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Meetings in English

Whether you are holding a meeting or attending a meeting, it is imporant that you understand key English phrases and expressions related to meetings. A successful meeting has no surprises. With proper preparation and careful organization, a meeting can run smoothly. The most typical complaint about meetings is that they run too long. Meetings that run longer than necessary can be very costly to a company or business. As the famous business expression says: Time is money. Setting goals and time limits, keeping to the agenda, and knowing how to refocus, are key components of an effective meeting. This may sound simple in your own native language, but it is a little trickier when you or the participants do not speak fluent English. These pages will help you hold or attend a meeting with success. Review the vocabulary, read through the lessons, and then check your understanding.

  Scenario The following pages will be based on the meeting of a fictional company called Paris Tours. The owner of the small tour company is Pierre. He has ten employees, including four supervisors, Kana and Thomas (guides), Nolan (driver), and Jane (receptionist). These four supervisors will be called to a meeting to discuss the upcoming tourist season. Follow through the pages to watch how Pierre prepares for and holds the meeting, and how his staff participate.
 
  Vocabulary
Word Part of speech Meaning Example Sentence
accomplish verb succeed in doing We have a lot to accomplish today, so let's begin.
address verb deal with; speak on I hope we do not have to address this matter again in the future.
adjourn verb close a meeting If there are no further comments, we will adjourn the meeting here.
agenda noun list of objectives to cover in a meeting Please forward the agenda to anyone who is speaking at the meeting.
AGM noun(abbr.) Annual (yearly) General Meeting We always vote for a new chairperson at the AGM.
allocate verb assign roles/tasks to certain people I forgot to allocate someone to bring refreshments.
AOB noun(abbr.) Any Other Business (unspecified item on agenda) The last item on the agenda is AOB.
ballot noun a type of vote, usually in writing and usually secret Please fold your ballot in half before you place it in the box.
board of directors noun group of elected members of an organization/company who meet to make decisions The board of directors meets once a month to discuss the budget.
boardroom noun a large meeting room, often has one long table and many chairs The boardroom is reserved for a managers' meeting, so we'll have to meet in the lounge.
brainstorm verb thinking to gather ideas Let's take a few minutes and brainstorm some ways that we can cut costs.
casting vote noun deciding vote (usually by the chairman) when the votes are otherwise equal The role of treasurer was decided based on the chairman's casting vote.
chairperson/chair noun the person who leads or presides at a meeting As chair, it is my pleasure to introduce to you, Mr. Allan Davis.
clarification/verification noun explanation/proof that something is true/understood Before we address this matter, I'll need some clarification as to who was involved.
closing remarks noun last thoughts spoken in a meeting (i.e. reminders, thank yous) I just have a few closing remarks and then you will all be free to go.
collaborate verb work together as a pair/group The board fell apart because the members had difficulty collaborating.
commence verb begin We will commence as soon as the last person signs the attendance sheet.
comment verb or noun express one's opinions or thoughts If you have a comment, please raise your hand rather than speak out.
conference noun formal meeting for discussion, esp. a regular one held by an organisation Before the conference there will be a private meeting for board members only.
conference call noun telephone meeting between three or more people in different locations Please make sure I have no interruptions while I'm on the conference call.
confidential adjective private; not to be shared Any financial information shared during this meeting should be kept confidential.
consensus noun general agreement If we cannot come to a consensus by the end of the meeting we will put it to a vote.
deadline noun due date for completion The deadline for buying tickets to the conference is May 25th.
designate verb assign If no one volunteers to take the minutes I will be forced to designate someone.
formality noun a procedure (often unnecessary) that has to be followed due to a rule Everyone knows who is going to be the next vice president, so this vote is really just a formality.
grievance noun complaint The first item on the agenda relates to a grievance reported by the interns.
guest speaker noun person who joins the group in order to share information or deliver a speech I am delighted to welcome our guest speaker Holly, who is going to be offering some sales pitch tips.
implement verb make something happen; follow through It's not a question of whether or not we're going to use this idea, it's whether or not we know how to implement it.
mandatory adjective required It is mandatory that all supervisors attend Friday's meeting.
minutes noun a written record of everything said at a meeting Before we begin with today's meeting, let's quickly review the minutes from last month.
motion noun a suggestion put to a vote The motion to extend store hours has been passed.
objectives noun goals to accomplish I'm pleased that we were able to cover all of the objectives today within the designated time.
opening remarks noun chairperson or leader's first words at a meeting (i.e. welcome, introductions) As I mentioned in my opening remarks, we have to clear this room before the end of the hour.
proxy vote noun a vote cast by one person for or in place of another There must have been one proxy vote because I count twelve ballots but only eleven attendees.
show of hands noun raised hands to express an opinion in a vote From the show of hands it appears that everyone is in favour of taking a short break.
unanimous adj in complete agreement; united in opinion The vote was unanimous to cut work hours on Fridays.
vote verb or noun to express (the expression of) an opinion in a group by voice or hand etc We need to vote for a new vice chairperson now that Jerry is retiring.
wrap up verb finish Let's wrap up here so that we can get back to our desks.

 



       

 


Date: 2016-04-22; view: 1011


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