. The IELTS scores of graduating students would be taken into account in their annual graduate recruitment programme; while in 2004, the Civil Service Bureau of the HKSAR Government has started to recognize IELTS for civil service recruitment purpose. Results of the Academic Module of IELTS at and above over all band of 6.5 with no subtest score below band 6 obtained in one sitting are accepted as equivalent to a pass in the Use of English Paper of the Governments Common Recruitment Examination within two years from the date of the IELTS test.

METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the ways and means pertinent data essential to the study were secured. It includes the research design, description of the subjects, sample size and sampling procedures, research instrument, collection of data and statistical analysis of data.

The descriptive method of research employing a survey was used to find out the current status of the proficiency in the English language of Call Center employees particularly the Customer Service Representatives (CSRs).

Customer service representatives (CSRs) or former CSRs who had been promoted to higher positions were the respondents. There were 202 of them from the following call centers: AOL = 87, Data Key = 32, IRMC = 40, U Scribe = 20, and 2 Units = 23. This group was given a written test to assess their proficiency in the English language.

The total number of CSRs was asked from each company and sample size from each company was determined using Slovins formula as shown below: N n = -----------1 + Ne2 where n = number of samples N = total population e = margin of error

After determining the sample size, CSRs who had answered the test were randomly selected.

A questionnaire was given to the respondents to secure data on their personal profile specifically on age, sex, ethnic group, dialect spoken, degree finished, type of school attended (private or public), and length of service.

A 50-item test on different areas of the English language was administered. It was a two-part test in writing and reading using the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) by Milada Broukal. It was pre-tested to 15 third- and fourth-year college students of Systems Plus College Foundation who were interested to work in a call center. It was pretested to determine how long it will take them to accomplish the test.

The respondents were grouped according to the data provided by them in the questionnaire.
The test papers were checked and the scores determined and the respondents grouped according to the scores they got.

Data gathered from the respondents were expressed in terms of frequency counts, weighted means, and percentages. Results from the 50-item test given to the CSRs were expressed as actual scores.

To compare the English proficiency of the subjects when grouped according to profile characteristics, chi-square test was employed using the following formula: where: x2 = chi-square value Oi = an observed frequency; and Ei = an expected frequency.

Statistical computations were done using Microsoft Excel and SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences).

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter presents the data gathered, their analyses, and interpretations to provide a better understanding and appreciation of the study.

Table 2 reveals the distribution of the respondents according to their ages and sexes. Their ages ranged from 18 to 41 years old and their mean age of 28.47 years old indicates that the respondents were relatively young. Since call centers started to be established only about five years earlier, they attract mostly the newly graduated students. This accounts for the young age of their employees.

As to sex, there were more female (53%) than male employees (47%). This suggests that the call centers may have a preference for female than male employees. Perhaps female employees are more diligent when it comes to doing jobs that require staying in the same place doing the same work for several hours of the day. The soft voice of female employees may also be a factor in convincing customers to buy or to soothe bad-tempered customers particularly those that have complaints to make.

Category

Frequency

Percentage

Age
18 25
26 33 34 - 41 Total Mean S.D.

74
80 48 202 28.47 6.46

36.63
39.60 23.76 100

Sex
Male Female Total 94 108 202 46.53 54.47 100

Table 2 lists the different ethnic groups where the respondents belong. The Pampangos with 37 percent dominate, which is understandable since most of the call centers involved in the study are located in Pampanga. However, the presence of employees from different ethnic groups as far as the Visayas or Mindanao indicates that the call centers were not particular of the origin of applicants when recruiting employees. This implies that they are not ethnic group-centered but rather qualification-centered.

The findings also imply that there are not enough qualified Kapampangans to meet the needs of call centers particularly those located in Pampanga. This may be the reason that call centers scour the whole Philippines just to be able to find qualified employees to fill up their manpower needs.

Ethnic Group Bicolano Cebuano Ilocano Ilonggo Pampango Tagalog Waray Others Total

Frequency 19 33 21 13 75 30 5 6 202

Percentage 9 16 10 6 37 15 2 3 100

Table 3 displays the different dialects spoken by the respondents. Almost half of the respondents speak Tagalog and 40 percent speak Pampango. This indicates most of them are either from Pampanga or southern Luzon. While many of them may belong to other ethnic groups other than either Pampango or Tagalog, they may have been in Pampanga for quite some time so that they learn to speak Pampango or Tagalog.

Ethnic Group Bicolano Cebuano Ilocano Ilonggo Pampango Tagalog Waray Others Total

Frequency 4 3 10 3 80 98 2 2 202

Percentage 1.98 1.48 4.95 1.48 39.68 48.51 .99 .99 100

Table 4 enumerates the courses/degrees finished by the respondents and the type of school they attended. The respondents finished diverse degrees or courses with no specific degree being favored as shown by the distribution. This finding indicates that its not so much what degree or course one has finished but more so on what one can do as a call center customer service representative. It also indicates that call centers are not particular of the courses finished by applicants, which means that anybody can apply. The presence of high school graduates or those who finished short courses attests to this.

As to the type of school attended, most of the respondents came from private than from public schools at a ratio of about 3 to 1. This finding implies that applicants from private schools may have better qualifications that those from the public schools that is why they were hired.

Category BS Information Technology BS Computer Science BS Management BS Accountancy BS Education BS Engineering

Frequency 26 20 17 21 23 16

Percentage 12.87 9.90 8.42 10.40 11.38 7.92

BS Business Administration
BS Psychology BS Architecture AB English Fine Arts Secretarial Midwifery High School Graduate Total Type of School Attended Private Public Total 12

10
7 5 18 8 15 5.94 4 202

4.95
3.46 2.48 8.91 3.96 7.42 1.98 100

146 56 202

72.28 27.72 100

Table 6 presents the distribution of the respondents according to length of service. Almost 80 percent of the employees were in the call centers for one year or less. This can be explained as mentioned earlier that most of the call centers were recently established about 5 years ago. Also, the successful operations of some big call centers have enticed other companies to put up their own here in the Philippines. Some just opened about six months or less accounting for the number of employees who have been employed for a year or less.

Length of Service
1-3 months 4-6 months 7-9 months 10-12 months 1-3 years 4-6 years More than 6 years Total

Frequency
61 49 33 22 15 12 10 202

Percentage
30.20 24.26 16.34 10.89 7.42 5.94 4.95 100

Table 5 indicates the proficiency of the CSRs in written English based on their test scores. In a 50-item test, the highest score was 48 while the lowest was 32 with a mean of about 41. The very high mean score obtained indicates that most of the CSRs hired are very proficient in English. It is also an indication that the strict criteria imposed by the call centers in screening applicants really see to it that only the most qualified get hired.

The small standard deviation of 3.8 indicates that the scores of the respondents did not differ much from each other and that most of their scores were clustered around the mean. Also, it means that the CSRs were almost homogeneous as regards their proficiency.

Test Score 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

Frequency 4 9 1 1 18 7 20 13 13 16 13 36

Percentage 1.98 4.46 0.50 0.50 8.91 3.47 9.90 6.44 6.44 7.92 6.44 17.82

44
45 46 47 48 Total

20
17 4 5 5 202

9.90
8.42 1.98 2.48 2.48 100.0

Mean = 40.17 S.D. = 3.8 Descriptive Rating = Very Proficient Legend: Test Score 42 50 33 41 25 32 13 24 0 12 Descriptive Rating Excellently Proficient Very Proficient Proficient Slightly Proficient Not Proficient

The test scores of the CSRs compared according to age, sex, ethnic group, dialect spoken, length of service, course finished, and type of school attended is shown in Table 6. The scores differed very little among age brackets, between sexes, among ethnic groups, among dialects spoken, among courses finished, and between types of school attended.

The implication of the findings is that these profile dimensions were not important determinants to the English proficiency of the CSRs. In other words, the profile dimensions mentioned may be considered as irrelevant as to how well or how poor the CSRs are in the English language. Also, the closeness of the scores regardless of the dimension indicates that the respondents were very homogeneous, which can be attributed to the strict standards that call centers observe in evaluating and accepting applicants to be hired.

Category Age 18 25 26 33 34 41 Ethnic Group Bicolano Cebuano Ilocano Ilonggo Pampango Tagalog Waray Others

Mean Score

Category Sex

Mean Score

Category Course Finished

Mean Score

41.1 40.6 40.4

Male Female Type of School Attended Private

40.0 41.3

BS Information Technology BS Computer Science BS Management BS Accountancy

43.8 39.8 41.6 39.0 38.6 43.0 41.2 43.0 39.2 43.2 39.4 39.9 41.9 40.0

41.0 40.9

BS Education BS Engineering BS Business Administration BS Psychology

41.5 40.7 39.4 43.9 40.8 40.0 40.8 40.7

Public Dialect Spoken Bicolano Cebuano Ilocano Ilonggo Pampango Tagalog

43.0 42.0 43.0 45.0 41.0 40.8

BS Architecture AB English Fine Arts Secretarial Midwifery HighSchool Graduate

Length of Service
1-3 months 4-6 months 7-9 months 10-12 months 1-3 years 41.3 39.8 40.4 43.2 41.1

Waray
Others

40.5
39.0

4-6 years
More than 6 years

41.6
36.5

Table 7 displays the comparison of test scores along the different profile dimensions. No significant differences were noted among the different age brackets between sexes, and between types of school attended. This means that age, sex or type of school attended did not influence the scores. Another way of interpreting the results is that the respondents performed similarly regardless of age, sex, or type of school attended.

As regards the ethnic grouping, no significant differences in the scores were noted among the ethnic groups except between Pampango and Ilocano, and between Ilonggo and Pampango. As to dialect spoken, only between Ilonggo and Waray, and between Waray and Tagalog showed significant differences. All other comparisons were not significant.

Considering the courses they finished, only the following comparisons had significant differences in their scores: BSIT vs. BS Management or BS Accountancy or BS Architecture; BS Accountancy vs. BS Education or BS Engineering; BS Education vs. BSBA; BSBA vs. Secretarial, and Secretarial vs. High School. With regard to length of service, significant differences in scores were noted among the following: 1-3 months vs. 10-12 months, 4-6 months vs. 7-9 months, 7-9 months vs. 10-12 months, 7-9 months vs. 1-3 years, and 10-12 months vs. 1-3 years.

Dimensions Age 18-25 vs. 26-33 18-25 vs. 34-41 26-33 vs. 34-41 Sex Male vs. Female Ethnic Group1 Ilonggo vs. Waray Waray vs. Tagalog Course Finished1 BSIT vs. BS Management BSIT vs. BS Accountancy

Scores 41.1 vs.40.6 41.1 vs.40.4 40.6 vs.40.1 40.0 vs 41.3 45.0 vs 40.5 40.5 vs 40.8 43.8 vs 41.6 43.8 vs 39.0

Difference Not significant Not significant Not significant Not significant Significant at 1% Significant at 1% Significant at 1% Significant at 5%

BSIT VS. BS Architecture

BS Accountancy vs. BS Education BS Accountancy vs. BS Engineering BS Education vs. BSBA BSBA vs. Secretarial Secretarial vs. High School Type of School Attended Private vs. Public Length of Service1 1-3 months vs. 10-12 months 4-6 months vs. 7-9 months 7-9 months vs. 10-12 months 7-9 months vs. 1-3 years 10-12 months vs. 1-3 years
1Only

43.8 vs 39.2
39.0 vs 38.6 39.0 vs 43.0 38.6 vs 41.2 41.2 vs 39.9

Significant at 5%
Significant at 1% Significant at 1% Significant at 1% Significant at 1% Significant at 5%

41.0 vs 40.9 41.3 vs 43.2 39.8 vs 40.4 40.4 vs 40.2 40.4 vs 41.1 43.2 vs 41.3

Not significant Significant at 1% Significant at 1% Significant at 1% Significant at 1% Significant at 1%

those with significant differences are presented. All other comparisons are not significantly different

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the summary of findings, the conclusions derived based from the findings, and the recommendations in relation to the conclusions.

1. How may the profile of the respondents (CSR or Call Center Agents) be described in terms of age, sex, ethnic group, dialect spoken, course finished, type of school attended, and length of service? 2. How proficient are the Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) or Call Center Agents in English based on a 50-item written test ?

3. Are there significant differences in the test scores of the Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) or Call Center Agents when they are grouped according to age, gender, ethnic group, major dialect spoken, course finished, type of school attended, and length of service?

The mean age of the respondents was 28.47 from a range of 18 -41 years old with a standard deviation of 6.46; 53% were females and 47% males; as to ethnic group 37% were Pampango, 16% Cebuano, 15% Tagalog, 10% Ilocano, % Bicolano, 6% Ilonggo, 2% Waray, and others, 3%; as to dialect spoken, 49% Tagalog, 40% Pampango and others, 11%; of the 14 list of courses finished BS Information Technology, BS Education, BS Computer Science, and BS Management topped them with 13, 11, 10, and 10%, respectively; 73% graduated from private schools and 27 % from public schools; the length of service ranged from 1 month to more than 6 years.

The CSRs were rated to very proficient in English based from their scores in a 50-item written test wherein they got a mean of 40.77 with a range of 32 to 48 and a standard deviation of 3.8.

No significant differences in the test scores were observed among age brackets, between males and females, and between graduates of private and public schools. Significant differences were noted according to the following: ethnic group but only between Pampango and Ilocano, and between Ilonggo and Pampango; dialect spoken but only between Ilonggo and Waray, and between Waray and Tagalog; courses finished but only among such comparisons BSIT vs. BS Management or BS Accountancy or BS Architecture; BS Accountancy vs. BS Education or BS Engineering; BS Education vs. BSBA; BSBA vs. Secretarial, and Secretarial vs. High School; and length of service as follows: 1-3 months vs. 10-12 months, 4-6 months vs. 7-9 months, 7-9 months vs. 10-12 months, 7-9 months vs. 1-3 years, and 10-12 months vs. 1-3 years.

The CSRs skills were very proficient in written English based from their score in a 50-item written test. Age, sex, and type of school attended did not appear to be influence proficiency in English. Ethnic group, dialect spoken, course finished, and length of service in some cases proved to affect proficiency in English.

Since personal circumstances of the respondents did not appear to be essential determinants of their proficiency in the English language, the conditions in universities and colleges and teachers competence are worth looking into as to their impact or contribution to the students or graduates proficiency.

To improve the chances of graduates to be employed in the call center industry, the following interventions may be considered: provision of better facilities - example, speech clinics, hiring of more competent teachers or sending teachers to trainings, seminars, conferences and the like to better hone their skills in delivering better quality instruction.

Broukal, Milada and Woods, Enid-Nolan. Test of English as a Foreign Language(TOEFL). Illinois, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 1991. Dominguez, Carol. Bridging the Gap. 2006 Study Presentaion of John Clements Consultants, Inc., February 28, 2006, pages 2-3 Philippine Business News Trade. Invest. Outsourcing. Philippine Outsourcing Industry Expected to Hit $12.2 Billion in 2010. April 2006, http//www.PhilippineBusinessNews.com

TESOL Lessons SPEAKING Listen to Sound Combinations In normal spoken English, sounds are often blended or linked together. For instance, Wont you? often sounds Wonchoo? when spoken. This sound blending is correct, natural, and not a lazy speech. Pronouncing each word clearly works, but to be fluent, you must also learn how to blend these words.

Native speakers don't say Bob is on the phone, but say [bbizn the foun]. Sound units make a sentence flow smoothly, like peanut butter never really ending and never really starting, just flowing along. average [vr'j] aspirin [sprin] broccoli [brklee] business [bizness] camera [kmruh] chocolate [chkl't] comfortable [k'mft'bl] corporal [corpr'l] family [fmlee] finally [fynlee] general [jnr'l] groceries [grossreez] interest [intr'st] jewelry [joolree] mathematics [mthmdix] memory [mmree]

We have to go now. [we hft go no]

He went to work. [he went work]

They hope to find it. [they houpt fine dit] I can't wait to find out. [i cn(t)wai(t)t fine dot] We don't know what to do. [we dont know w'(t)t' do] Don't jump to conclusions. [dont j'm t' c'ncloozh'nz]

To be or not to be... [t'bee(y)r nt t' bee]

He didn't get to go. [he din ge(t)t gou]

If that same to follows a vowel sound, it will become d' or d. He told me to help. [he told meed help] She told you to get it. [she tol jood geddit] I go to work .[ai goud wrk] at a quarter to two [d kworder d two]

The only way to get it is... [thee(y)only wayd geddidiz]

You've got to pay to get it. [yoov gdd payd geddit] Let's go to lunch. [lets goud lunch] The score was 4 ~ 6. [th' score w'z for d six]

To Looks Like... Sounds Like... So to speak... [soda speak] Go to page 8. [goud pay jate] Show me how to get it. [show me hod geddit] Who's to blame? [hooz d blame]

Dinner's at five. [d'nnerz(t) five] The meeting's at one. [th' meeding z't w'n]
He's at the post office. [heez(t)the poussdffs] They're at the bank. [thr(t)th' bnk]

And ham and eggs [hm neggz]

bread and butter [bredn buddr]

Coffee? With cream and sugar? [kffee ... with creem'n sh'g'r] No, lemon and sugar. [nou ... lem'n'n sh'g'r] ... And some more cookies? 'n smore ckeez

Or Looks Like... Sounds Like... Soup or salad? [super salad] now or later [n(w)r laydr] more or less [mor'r less] left or right [lefter right] For here or to go? [f'r hir'r d'go] Are you going up or down? [are you going pper dwn]

Frequently Mispronounced Words aegis anyway

cache
heinous Ilinois

aegis The ae in this word is pronounced /ee/. Say EE-JIS/, not /ay-jis/. In mythology the aegis is associated especially with the goddess Athene. It is her shield with the Gorgons head on it. anyway The problem with this word is not so much pronunciation as the addition of an unnecessary sound. Dont add an s to make it anyways. The word is ANYWAY. cache The word is of French origin, but it does not end with an accented syllable. A cache is a hiding place or something that is being hidden: a cache of supplies; a cache of money; a cache of drugs. Say /KASH/, not /ka-shay/.

heinous People unfamiliar with the TV show Law and Order: S.V.U. may not know that heinous has two syllables. (The show begins with this sentence: In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous.) Say /HAYNUS/, not /heen-i-us/. Illinois As with Arkansas, the final s in Illinois is not pronounced. Say /IL-I-NOY/ (and /Ar-kan-saw/, not /il-li-noiz/ or /ar-kan-sas/).

Every single day, our staffing personnel interview 10-100 applicants for the call centers. Those who dont make the cut share common mistakes:

Prepositions that one word that bridges a subject and a verb can make a huge difference in terms of giving meaning to the sentence.
Laugh with vs laugh at

Tenses One sentence starts out in the present tense. The following then goes back to the past. And a third will swing to the future. The lack of temporal consistency can muddle the facts and confuse the interviewer.

Subject/verb agreement

Unfamiliarity with American idioms The grammar may be flawless, the syntax precise, but a couple of applicants still blink when the interviewer throws in American idioms or popular expressions their way. Its not just a question of knowing what is cool or understanding what is hip.

Would-be call center employees should watch out if they are still kept in the loop, or if a client cant make heads or tails of a product, or when the demands and requirements of a particular service are going overboard

These phrases are not just picturesque, flowery descriptions Americans, who make up the bunk of call center clients, use them in their everyday lingo. Its important not just to understand these idioms, but to master their usage.

English Business Idioms For better or worse, the American workplace is full of idioms.

People dont begin a project. They get a project off the ground.
They dont call each other to discuss progress they touch base. Later, if the project is not going well, they dont end it. They pull the plug.

Brownie points Credit for doing a good deed or for giving someone a compliment (usually a boss or teacher) Example: Sara scored brownie points with her boss by volunteering to organize the company's holiday party.

Origin: The junior branch of the Girl Scouts is called the Brownies. Brownies earn credit to then earn a badge by doing good deeds and tasks.

dog-eat-dog world a cruel and aggressive world in which people just look out for themselves Example: Your company fired you shortly after you had a heart attack? Well, it's certainly a dog-eat-dog world!

Origin: This expression dates back to the 1500's. Wild dogs were observed fighting aggressively over a piece of food. The connection was made that people, like dogs, often compete aggressively to get what they want.

(to) keep something under wraps to keep something secret; to not let anybody know about a new project or plan Example: I'm sorry I can't tell you anything about the project I'm working on. My boss told me to keep it under wraps.

Note: "Wraps" are things that provide cover, so if something is "under wraps" it's covered up and hidden.

my gut tells me

I have a strong feeling that; my intuition tells me

Example: It's true that I don't know him well, but my gut tells me that James is the right person for the sales director position.

Note: The "gut" is both the intestines and stomach and also the innermost emotional response.

to) climb the corporate ladder advance in one's career; the process of getting promoted and making it to senior management
Example: You want to climb the corporate ladder? It helps to be productive and to look good in front of your boss.

(to) drum up business to create business; to find new customers Example: Sales have been very slow lately. Do you have any ideas for drumming up business?

Avoiding Cliches In real life, most of us speak in clichs. When were nervous, we have butterflies in our stomachs. When the weather turns bad, our hands feel cold as ice, and we may talk through fog as thick as pea soup. Our enemies are hard as nails, but our close friends are solid as the Rock of Gibraltar. In disconnecting circumstances, we feel like a fish out of water, but were quick as lightning when the occasion demands it. And when things go pear-shaped, our hearts sink-sometimes like lead.

The highlighted phrases are all tired old expressions. They sounded great when they were first used, but overuse has exhausted them. Now theyre just shorthand.

When you write that someone was as cool as a cucumber, everyone knows what you mean, but the smile is too stale to create an image, which is, after all, the purpose of figurative speech.

To be perfectly honest The fact of the matter is Amazing Thinking outside the box At this point in time Having said that To be fair You know Keep in touch Actually At the end of the day With all due respect Id be more than happy to For the record

acid test as luck would have it better late than never bitter end busy as a bee depths of despair easier said than done festive occasion few and far between finer things in life green with envy last but not least Mother Nature needless to say ripe old age sadder but wiser slow but sure words cannot express

Making descriptions Activities that work A. 1. Collect pictures from magazines, catalogs, old books, etc. 2. Have one student choose a picture and describe it to the class. 3. Let all the other members of the class (including the teacher) prepare a blank sheet of paper and a set of crayons or colored pencils. 4. Make everyone draw the picture based on the students description. 5. Compare the drawings first to each other and then to the original picture. 6. Each student gets a chance to describe a picture.

Katherine Paxton

B. 1. Prepare a handful of free real estate magazines. 2. Set up situations that could, at the very least, provide them some reading and writing experience. You have X dollars to spend on a house. You want to be close to A school. The house has to have X,Y,Z characteristics. 3. Using the supplied real estate magazine find your dream house and be prepared to write a description of the house. 4. Read it to the class with appropriate questions from your classmates. A possible oral drill-You want to find a house with X,Y, Z characteristics. You are working with a realtor ( your study-partner). Ask him/her appropriate questions so it will be easy to find the house that you want.

Bob Hall

ROLE-PLAYING
Everything went like clockwork !!! Mary I've just popped in to thank you very much for organizing last weekend's trip to the seaside for the old folk. Julia That's very kind of you. They all seemed to enjoy it. Mary They certainly did. Everything went like clockwork, in fact I don't think you could have done it better.

Julia I'm not sure about that, there were one or two things that could have been improved.
Mary In a perfect world perhaps, but as far as I'm concerned it was a great success. So thank you again.

Explanation :
If you say that something happens like clockwork you mean that it happens without any problems or delays, or happens regularly. Example : He reorganized Standard Brands twice a year, like clockwork.

TELLING JOKES A Good Teacher

One day, a teacher was attempting to teach the names of animals to a class of 5-year-olds. She held up a picture of a deer, and asked one boy, "Billy, what is this animal?". Little Billy looked at the picture with a disheartened look on his face and responded, "I'm sorry Mrs. Smith, I don't know.". The teacher was not one to give up easily, so she then asked Billy, "Well, Billy, what does your Mommy call your Daddy?" Little Billy's face suddenly brightened up, but then a confused look came over his face, as he asked, "Mrs. Smith, is that really a pig?"! pure breed" is quite correct.
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THE FUNNY LANGUAGE

Lets start with fox whose plural is foxes, But the plural of ox should be oxen, not oxes.
Our fowl is a goose, but two are called geese, Yet the plural of mouse is never meese. You may find a lone mouse, or a whole nest of mice, But the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always men, Why shouldnt the plural of fan be fen? Cow in the plural form is cows or kine, Yet a bow, if repeated, is never bine; And the plural of vow is vows, not vine. And if I talk about a foot but you show me two feet, And if I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?

If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth, Why shouldnt the plural of booth be called beeth?

If the singulars graffito and the plurals graffiti, Should the plural of stiletto be stiletti? If in Italian, the singular of confetti is confetto, Should spaghettis singular be spaghetto? You talk of a brother and also of brethren, But though you say mother, you never say mothren Then the masculine pronouns are he, his, and him, But imagine the feminine she, shis, and shim! So English, I think you will all agree, Is the funniest language you ever did see.

Thank you.