Most meetings have an agenda - a list of matters to be discussed in the meeting. When you decide what to talk about in the meeting, you 'set the agenda'. The person in charge of the setting the agenda and running the meeting is the 'chairperson'.
1. Imagine that you are the chairperson in a meeting. It is the start of the meeting and you are telling your colleagues about the items on the agenda. What phrases might you use?
Useful Phrases
ü On the agenda today
ü Okay everybody, thanks for coming
ü Just a couple of things on the agenda
ü If we could go through them in order
ü Right then… let’s get down to business
ü First of all
ü Secondly
ü And finally
ü Let's keep this meeting fairly brief
2. A total of seven words are missing from the dialogues. Try to add the missing words, then listen and check.
I.
Sarah: Right then, Alex, let’s get down business. On the today for our public relations meeting are the research project, the launch of the website, the timeline for press releases, and the secretary of the year award. Are you quite happy those points?
Alex: Yeah, that’s fine. If you could go them in order, that’d be great.
II.
Alex: Okay everybody, thanks for coming. Let's keep this meeting fairly, really just a couple of things on the agenda. First of , as you can see, the news on the book re-launch; and secondly, the office move; and finally, we'll have a little of time for any other business.
Words to be inserted: brief, agenda, to, through, all, bit, with.