Meetings Brainstorm terms related to meetings

Meetings

verb + meeting How many can you think of? + a meeting call arrange schedule hold cancel postpone (put off) reschedule attend moderate chair

DISCUSS in teams: Importance of meetings today Reasons for holding meetings Size and duration of meetings People in a meeting Drawbacks of meetings Discuss in teams (brainstorm), prepare a short ad hoc presentation. What do you know about these aspects of meetings? 1. Are meetings important? Why is that? a) importance of sharing ideas b) team work c) effective project coordination What types of meetings are there? formal informal one-to-one meetings face-to-face tele/videoconferences What are the reasons for holding meetings? reaching decisions in a meeting > all participans feel more committed more information available different and unexpected ideas may arise more informed, imaginative and courageous decisions might ensue than if only one person made them alone What are the drawbacks of meetings? more time is required than if one person made the decisions more talk, sometimes irrelevant and repetitive group pressure may also affect the flow and outcome of a meeting

People involved the chairperson chairman, chairwoman, chair (n., v.) Jim will chair (v.) the meeting next week. And who is chair (n.) today? the participants the secretary (?)

The role of the chairperson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_kZT8t75J4 http://australianetwork.com/businessenglish/stories/ep04.htm Handout: The Role of the Chairperson (listening), p 1 RB pp 6-7 (read, do tasks) HW: Watch the video again and complete p 2

The structure of meetings the beginning, during the meeting and at the end – different things to do FUNCTIONS Can you tell when: Express doubt State the objectives of the meeting Ask for opinion Say when the meeting will finish Summarize → RB, p 8 Handout: p 2, taks 5 & 6

The language of meetings → RB, p 9: Read and fill in! Handout: Practice interrupting, asking for repetition, clarifying HW: Do the exercises in RB, p 10 & exercise III on p 11

Read aloud, please! → RB, p 11: Tasks I & II. Sort out the phrases... “Finish the report by tomorrow!” “You cannot take a day off!” “You must come to work earlier.” “Prepare the report by 2 pm!” “Come to work on Saturday!” “Assignments must be done!” “You cannot take a company laptop home.” “That’s out of the question!” “That’s absurd!” → RB, p 11: Tasks I & II. Sort out the phrases...

Is this appropriate in meetings? “Finish the report by tomorrow!” “You cannot take a day off!” “You must come to work earlier.” “Prepare the report by 2 pm!” “Come to work on Saturday!” “Assignments must be done!” “You cannot take a company laptop home.” Or can we make it more polite? 1 use softeners (downtone) 2 propose / suggest rather than order

MAKE YOUR POINT FIRMLY BUT POLITELY 1. How to downtone our statements? “we” / “let’s” (rather than “you”) perhaps / maybe a bit / just / a little / slightly would / could / may / might I’m afraid... please “not” as a modifier (use negatives) → Study the table on p 12 → Do task V

2. Making suggestions/proposals Avoid: “Contact Berlin!” → RB, p 13: Task VI I advise we contact... I suggest that we should relocate... I suggest putting it off... I suggest we read... I propose that we wait for ... You propose waiting... I suggest relocation... I propose Tom. ??? STUDY TABLE, p 13

2. Making suggestions/proposals Avoid: “Read the report!” advise, suggest, propose... I advise __________ the report. I advise you _______ the report. I advise that you ______ the report. I suggest ________ the report first. I suggest ____ ___ _____ ____ the report first. I suggest _____ ___ _____ the report first. I suggest to read the report first. reading to read read reading that we should read that we read

2. Making suggestions/proposals (cont.) Avoid: “Read the report!” advise, suggest, why don’t we... shall we... I advise you to read the report first. I suggest reading the report first. I suggest that we should read the report first. I suggest that we read the report first. I suggest to read the report first. Why don’t we read the report first? Shall we read the report first? → RB, p 13 Task VII

1) Do the exercises in RB: p 10 , p 11 (III) and 13 (VII) HW: 1) Do the exercises in RB: p 10 , p 11 (III) and 13 (VII) 2) Rewrite the following sentences using strategies from pp 12-13 (provide 3 different solutions for each sentence): “You cannot take a day off!” “You must come to work earlier.” “Prepare the report by 2 pm!” “We want you to research the matter first.”