MEETINGSMEETINGS

Commonly used Commonly used words/expressions:words/expressions:

callcall arrangearrange scheduleschedule holdhold cancelcancel postpone (put off)postpone (put off) reschedulereschedule attendattend moderate moderate chair chair closeclose

a meetinga meeting

People involvedPeople involved the the chairpersonchairperson

chairman, chairwoman, chair (n., v.)chairman, chairwoman, chair (n., v.)Jim Jim will chair will chair (v.) the meeting next week.(v.) the meeting next week. the the participantsparticipants the the secretarysecretary (?) (?)

Chairing a meeting Chairing a meeting

The chairperson is in charge of:The chairperson is in charge of: OpeningOpening the meeting: introducing the the meeting: introducing the

objectivesobjectives, , agendaagenda, participants, procedure, , participants, procedure, timing and timing and output output

Facilitating and moderatingFacilitating and moderating:interrupting & :interrupting & encouraging the speakersencouraging the speakers

ControllingControlling (time & agenda) (time & agenda) SummarisingSummarising (what has been said or agreed) (what has been said or agreed) ConcludingConcluding (defining (defining action points action points and and

closing)closing)

ParticipantsParticipants(Attendees)(Attendees)

Participants Participants take part in the take part in the discussiondiscussion

↓↓

giving and seeking opinions, giving and seeking opinions, agreeing, disagreeing, interrupting, agreeing, disagreeing, interrupting, commenting, suggesting, …commenting, suggesting, …giving mini-presentationsgiving mini-presentations

The secretaryThe secretary (?) (?) is responsible for ...is responsible for ...

...recording the......recording the...

names of the participantsnames of the participants topics discussedtopics discussed arguments in favour and against (pros & cons)arguments in favour and against (pros & cons) decisions madedecisions made voting detailsvoting details action points (who, what, when)action points (who, what, when) date, place, time of the next meetingdate, place, time of the next meeting

... and for distributing ... and for distributing the minutesthe minutes within a reasonable within a reasonable timetime

Administrative considerationsAdministrative considerations(Meeting paperwork)(Meeting paperwork)

Writing a Writing a memomemo

Writing the Writing the agendaagenda

Taking the Taking the minutesminutes (writing up the (writing up the minutes)minutes)

LANGUAGE FOCUSLANGUAGE FOCUS expressions typically used in meetings expressions typically used in meetings

(RB)(RB)

downtoning + making suggestionsdowntoning + making suggestions

LANGUAGE FOCUS cont.LANGUAGE FOCUS cont.

Make your point firmly, but politely Make your point firmly, but politely

Downtoning

Making suggestions/proposals

Is this appropriate in Is this appropriate in meetings?meetings?

““Finish the report by tomorrow!”Finish the report by tomorrow!” ““You cannot take a day off!”You cannot take a day off!” ““You must never be late again. Next You must never be late again. Next

time this happens I’ll fire you!”time this happens I’ll fire you!”

Or can we make it sound more Or can we make it sound more polite?polite?

How to make our statements How to make our statements sound less confrontational?sound less confrontational?

“we” / “let’s” (rather than “you”) perhaps / maybe a bit / just / a little / slightly would / could / may / might I’m afraid... Use of “negatives” or “opposites”

to soften the meaning

DowntoningDowntoning

Avoid: “You must reduce the price.” (sounds confrontational)

Use the following: we, let’s, perhaps/maybe, we, let’s, perhaps/maybe, a little/slightly/a bit/, may/might, a little/slightly/a bit/, may/might, could,could,would, it would, it won’t be bad if, I’m won’t be bad if, I’m afraidafraid

Why don’t we …, Let’s …, Why don’t we …, Let’s …, Perhaps …, Maybe … Perhaps …, Maybe …

??

Why don’t we …, Let’s …, Why don’t we …, Let’s …, Perhaps …, Maybe … Perhaps …, Maybe …

“Why don’t we consider reducing the price?”

“Let’s see what happens if the price is reduced.”

“Perhaps we should consider reducing the price.”

“Maybe you could reduce the price.”

a little, slightly, a bit, a little, slightly, a bit, just just

a little, slightly, a bit, a little, slightly, a bit, just just

“The price is a little too high for us.”“The price is slightly too high for us.”“The price is a bit too high for us.”“The price is just too high for us.”

May, might, could, wouldMay, might, could, wouldI wonder if …, It won’t be bad I wonder if …, It won’t be bad if…, I’m afraid…if…, I’m afraid…

May, might, could, wouldMay, might, could, wouldI wonder if …, It won’t be bad I wonder if …, It won’t be bad if…, I’m afraid…if…, I’m afraid…“I wonder if you could reduce the price.”“Would you be prepared to reduce the

price?”“The price may be too high for us.”“The price might be too high for us.”

“It won’t be bad if the price is lower.”“I’m afraid the price is too high for us.”

Making Making suggestions/proposalssuggestions/proposals

Confrontational: “Confrontational: “You’re opposing my idea and youYou’re opposing my idea and you didn’t even read the report???”didn’t even read the report???”

I I adviseadvise you to read the report first. you to read the report first.I I suggestsuggest reading reading the report first.the report first.I suggest I suggest that we should readthat we should read the report first. the report first.I suggest I suggest that we readthat we read the report first. the report first.Why don’t weWhy don’t we read the report first? read the report first?Shall weShall we read the report first? read the report first?

AssignmentAssignment Class assignmentClass assignment: :

Tone down the three statements Tone down the three statements used on slide 10. Use two different used on slide 10. Use two different downtoning devices for each (tot. 6 downtoning devices for each (tot. 6 statements).statements).

““That ‘s a very bad idea.”That ‘s a very bad idea.”

Why don’t we …, Let’s …, Why don’t we …, Let’s …, Perhaps …, Maybe … Perhaps …, Maybe …

??

Why don’t we …, Let’s …, Why don’t we …, Let’s …, Perhaps …, Maybe … Perhaps …, Maybe …

Why don’t we Why don’t we consider another option?consider another option?Let’sLet’s find another solution. find another solution.PerhapsPerhaps we we couldcould discuss another discuss another

possibility.possibility.MaybeMaybe we we could could consider some other consider some other

options.options.

May, might, could, wouldMay, might, could, wouldI wonder if …, It won’t be bad I wonder if …, It won’t be bad if…, I’m afraid…if…, I’m afraid…

May, might, could, wouldMay, might, could, wouldI wonder if …, It won’t be bad I wonder if …, It won’t be bad if…, I’m afraid…if…, I’m afraid…

This idea This idea may have may have some value, but we some value, but we couldcould also discuss other options.also discuss other options.

I wonder if I wonder if we could think of a different way to we could think of a different way to solve the problem.solve the problem.

It won’t be bad if It won’t be bad if we now think of other we now think of other possibilities.possibilities.

I’m afraid I’m afraid this idea this idea may not be may not be the best the best solution for us at the moment.solution for us at the moment.

a little, slightly, a bit, a little, slightly, a bit, just just

a little, slightly, a bit, a little, slightly, a bit, just just

This proposal may be a little too ambitious for us at the moment.

Could we think of a slightly more realistic solution?

This may be a bit complicated for us at the moment.

This solution is coming just too late for us now.

: : we - let’swe - let’s

perhaps - maybe perhaps - maybe a little – slightly - a bit , a little – slightly - a bit ,

may – might – could - would, may – might – could - would, it won’t be bad if, I’m afraidit won’t be bad if, I’m afraid

““Finish the report by tomorrow!”Finish the report by tomorrow!” ““You cannot take a day off!”You cannot take a day off!” ““You must never be late again. Next You must never be late again. Next

time this happens I’ll fire you.”time this happens I’ll fire you.”