One of the most common requirements of business English is holding meetings in English. The following sections provide useful language and phrases for conducting meetings and making contributions to a meeting. Meetings generally follow a more or less similar structure and can be divided into the following parts: 1、 IntroductionsOpening the Meeting Welcoming and Introducing Participants Stating the Principal Objectives of a Meeting Giving Apologies for Someone Who is Absent 2、 Reviewing Past BusinessReading the Minutes (notes) of the Last Meeting Dealing with Recent Developments 3、 Beginning the MeetingIntroducing the Agenda Allocating Roles (secretary, participants) Agreeing on the Ground Rules for the Meeting (contributions, timing, decision-making, etc.) 4、 Discussing ItemsIntroducing the First Item on the Agenda Closing an Item Next Item Giving Control to the Next Participant 5、 Finishing the MeetingSummarizing Finishing Up Suggesting and Agreeing on Time, Date and Place for the Next Meeting Thanking Participants for Attending 6、Closing the Meeting The following pages focus on each part of the meeting and the appropriate language for each situation. |