MED Magazine

MED Magazine - Issue 23 - October 2004

Top Tips for Business English
Teaching meeting skills: activities
by Rosemary Richey

Introduction

Successful meetings in English involve special vocabulary. These activities will help you learn and practise words and phrases you'll need when chairing or participating in meetings. Use the Macmillan English Dictionary when completing the exercises.

Activity 1

Read this list of do's and don'ts for having good meetings.

Meeting etiquette

One of the keys to successful meetings is to practise good business etiquette. Follow these tips to create a comfortable and productive atmosphere in meetings with colleagues, clients or customers.

Don't

• keep people waiting.

• just be thinking of what you're going to say next.

• interrupt.

• ramble on and dominate the meeting.

Do

• show basic courtesy by arriving to the meeting on time.

• show your good listening skills during the meeting. Be open-minded by listening to all viewpoints.

• let the other participants speak and finish what they have to say. Then offer your opinion either to agree or disagree.

• be concise and clear in expressing your ideas.

Follow these basic tips to enhance the quality of your meetings in a local or international setting.

Activity 2

Look up the underlined words from activity 1 in the dictionary. Write a synonym or short explanation for each.

a	etiquette rules about behaviour in a profession________________________
b	productive _______________________________________________________
c	to interrupt _______________________________________________________
d	to ramble (on) _______________________________________________________
e	to dominate _______________________________________________________
f	courtesy _______________________________________________________
g	open-minded _______________________________________________________
h	participant _______________________________________________________
i	concise _______________________________________________________
j	to enhance _______________________________________________________

Activity 3

Complete these sentences with a word from activity 2. Use the correct form of the word to fit the sentence.

a	We've asked ten people to participate in the meeting.
b	The bank manager runs the meetings in a friendly and ____________ manner.
c	Her constant _______________ were quite rude and irritating to others in the meeting.
d	The financial services manager has a ______________ way of talking, which is difficult to understand.
e	Their flexibility and ____________ made the discussions very enjoyable.

Activity 4

Put these verbs and phrases under agree or disagree. Then write a sentence with each to use in a discussion at a meeting.

to be in agreement	to be of the same opinion
to differ	to go along with
to object	to see eye to eye
to take issue

agree	disagree
to be in agreement

1	I'm in agreement with you on this point.______________________
2	_______________________________________________________
3	_______________________________________________________
4	_______________________________________________________
5	_______________________________________________________
6	_______________________________________________________
7	_______________________________________________________