聽不到對方說話,很多老師會教你說I beg your pardon.現在這句已縮短成Pardon?你也可以說Sorry?代替Pardon?,但記得不論是Sorry?還是Pardon?,都要以問句語氣結尾,對方才會明白。全句本來是Sorry,
will you please repeat what you have said? I did not hear probably.
不過這樣說人家會嫌你長氣!但千萬不要說What?,太沒有禮貌了。
別濫用自創的簡稱
有些學生常用的字實在不敢恭維。比如讀sociology,有些學生會說成I
am studying soci或I am studying socio,外國人聽了肯定會覺得很突兀。建築又說成I am studying
archi,生字很差則說My vocab is very limited,外國人不會聽得明白。更甚者有把honorary treasurer和honorary
secretary(義務司庫及義務祕書)說成hon tre和hon sec,相當刺耳。