This is a wonderful question. I've always struggled with speaking on the phone in other languages.... it's so nerve-wracking! Here are some tips for English phone conversations: 1. When you answer the phone, say "Hello?" in a bright, friendly voice. Make sure it's a question... "heLLO?" not "hello." 2. The caller will usually ask "Is this (name)?" or "May I speak to (name)?" a. If they ask for you, you can say "This is [s]he." b. If they ask for someone else, say "One moment please" and give the phone to that person. If that person is not there, say "(Name) is not available right now, can I take a message?" And then be ready to write down the caller's name and phone number. Or you can simply say, "Please call back later." 3. If the caller has not introduced herself, you can say, "Who's calling, please?" Other than that, the conversation will be the same as any other English conversation. :) By the way, I find that these phrases are used much less with cell phones. With cell phones, we usually know who is calling before we answer. So we don't need to go through the "Hello?" "Hi, is so-and-so there?" "This is she!" bit. It's appropriate to answer the phone saying, "Hi, (name)! What's up?" (assuming it's an informal relationship). With a formal relationship via cell phones it's a bit more tricky, even a little awkward.... you should probably wait for the person to introduce themselves, even though you already know who's calling. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any more questions.

Sorry, I didn't catch that. Could you repeat it please. Usually in America people blame it on their phone or something lol. A lot of time I would say. "Sorry, I didn't catch that. (My phone is getting pretty lousy signal right now) Could you repeat it please?" Thinking about it I usually explain if I have to ask someone to repeat something more than once.

Do not be afraid to say, "I do not understand" to English speakers. In some places it is rude to say that you do not know what is being said. In the United States people are very understanding with English Language Learners. The recommendations above are wonderful. You may also say, "please speak slower" if someone is speaking too fast. In the United States prank (joke) calling and sales calls are common. If you do not answer right away, many people may believe that you are calling as a joke or to sell something and may hang up. Be sure to tell the caller who you are and why you are calling.