Business meetings vary in formality, relationships, roles, and company culture, making it challenging to create a one-size-fits-all worksheet or course. However, English meetings often follow fixed patterns at the beginning and end, making it beneficial to teach these to students participating in meetings. Focusing on starting and ending meetings allows students to engage in roleplays efficiently, providing a sense of accomplishment after each speaking activity.
This article offers tips on presenting and practicing essential language for the initial and final minutes of meetings. Additional activities and resources can be found in this e-book: https://www.usingenglish.com/e-books/teaching-meetings/
What to teach about starting and ending meetings
Key aspects of business meetings include:
- Meeting new and familiar people
- Polite and friendly language (welcoming, thanking, etc)
- Small talk
- Transition phrases
- Handling meeting practicalities
- Introducing meeting topics
- Reaching agreements
- Summarizing discussions
- Discussing future contact
Students need to learn phrases for these steps, considering the level of formality required for internal and external meetings. Cultural differences and common mistakes should also be addressed, such as punctuality, body language, and handling business cards.
How to present and practice starting and ending meetings
Various activities can help students learn and practice starting and ending meetings:
- Starting and Ending Meetings Simplest Responses
- Tips and Useful Phrases
- Starting and Ending Meetings Cultural Differences and Useful Phrases
- Starting and Ending Meetings Good and Bad Responses
- Starting and Ending Meetings Line by Line Brainstorming
- Key Words Card Game
- Functions Card Game
- Disappearing Text games
Intensive practice, problem roleplays, and error correction activities can further enhance students’ skills in starting and ending meetings. These activities help students address common errors and confusion in language usage.
By focusing on essential phrases and cultural nuances, students can effectively engage in English meetings, leading to successful interactions and outcomes.
