Today’s frontier technology, the mobile phone, has already eradicated daydreaming from our lives. Having to negotiate this technology in a foreign language just makes matters worse.
How should one start such a call? How can you, on the other hand, shake off an unwanted caller? Is there any commonly accepted time frame outside office hours? First of all, it’s advisable to treat all calls to mobile numbers as interruptions (“Sorry to bother you“) and clear a space before you hit them over the head with the info (“Do you have a moment?“). From the other side, there are more than a few ways in English to deflect inopportune callers (“I’m afraid I’ll have to call you back later“). Making special allowances for extra time is also a shrewd move (“Sorry to be getting back so late“). Then again, you might well wish to tell your business partner to feel free about answering his mobile phone (“Please, go ahead“). Finally, for that daily un-avoidable interruption, it’s a good idea to clear it with your com- panions before you pick up the call (“Excuse me“), and apologize to them (“Sorry“) after you’ve done the deed.
(from WirtschaftsWoche)
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