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Sound Recordings

A Concierge in New York

Listen to an interview with a concierge in New York and try our tasks and activities.
Hotellgjest sjekker inn. Foto.
Image: Shutterstock, NTB scanpix / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Listen to the interview and note down words that you do not know (do not worry about the spelling). Afterwards, look at the vocabulary box below, and see how many words correspond with the words that you did not know.

Concierge in New York

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Audio: Morten Serkland / CC BY-SA 4.0
Vocabulary
  • needs=behov
  • desires=ønsker/ønske
  • transfer=transfer
  • budget=budsjett
  • permission=tillatelse/løyve
  • excessive=for mye/for mykje
  • work hours=arbeidstimer/arbeidstimar
  • challenging=utfordrende/utfordrande
  • bilingual=tospråklig/tospråkleg
  • trilingual=trespråklig/trespråkleg
  • venue=sted/stad
  • real estate broker=eiendomsmegler/eigedomsmeklar
  • rose petals=kronblad på roser
  • employer=arbeidsgiver/arbeidsgivar
  • communication skills =kommunikasjonsferdigheter/kommunikasjonsferdigheitar
  • attitude=holdning/haldning
  • consistent=utholdende/uthaldande
  • block=kvartal
  • hour cuts=timekutt
  • language barriers=språkhindringer/språkhindringar
  • income=inntekt

Writing task: A portrait of Ann

You’ve been asked to write a portrait of Ann. Use background information from the interview and see if you know how she comments on these topics:

Working hours

Language and communication skills

Usual/unusual questions

Qualifications

Attitudes

Staff policy

Hjertet på Times Square. Foto.
Times Square, New York. Image: Hearts Should Be Free / CC0

Research and role-play: Concierge and hotel guest

Imagine that you are Ann’s colleague working at Milford Hotel at Times Square, New York. Your challenge is to help a hotel guest with the following tasks:

  • Help the guest get from Times Square to the Statue of Liberty
  • Help a guest who wants to propose to his girlfriend at a romantic spot in the city
  • Help a guest book a play on Broadway for a family of four
  • Help a guest who wants to see a typical American sports game in New York