Lesson 11 –  Wednesday 29th January

cloves, a high chair, (plastic) straws, paper straws,  disposable straws, reusable straws, a tumble dryer a dishwasher, clothespins, clothes pegs, drying up cloths, tea towels
“plummer” I needed to call a plumber
The lightbulb has blown and I need a new one (blow-blew-blown)

Discussion

• What cleaning tasks do you do at home? Which is the most important for you?
• Which cleaning tools and products do you use the most?
• Can you share a good cleaning tip?
• Do you think children should help with household chores? Which tasks and how do you encourage children to do them?

I can see the dust in the sunlight.
When it is sunny, I can see how dusty my apartment is.

a carpenter
a mat
a front door mat
a rug
a carpet (from the Middle East)
We have wall-to-wall carpets (a fitted carpet)

I use toilet cleaner to clean the toilet (toilet duck)
I use washing up liquid
soap – soup
I took my daughter to day care this morning. I will pick her up later. I will collect her from school later.
I bought a bookcase from Ikea and put it together when I got home. (= assemble)
I collected stamps when I was little.
I pick mushrooms in the forest.

a metal scourer
I had to scour the saucepan to remove the burnt potatoes that were stuck to it.
to be sensitive to chemicals
Wear rubber gloves if you have sensitive skin.

Polite requests/problems to be solved for the guests
Could you bring me some more towels?
The sink/toilet is blocked.
Please come and unblock the toilet.
The bathtub is dirty.
There’s hair in the plug hole
Please change/replace the light bulb, it’s blown.
The toilet doesn’t flush.
Flush the toilet, wash your hands, switch off the light and close the door.
The pipe under the sink is leaking. (drip, drip, drip!) The roof leaks when it rains.
The fridge isn’t cooling/working properly. (temperature)
The fridge door isn’t closing properly.

Hotel Room

Guest: Excuse me, the light in my room isn’t working.
Staff: I’m sorry about that. I’ll ask maintenance to replace the lightbulb right away.

Guest: The air conditioning in my room isn’t working.
Staff: I apologise for the inconvenience. I’ll report it to maintenance and we’ll fix it as soon as possible.

Guest: I can’t find the remote for the TV.
Staff: I’ll bring a new/replacement one to your room immediately.

Guest: There’s no hot water in my shower.
Staff: I’m very sorry for the trouble. I’ll notify maintenance right away, and we’ll resolve the issue/problem as quickly as possible.

Guest: The window in my room won’t close.
Staff: I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll have someone come to fix it immediately/right away/as soon as possible/ in/within 20 minutes (how soon?)
in 20 minutes 1000 – 1020 (at 1020)
within 20 minutes 1000 – 1020 (=any time between 1000 and 1020)

Guest: The toilet in my bathroom doesn’t flush.
Staff: I apologise for the inconvenience. I’ll call maintenance to fix it right away.

Guest: There’s water leaking from the sink.
Staff: I’m sorry about that. I’ll send maintenance to check it immediately.

Guest: The light above the bathroom mirror isn’t working. “mirra”
Staff: Thank you for letting us know. I’ll arrange for maintenance to replace it as soon as possible. “mayn – ta – nens”

Guest: This chair is unstable/wobbly. “Un- stay-bull”
Staff: I’m very sorry. Let me bring you another chair.

Chef: The fridge isn’t cooling properly.
Maintenance Staff: I’ll check it immediately and see if it can be repaired or if we need a replacement.

Kitchen Staff: The dishwasher isn’t working.
Manager: Thanks for letting me know. I’ll call maintenance to repair it as soon as possible.

Waitstaff: I can’t switch the coffee machine on.
Manager: I’ll have maintenance check it as soon as possible. In the meantime, let’s use the spare coffee maker. (spare = an extra just in case)

We have spare bedding at home, in case we have guests.

Health and safety
What do you see in these pictures?
Why are these important?
What health and safety problems could happen in a hotel, bar or restaurant?
It’s a…

a fire extinguisher “eks-sting-qwish-er”
a fire blanket
a fire alarm
an emergency exit
a warning sign
a first aid box/kit (What do you find in this?)
a defibrillator (you use it to start someone’s heart)
I’ve been on a training course to learn how to use a defibrillator
He slipped on the wet floor. The floor is slippery.
The paths are slippery with all the ice.

Do you have any experience of these situations? Have you ever had to administer first aid for example?

Wet floor in the reception area
What should you do if you see a wet floor? What can you use to warn people? What happens if someone slips?
“Be careful, the floor is slippery” Put out a warning sign

Fire alarm goes off during check-in
What is the first thing you should do? Where should you take the guests? What should you tell the guests?
What must and mustn’t staff and guests do?
“Don’t panic!”
“Go to the emergency/fire exit”
“Go to the assembly area” (= the safe place)
You mustn’t use the lifts /elevators (US) in case of fire”
The fire brigade (BrE)/fire department (US) are on their way.

A guest trips over luggage left in the hallway
Who is responsible for making sure hallways are clear? What should you do if a guest is injured?
What should you do to help the guest? How can you stop this from happening again?
“Can I help you with the luggage?”
The porter takes the bags
“Are you ok?”
“Can I help you?

A kitchen fire starts while cooking
What might have caused it? What can you use to stop the fire? Who should you call for help?
Use a fire extinguisher or a fire blanket
The oil/fat on the stove catches fire
Don’t use water!
If you can’t put out the fire, call the fire brigade.

Broken glass in the bar area
What should you do if a glass breaks? How can you make the area safe? What tools/equipment do you need to clean it up?
You should sweep up the broken glass with a dustpan and brush.
Be careful, you don’t get glass splinters in your foot.
I’ve got a splinter in my hand.

I scratched myself on the rose thorns.
a thorny bush

What do you find in a first aid box?
to remove a splinter with tweezers
a pair of scissors (“sissas”)
some surgical tape, plasters
bandages “band-did-gis”
disposable gloves
disenfectant wipes (= to clean the injury)
a bottle of disenfectant
a packet of painkillers, headache pills “Hedd-ayke”
a surgical mask
a digital thermometer
antihistamine pills
ointment/cream/gel for itchy skin or allergic reactions
aloe vera gel

Payments
When was the last time you paid for something? What did you buy?
What are some ways people can pay for things?

I bought some food and clothes online
I paid in/X cash
I paid by card
I paid with my credit card
I charged the bill to my hotel room. (= pay when I check out)
Can I use Apple Pay?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying things online?
+
There is more choice.
It’s easy to find different departments
–
You can’t try clothes on.
It’s too easy to buy the wrong size
You pay for delivery
You have to pay customs charges (at the border)

What’s the exchange rate between Euro and pounds today?
500 Swedish kronor, 200 yen
Swedish crowns 300 SEK

 

notes/(dollar) bills
coins
a receipt “re-seeet”
a 60% discount, a student discount

You can pay in cash
pound notes – dollar bills – coins
receipts (“ress-seets”) Would you like a receipt?
I’d like to pay by card
You must always leave a tip in American restaurants
to pay by Swish
The Swish payment system, an online payment system
Shall I “swish” you my share?
Can I pay online?
Shall we send you an invoice?
Can you invoice me directly?