You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Hello, and welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Edwin, and I'll be your host for today's lesson on taking a taxi.
This will be part of a larger series that looks at the business English you need for a successful overseas business trip.
When you travel to another city for business, what's the easiest way to get around?
Usually by taxi.
You don't have to interpret a subway map or a bus schedule, and you can be delivered directly to your destination with little confusion, though it will cost you more, of course.
Yes, I said with little confusion, though that's not always the case.
Taxi drivers might not always understand what you want or what you're saying.
You've still got to communicate clearly, directly, and politely with the taxi driver.
Your fate is in his or her hands, and so you need to make sure you're understood.
This is exactly what we'll learn today.
We'll cover some important types of requests during a taxi ride, including asking for a destination, requesting a specific route and asking for a change of course.
We'll also learn how to ask to be let out and request a receipt.
In this lesson, we'll hear Cam and Vanessa, who have just arrived in Shanghai on a business trip.
They've passed through immigration and collected their bags, and now they want to take a taxi to their hotel.
As you listen to the dialogue, try to answer the following questions.
1.
What is the traveler's destination, and where is it located?
2.
Vanessa asked for a change of course to get to a bank.
How does she describe how to get there?
3.
How does Vanessa ask to be let out of the taxi?
No problem.
I'll just keep this bag with me, thanks.
After you, Cam.
Hello.
Where are you going, please?
Hi.
We'd like to go to the Regal International Asia Hotel.
That's on Hengshan Lu, I believe.
Okay, okay.
Hengshan Lu.
Huh?
No.
We're going to Hengshan Lu.
Okay.
Regal International on Hengshen Lu, no problem.
And could you take us via Shu Jia Wei, please?
Huh?
You want Hengshen Lu, yes?
Yes, but we want to see Shu Jia Wei before we go to Hengshen Lu.
Okay, okay.
Shu Jia Wei, then Hengshen Lu.
Okay, I think he's got it.
So, Cam, you're going to love this place.
Downtown is quite the sight.
Should be about an hour from here to the hotel if traffic's not too heavy.
Great.
I'm lucky you're here.
You told me before, but how long did you spend here?
Traffic very bad today.
Very bad.
It sure is.
But it looks like... Yeah, there's the hotel just ahead.
Alright, great.
So, it's almost four o'clock now, and we need to get to the bank at some point today.
Yeah, right.
And you know, I think there's a bank just past the hotel.
Maybe we should go there first.
Uh, excuse me, can you just keep going a bit?
We need a bank, just past the hotel, then turn right.
Bank of China, yes?
Yes, Bank of China.
Okay, right here is fine, thanks.
Yes, okay, here we go.
I've got this.
One hundred fifty, yeah?
And could I get a receipt for that, please?
Okay, receipt for you.
Thank you very much.
Have a nice day.
Now let's go through the dialogue again and look at the language that Cam and Vanessa used during their taxi ride.
No problem.
I'll just keep this bag with me, thanks.
After you, Cam.
Hello.
Where are you going, please?
Hi.
We'd like to go to the Regal International Asia Hotel.
That's on Hengshan Lu, I believe.
Of course, the first thing you'll need to talk about with the driver is your destination.
You can use the language of polite request to ask for your destination, as Cam does when he says we'd like to go to.
And it's often best to give the driver as much information as possible, especially if you're in a massive city like Shanghai.
That could mean both the name of the place you're going to and its location.
Notice that Cam names the hotel and says what road it is on.
Let's practice some more ways of requesting a destination in a taxi.
I need to go to 5th Street and Main please.
Could you please take me to Edmonton Airport?
The Hilton Hotel on Rogers Way please.
We're headed to 32 Fry Street, just off Willingdon Road.
So, how does the driver respond to Cam's request?
Okay, okay.
Hang Say Lou.
Huh?
No.
We're going to Hang Shan Lou.
Okay.
Regal International on Hang Say Lou.
No problem.
It sounds like there's some confusion about the name of the street.
Cam is doing his best to state the address clearly, but the driver is pronouncing it in the local Shanghainese dialect.
That just goes to show how difficult simple things like names can be, and it's a good reminder to speak very clearly.
Now let's listen, as Vanessa has another request.
And could you take us via Shujiawei, please?
They've already stated their destination, but there are usually a hundred different ways to go from point A to point B, And sometimes you want to take a specific route, either because it's shorter or because it's more scenic.
So, how do you do that?
Well, once again you can use the language of polite request, but this time to ask the driver to take a specific road or to go via or through a certain place, as Vanessa does.
Let's practice some more ways of asking a taxi driver to take a certain route or go via a certain street.
If you could take the expressway, that would be great.
I'd like to go via Yonge Street, if you don't mind.
Please take Pacific Way rather than Huntington Drive.
Could you take Charles Street past Neiman Tower, please?
And how does the driver respond to this new request?
Huh?
You want Hengshen Lu, yes?
Yes, but we want to see Shu Jia Wei before we go to Hengshen Lu.
Okay, okay.
Shujiawei, then Hangseilu.
Okay, I think he's got it.
So, Cam, you're going to love this place.
Downtown is quite the sight.
Should be about an hour from here to the hotel if traffic's not too heavy.
Great.
I'm lucky you're here.
You told me before, but how long did you spend here?
As you can hear, Vanessa has to give a bit more explanation of her purpose.
She wants to see Shujiawei before going to Hengxianglu.
But what is Shujiawei?
Well, as she says, it's downtown, and it's quite the sight.
Downtown means it's a central commercial district and quite the sight means that it's very impressive.
Vanessa has spent some time in Shanghai, and she wants to show Cam some of the sights.
It takes a bit of explanation for the driver, but as Vanessa says, he gets it, or understands.
Let's jump ahead now and rejoin the travelers when they're almost at the hotel.
Remember, Vanessa mentioned that traffic might be heavy or very busy traffic.
Very bad today?
Very bad, it sure is.
But it looks like yeah, there's the hotel just ahead, all right, great.
So it's almost four o'clock now and we need to get to the bank at some point today.
Yeah right, and you know, I think there's a bank just past the hotel.
Maybe we should go there first.
Our travelers are moving slowly through heavy traffic.
They can see the hotel when Cam remembers that they need to go to a bank at some point or sometime today.
Fortunately, Vanessa remembers there's one just past the hotel.
So now she needs to communicate a change of course to the driver.
Let's hear how she does that.
Uh, excuse me, can you just keep going a bit?
We need a bank.
Just pass the hotel, then turn right.
To ask for a change of course.
You can also use the language of polite request, as Vanessa does when she says can you keep going?
You'll notice that she gives specific directions pass the hotel and turn right but also her purpose.
That is, she says, we need a bank.
So if the driver hasn't understood the directions, he'll at least understand what they're trying to do.
Let's run through some more ways of asking a taxi driver for a change of course, including specific directions.
Would you mind doing a U-turn and heading back to the hotel please?
Actually, let's keep going until 33rd Street, then make a right.
If you can just go straight a few more blocks please.
Could you turn right here and head up to Sutherland Drive please?
In those examples, you heard some useful language for directions.
First, we heard do a U-turn, which means to turn around and go back the way you came.
We also had to make a right, which is a common way of saying turn right.
Of course, you can also say make a left.
And you heard the word block, which is a space between two city streets.
Blocks are an easy way to talk about short distances.
Now let's get back to the dialogue.
Bank of China, yes?
Yes, Bank of China.
Okay, right here is fine, thanks.
So they've arrived at the Bank of China, and Vanessa wants the driver to stop and let them out.
To do this, she simply says, right here is fine.
You don't need a long explanation.
It's enough just to say that a certain spot or location is fine or good or great.
Let's practice some more ways of doing this.
We'll just get out here, please.
Just past the lights is great.
Thanks.
Right here is good, if you don't mind.
If you can drop us here, that's great.
Vanessa and Cam just have one thing left to do before they're finished with the driver.
Let's listen.
Yes, okay.
Here we go.
I've got this.
One hundred fifty, yeah?
And could I get a receipt for that, please?
Cam says he's got this, which is a common and informal way of saying that you will pay for something like a taxi ride or a restaurant bill.
And what does Cam request at this time?
A receipt.
In some countries, it's a good idea to get a receipt any time you take a taxi.
And you might also need one for accounting purposes.
So all you have to do is to use the language of polite requests to ask for one, as you can hear in these examples.
I'll need a receipt for that, please.
And if I can get a receipt, that'd be great.
Could I please have a receipt with that?
I'd like a receipt as well, thanks.
Our travelers have successfully made it to their destination, but their trip is just beginning.
In the next episode we'll rejoin Cam and Vanessa as they have to figure out how to get to a meeting place.
And later in the series we'll see how our travelers and their colleagues deal with other situations on a business trip.
Now let's practice some of the language we learned in today's lesson.
Imagine you have just arrived in a foreign city and you need to take a taxi to your hotel.
You will have to tell the driver where to go and what to do.
You'll hear a cue by the taxi driver.
Then I'll give you a suggestion for how you can respond.
We'll guide you through each step in the practice and provide an example answer for each response.
Ready?
Let's give it a go.
Hello, where are you going?
Start by asking for the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown.
Answer.
I'd like to go to the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown, please.
Okay, no problem.
Hyatt Regency Hotel it is.
Now ask the driver to go via King Street to get there.
Answer.
And could you go via King Street if you don't mind?
Sure thing.
I don't mind taking King Street.
As you approach your destination, ask the driver to turn right in front of the hotel so you can go to the market.
Answer.
Okay, so please turn right in front of the hotel and take me to the market.
Alright.
The market is just ahead, but traffic looks pretty crazy.
Now, ask the driver to drop you off so you can walk to the market.
Answer.
Okay, you can drop me here and I'll walk to the market.
No problem.
That'll be $34, please.
Finally, ask the driver for a receipt.
Answer.
Here you go.
And I'd like a receipt for that too, please.
To finish off, let's practice some of the vocabulary we've covered in this lesson.
In a moment, you'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
Repeat each sentence, including the missing word.
For example, if you hear... Our hotel room has...
You can say, After each response, we'll provide the correct answer.
Let's begin.
Put your money away, Dave.
I've... This.
You can get the next one.
Answer Put your money away, Dave.
I've got this.
You can get the next one.
Every day I take the subway from my home to my office in Tokyo.
Answer Every day I take the subway from my home to my office in downtown Tokyo.
It took us over an hour to get here because of the heavy... Answer.
It took us over an hour to get here because of the heavy traffic.
According to this map, the print shop is just three... ahead on First Avenue.
Answer.
According to this map, the print shop is just three blocks ahead on First Avenue.
We've reached the end of this lesson, the first in our series on taking a business trip.
We've learned how to request a destination, use a specific route, and make a change of course.
We've also covered how to ask to be let out and requesting a receipt.
Thanks for listening, and see you again soon.
