Meeting Essentials

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(2) Meeting Essentials A business English study guide to communicating effectively in meetings. 2nd Edition. Written by James Moss Audio produced & recorded by Paul Meredith Online activities by James Moss. Copyright 2009 Business English Pod Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Published 2008 (2nd Edition 2009). © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com.

(3) Meeting Essentials 2nd Edition Table of Contents (Click a unit title to jump to the start of that unit) 1.. Unit 201 - Introduction. pg 4-5. 2.. Unit 202 – Expressing Opinions. pg 6-14. 3.. Unit 203 – Agreeing. pg 15-24. 4.. Unit 204 – Disagreeing. pg 25-32. 5.. Unit 205 – Making Suggestions. pg 33-39. 6.. Unit 206 – Accepting and Rejecting Suggestions. pg 40-46. 7.. Unit 207 – Clarifying What Was Said. pg 47-56. 8.. Unit 208 – Clarifying What Was Meant. pg 57-65. 9.. Unit 209 – Opening a Meeting. pg 66-74. 10.. Unit 210 – Managing the Discussion. pg 75-84. 11.. Unit 211 – Interrupting and Resisting Interruption. pg 85-95. 12.. Unit 212 – Discussing Problems (Part 1). pg 96-105. 13.. Unit 213 – Discussing Problems (Part 2). pg 106-115. 14.. Unit 214 – Finishing Up and Action Points. pg 116-124. 15.. Example Phrases by Function. pg 125-136. 16.. Audio & Online Activities (Click here to go to the webpage). © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com.

(4) Meeting Essentials This is an e-book brought to you by Business English Pod, the leading provider of on-demand audio and study tools for business English communication skills, on the Web at www.businessenglishpod.com. My name is Clayton and I’ll be your host for this series. Whether you love them or hate them, meetings are part of almost every job. So performing well in meetings is a very important skill. People who can express their opinions, disagree politely, handle the discussion with skill and diplomacy – these kinds of people succeed in their careers and rise to the top in their companies. Meetings come in many types. They include large, formal conferences, like yearend meetings, and small informal discussions, like a quick chat between team leaders and their staff. In this 12-chapter e-book on meeting skills, we will learn useful language for meetings of many different types. The goal is to study all the essentials you need for participating actively in, and, when required, leading and managing the discussion. First we will cover agreeing, disagreeing and expressing opinions in three chapters. The next two parts look at making, accepting, and rejecting suggestions. After that, we’ll handle asking for and giving clarification, in two sections. Finally, in the last four chapters, we’ll look at running a meeting; this includes kicking it off, managing the discussion, dealing with interruptions, and finishing up. In all, this e-book has over four hours of information-packed audio lessons. The accompanying study notes contain a complete transcript of every chapter, vocabulary definitions, extra practice questions, and study strategies. And you can access a wide variety of additional listening and language development exercises on the website, at www.businessenglishpod.com. In each chapter, I will introduce the topic, then I’ll play a dialog that demonstrates the key concepts. Afterwards, in the “debrief” section, I’ll take you through the main points and explain important vocabulary and idioms. For each skill, we’ll learn more phrases that you can use. Then, finally, in the practice section of each debrief, you will have the opportunity to use some of the language you learned. Learners often ask me how to study more efficiently and effectively. I have some suggestions. Listen to each chapter and practice the example phrases multiple times. First listen without the transcript; then, when you have time, go back and listen again with the transcript. Underline and look up words you don’t. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com.

(5) understand. It’s important to study vocabulary in context: Pay attention to collocations, or word partnerships, and words in whole sentences, with their accompanying prepositions and other grammatical characteristics. Do the practice section of each debrief at least a couple times; try substituting different language the second time you practice. Substitution helps you increase your fluency, that is, your ability to say the same thing in many ways. You can also record yourself, write and act out dialogs, and practice together with a learning partner. These and many more strategies are covered in the study notes for each chapter. Meeting Essentials is targeted for intermediate learners at or around the Common European Framework (CEF) level B2. This corresponds to a BULATS score of 3 or higher or an IELTS score of 5 or higher. The materials are designed, however, to be useful to students at a variety of levels: Intermediate learners will focus initially on language development whereas upper-intermediate and more advanced learners can zoom in on skills development, high-level vocabulary, fluency, confidence and enhancement of overall professionalism. Meeting Essentials is an official publication of Business English Pod, Ltd., copyright 2008, all rights reserved.. What’s Included? All Business English Pod e-books come with a variety of study resources to provide learners with maximum flexibility and value. You can access and download all the materials for this e-book on this webpage: http://www.businessenglishpod.com/learningcenter2/ebooks/meeting-essentials/. Each e-book includes the following resources:. Podcasts. Study Notes. MP3 lessons you can download to your computer, MP3 player or mobile phone.. PDF lesson transcripts with extra vocabulary and language exercises.. PhraseCasts. Online Activities. Compact MP3’s featuring the dialog, phrases and speaking practice.. Interactive Flash quizzes, transcripts, exercises and flashcards.. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com.

(6) Meeting Essentials Unit 202 – Expressing Opinions In this Business English Pod episode, we’ll be looking at ways to give and ask for opinions. We’ll be looking both at more formal (or careful) language as well as at more informal (or direct) language. Giving and asking for opinions is a very important part of meetings and discussions of all types. First let’s listen to a more formal situation. We’ll be listening to part of a meeting at DigiSoft, a multinational software company. Sheila, a vice president, is talking to Walt, George and Bruce, three software engineers, about the deadline for the new software release. Release here means launch: That is, bring the product onto the market.. Vocabulary BEP 202a - Formal/Careful Let’s move on to the topic of…: Way of changing to another topic in a formal (or careful) manner. “Ok, let’s move on to the topic of management decentralization.” Release date: Date on which a product appears on the market. “I’m afraid we have to move the release date to April since we’re still fixing some bugs.” Launch: To release a product onto the market. “Last April we launched the new version of our software onto the market.” I tend to feel that...: Way to express your opinion in a formal (or careful) manner. “I tend to feel that we haven’t tested the product enough for it to be released next week.” What’s your reaction to that? Way to encourage others to express their opinion to something in a formal (or careful) manner. “I feel that we should focus more on quality control. What’s your reaction to that Tony?” Well, from my point of view…: Way to express your opinion in a formal (or careful) manner. “Well, from my point of view, the improvement of our customer care services needs to be top priority.” May I come in here? Way to interrupt someone in a formal (or careful) manner. “Excuse me, Sue, may I come in here?” It seems to me that…: Way to express your opinion in a formal (or careful) manner.”It seems to me that staff morale has decreased over the last months.” Bugs: Problems with computer software. “There are a few bugs with the system, so we are going to have to do a slight redesign.” Update engine: A framework that can help developers to keep their software upto-date. “We need to revise the update engine to make sure all the bugs are removed.”. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 6.

(7) businessenglishpod BEP 202b – Informal/Direct What did you think? Way of asking someone about their opinion in an informal manner. “I really liked that our trip to Thailand. What did you think, Joe?” Rub it in: To remind someone on purpose of something that is uncomfortable or painful. “Every time I make a mistake, she just loves to rub it in.” Overtime: Extra hours spent working. “Anything over 40 hours per week is considered working overtime here.” To burn the midnight oil: To work late into the night. “I had to burn the midnight oil to get the product done.”. Dialogs BEP 202a - Formal/Careful Sheila: So, let’s move on to the topic of release date. Gentlemen, when do you think we will be able to launch this product? Walt? Walt: Well, I tend to feel that... we should probably be able to start testing the product in April. That means that if all goes well, we can have a first release in May or June. Sheila: I see. Thank you, Walt. What’s your reaction to that Bruce? Bruce: May or June...Well, from my point of view...that sounds about right. George: Excuse me, may I come in here? I wonder if I could say something. Sheila: Go ahead, George. What would you like to add? George: Well, it seems to me that May is much, much too early. Actually, we are still having some pretty major problems with bugs in the update engine, and I just don’t see how we will be able to... BEP 202b – Informal/Direct Ok, now let’s listen to George, Bruce and Walt walk into the break room right after the meeting. Sheila, their boss, is not here; this is a more informal situation. Bruce: Hey guys, did you see the Chelsea/Liverpool game last night? What did you think, Walt? Quite a game, huh? Chelsea looked pretty good! Walt: You always have to rub it in, don’t you Bruce. You know I’m a Liverpool fan. Bruce: How about you, George? George: Actually, that was one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen. But the way you guys keep telling the boss we can finish the product by May, none of us are going to have time to watch any more football games. We’re all going to be working overtime every night, burning the midnight oil!. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 7.

(8) Meeting Essentials Debrief So now you’ve heard both formal and informal dialogs. Let’s look at the formal conversation. How does Sheila ask for her employees’ opinions? Sheila is in charge. She is the boss and the chairperson of the meeting. One way for her to ask for an employee’s opinion is simply to say his name with a rising intonation or tone. Sheila: ... Gentlemen, when do you think we will be able to launch this product? Walt? Sheila also uses some other ways to ask for her employees’ opinions. All these ways are relatively formal. They signal that this is a formal meeting. She says.. Sheila: I see. Thank you, Walt. What’s your reaction to that, Bruce? And: Sheila: Go ahead, George. What would you like to add? Together with these speakers, try some other formal phrases for asking for an opinion:    . How do you feel about that, Cecilia? Could you please share your thoughts on that, Sam? What’s your view on this, Richard? Tony, what’s your feeling on this?. Now, let’s look at the language Walt, Bruce and George use to express their opinions in a formal situation. Walt says... Walt: Well, I tend to feel that we should be able to start testing the product in April... This language—“I tend to feel that”—shows a careful, formal tone. Walt uses this tone because he is talking to his boss, and perhaps because he is not sure whether or not the others will agree with him. Let’s keep listening. Sheila: I see. Thank you, Walt. What’s your reaction to that, Bruce? Bruce: May or June...Well, from my point of view...that sounds about right. Bruce likewise uses more formal, careful language—“Well, from my point of view.” This makes him sound more polite, since he is talking to his boss. In addition, it gives him time to think. Giving yourself time to think is another reason to use these phrases. How about George? How did he offer his opinion?. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 8.

(9) businessenglishpod George: ... I wonder if I could say something. Sheila: Go ahead, George. What would you like to add? George: Well, it seems to me that May is much, much too early. Think about the ways that George uses to express his opinion—“I wonder if I could say something,” and “Well, it seems to me that....” These ways expression are also quite careful. George has a good reason to be careful, doesn’t he? He disagrees with his colleagues. Now let’s practice some further formal (or careful) phrases for expressing your opinion:   . I have the impression that...he didn’t really want to come. Don’t you think that that’s a little early? I tend to feel it’s a bit too early to start.. Next, let’s turn to the more informal discussion between Walt, Bruce and George. Remember, they are in the break room right after the meeting. Bruce asks George and Walt: Bruce: Hey guys, did you see the Chelsea/Liverpool game last night? What did you think, Walt? Quite a game, huh? Chelsea looked pretty good! This is an informal, relaxed discussion among colleagues. You can tell it’s informal because Bruce uses the informal word “guys” to address George and Walt. Also, he says “What do you think?” This is an informal way to ask for an opinion. Walt says: Walt: You always have to rub it in, don’t you Bruce. You know I’m a Liverpool fan. “To rub something in” is an idiom. It means to remind someone on purpose of something that is uncomfortable or painful. Here, it is done as a joke. It sounds like Walt is a Liverpool fan and he is unhappy because Chelsea won the game. Let’s keep listening. Bruce: How about you, George? George: Actually, that was one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen. “How about you?” is another direct way to ask for an opinion. Next, notice how George starts his sentence with “actually.” “Actually” is a direct or informal way to state an opinion. It shows us that George has something new or surprising to say. With George, practice more direct ways to state an opinion:    . The point is...we’re doing very well in this market. The way I see it, we’re heading for trouble. Obviously, there’s only one choice. Basically, I think we have two options.. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 9.

(10) Meeting Essentials Finally, let’s listen to the end of the dialog again. Bruce: How about you, George? George: Actually, that was one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen. But the way you guys keep telling the boss we can finish the product by May, none of us are going to have time to watch any more football games. George means that if Bruce and Walt keep telling the boss that they can meet the May deadline, everyone is going to have to work very hard; in fact, they are going to have to work so hard that they won’t have time to watch any football games. Listen to some more examples of this sentence pattern: The way you are always looking at her, she’s going to think you have fallen in love with her. This means, “Because you are looking at her very often, she will think that you have fallen in love with her.” The way we are working, we’re never going to finish the project in time. This means, “If we keep working this slowly, we will not be able to finish the project on time.” One last time, let’s listen to the final part of the dialog again. George: ... We’re all going to be working overtime every night, burning the midnight oil! “To burn the midnight oil” is an idiom. It means to work hard, or to work late into the night, until past midnight. Because it is dark, you have to burn a candle or a light, thus you have to burn the midnight oil. Now, let’s practice what we’ve learned today. First, we’ll try using the formal phrases we learned today for expressing an opinion. Imagine you are leading a meeting at your company. In the prompt, you’ll hear the name of one of your employees, and a topic. After the beep, use some of the phrases you have learned today to ask for his or her opinion about that topic. For example, if you hear, “Sheila, stock price” you can say, “How do you feel about the stock price, Sheila?” Let’s give it a try. 1) Prompt: “George, new product launch” Learner: 2) Prompt: “Jenny, sales performance” Learner: 3) Prompt: “Max, employee turnover issue” Learner: © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 10.

(11) businessenglishpod Now, listen to some possible answers. 1) Prompt: “George, new product launch” Learner: Could you please share your thoughts on the new product launch, George? 2) Prompt: “Jenny, sales performance” Learner: Jenny – what’s your view on the sales performance. 3) Prompt: “Max, employee turnover issue” Learner: Max, what are your feelings on the employee turnover issue? Good, now let’s practice giving an opinion. Imagine you work at DigiSoft and you are attending a meeting with you manager, Pat. First you’ll hear a prompt telling you whether you should be formal and careful, or informal and direct. Then, Pat will ask a question. After the beep, respond appropriately with your own opinion. You should make up any details you need. 1) Prompt: Careful, formal. Pat: So, do you think we should release the product this month? Learner: 2) Prompt: Careful, formal. Pat: What do you think of our customer’s new product? Learner: 3) Prompt: Direct, informal. Pat: So what should we do to increase sales? Learner:. Now, listen to some example answers. Of course, your answers will be different. These are just provided for reference. 1) Prompt: Careful, formal. Pat: So, do you think we should release the product this month? Learner: Hmmm. Don’t you think that’s a little early? I tend to think we should release it next month. 2) Prompt: Careful, formal. Pat: What do you think of our customer’s new product? Learner: Well, I have the impression that it’s a very good product. 3) Prompt: Direct, informal. Pat: So what should we do to increase sales? Learner: The way I see it, we should be advertising in more places.. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 11.

(12) Meeting Essentials How did you do? To increase fluency, try substituting different language when you practice again. That concludes this episode. We’ve practiced formal and informal ways of giving and asking for opinions. In the next chapter, we will be looking at ways of agreeing and disagreeing in meetings and discussions.. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 12.

(13) businessenglishpod Language Review A. Jumbled Sentences Rearrange the jumbled sentences to make phrases you can use to ask or state an opinion: 1) what’s that reaction to your Bruce 2) Simon comments any 3) the impression I have that 4) as I am concerned as far 5) my view of point from. B. Review of Key Language To review important language and phrases, fill in the blanks with language from the box. Then, in the space provided after each sentence, indicate whether it is for ASKING for an opinion for EXPRESSING an opinion. If it is the later, indicate whether it is FORMAL (careful/indirect) or INFORMAL (direct). The first one has been done for you. don’t. point share. impression. views obviously. way tend. basically. feelings. 1) How do you ___feel___ about that, Cecilia? __Asking__ 2) Could you please _________ your thoughts on that, Sarah? _________ 3) What’s your __________ on this, Richard? ___________ 4) Frank, what’s your ____________ on this? __________ 5) I have the __________ that...he didn’t really want to come. ___________ 6) ___________ you think that that’s a little early. ___________ 7) I ___________ to feel it’s a bit too early to start. ___________ 8) The ___________ is...we’re doing very well in this market. ___________ 9) The ___________ I see it, we’re heading for trouble. ___________ 10). ______________, there’s only one choice. ___________. 11). _____________, I think we have two options. ___________. Study Strategy What topics do you like to talk about? Sports? Stock market? Culture? Film? Write down five questions that you find interesting, then practice answering them. You can also practice role playing with a friend. Make a conscious effort to use the phrases we’ve practiced in this episode.. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 13.

(14) Meeting Essentials Answers Language Review A. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5). Jumbled sentences What’s your reaction to that Bruce? Any comments, Simon? My impression is that … As far as I am concerned … From my point of view …. B. Review of Key Language 1-4 are ASKING for an opinion; 4-7 are FORMAL (careful/indirect) phrases for EXPRESSING an opinion; 8-11 are INFORMAL (direct) phrases for EXPRESSING an opinion. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11). How do you feel about that, Cecilia? Could you please share your thoughts on that, Sam? What’s your view on this, Richard? Tony, what’s your feeling on this? I have the impression that...he didn’t really want to come. Don’t you think that that’s a little early. I tend to feel it’s a bit too early to start. The point is...we’re doing very well in this market. The way I see it, we’re heading for trouble. Obviously, there’s only one choice Basically, I think we have two options.. Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the online practice:. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 14.

(15) businessenglishpod Unit 203 - Agreeing Welcome back to Business English Pod! Today’s episode is the first part in a two-part series looking at agreeing and disagreeing. In these two episodes, we’ll be practicing different levels of agreement and disagreement, from weak to strong. Appropriate agreement and disagreement is an important part of all meetings and discussions. In this podcast we focus on agreement. In the second show, we’ll look at disagreement. Today’s listening is from a meeting in the R&D department of PharmaTek, a pharmaceutical company. Pharmaceutical means medicine (or drug). This meeting is between Gene, the head scientist, and Louis and Carina, two researchers. They are talking about the results of a new trial. Here, “trial” means “test”—the test of a new medicine on animals or patients. The new medicine is called Zorax. What language do the speakers use to agree with each other? Let’s listen.. Dialog Gene: So, what do you think about the new Zorax trial? This could be the drug we’ve all been waiting for. I think it’s going to be a big seller. Louis: So do I. Carina: I’m sorry, but I really can’t agree. After all, so far we’ve only carried out two trials. And don’t forget the strange results from the first trial. Louis: Yes, I admit, the first trial was a little disappointing; but that doesn’t take anything away from these new results. Absolutely amazing! Gene: Yes, fantastic, aren’t they? Louis: Especially for men over 60. Carina: Don’t you think it’s still a little early to be so sure? Perhaps we shouldn’t count our chickens before they’re hatched. I still think there may still be some issues with Zorax. Gene: Do you really think so? Anyway, we don’t have anything else coming down the pipeline right now. We have to try to make this work. Carina: Yes, of course, but our patients come first. Gene: The patients always come first. We won’t forget that. Now, Carina, let’s talk about these issues one by one... © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 15.

(16) Meeting Essentials Vocabulary (To be a) big seller: A product that sells very well. “In a year’s time, the majority of our revenue could come from sales of this new product, so it’s fair to say that it’s a big seller.” (To carry out/conduct a) trial: In the pharmaceutical or medicine industry, this refers to trying out a new medicine or drug on animals and, later, human beings. “This chemical looks promising, but we need to conduct human trials to be sure.” Amazing: In slang/informal use, this just means very, very good. “My trip to Brazil last week was amazing! I really could’ve stayed there some more days.” Fantastic: In slang/informal use, this means very, very good (like “amazing” above). “We had a fantastic time last night at our Christmas party – you should have come!” To count one’s chickens before they’ve (they’re) hatched: Idiom. This saying criticizes the attitude of counting on something before it has been confirmed. “I know that we have a lot of possible new contracts, but we shouldn’t count our chickens before they’ve hatched. We need to be more conservative in our earnings estimates for the new year.” (To have/to be) an/some issue(s): In many industries, this is jargon (industry language) for having a problem. “Issue” sounds less serious and more positive than “problem.” “We’re having some issues with the new software, but nothing that can’t be solved before the product launch in two months.” To be coming down the pipeline: Idiom. Refers to something in the future (usually a product or a new project) that is still in the planning stages. “As for next year, we have several projects coming down the pipeline that might interest you.” To come first: To be the priority. “Our sales team should come first next year when we upgrade computers – they really need new laptops.” One-by-one: One at a time. “Let’s deal one-by-one with the problems you raised.”. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 16.

(17) businessenglishpod Debrief Okay, now, let’s look at ways to agree. Remember, Louis agrees with Gene about the trial. Gene: So, what do you think about the new Zorax trial? This could be the drug we’ve all been waiting for. I think it’s going to be a big seller. Louis: So do I. Here, the short answer, “so do I” means “I think so too.” This is a common way to show agreement. The agreement is strong. Here are some more examples. A: I hate working in the evening. B: So do I. Here, “so do I” means “I hate working in the evening too.” You can also say “I do too.” A: I hate working in the evening. B: I do too. In negative sentences, you can also say “I don’t either,” “neither do I,” or “nor do I.” “Nor” sounds more formal than “neither.” A: I don’t like tomatoes. B: I don’t either. A: I don’t have time this weekend. B: Neither do I. A: We don’t want to lose this deal. B: Nor do we. In short answers, sometimes you need to use modal verbs (such as will, can, should, would and so on). A: We won’t do that. B: Neither will we. A: We can wait two more weeks. B: So can we. In addition to short answers, there are other ways to agree. For example, you can use a standard phrase. Let’s look at some standard phrases for agreeing.      . I entirely agree with you. You’re quite right. I couldn’t agree more. That’s exactly how I see it. That’s just how I feel. That’s exactly how I feel about it.. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 17.

(18) Meeting Essentials  . Exactly! Absolutely!. Another way to agree is to use a synonym. Synonym means a word with the same meaning. For example “amazing” and “fantastic” are synonyms. Listen again. Louis: Yes, I admit, the first trial was a little disappointing; but that doesn’t take anything away from these new results. Absolutely amazing. Gene: Yes, fantastic, aren’t they? Here are some more words that mean very, very good.    . Terrific! Wonderful! Splendid! Marvelous!. And here are some words that mean very, very bad.  Awful.  Terrible.  Pathetic.  Miserable. Listen to another example. A: That was just a miserable day. B: Yes, awful, wasn’t it? A: Totally pathetic. Ok, so far, we’ve looked at two ways to agree: You can use a standard phrase, or you can use a synonym. Another way to agree is to use an example. Louis uses this way to agree with Gene. Let’s listen again. Louis: Yes, I admit, the first trial was a little disappointing; but that doesn’t take anything away from these new results. Absolutely amazing. Gene: Yes, fantastic, aren’t they? Louis: Especially for men over 60. “Especially for men over 60” is an example: an example of the amazing results. This is agreeing by using an example. Let’s practice some more examples of agreeing this in way. A: This food is great. B: Especially the chicken! A: Michael Ballack looked great last night. B: Especially the way he passed the ball. That was amazing!. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 18.

(19) businessenglishpod Finally, we’ll look at one more way of agreeing—agreeing by making a general comment. Listen to Gene agree with Carina. Gene: ...We have to try to make this work. Carina: Yes, of course, but our patients come first. Gene: The patients always come first. We won’t forget that. “The patients always come first” is a general comment that shows agreement with Carina. Let’s listen to another example of using a general comment to agree. A: Chinese food is delicious. B: Yes, all Asian food is. Great! Now you’ve learned several appropriate ways to agree in a meeting or discussion. Before we end the podcast today, let’s look at a couple idioms that are used in the dialog. Listen to the end of the dialog. Carina: Perhaps we shouldn’t count our chickens before they’re hatched. I still think there may still be some issues with Zorax. Carina says the company shouldn’t “count its chickens before they’re hatched.” “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched” is an idiom (or proverb). The verb “to hatch” means to come out of an egg. When a baby chicken comes out of the egg, we say the “chicken hatches.” In this idiom, the eggs represent potential (or possible) profit: We shouldn’t count it until we’re sure of it. There’s also another idiomatic expression in Carina’s speech: “I still think there may still be some issues with Zorax.” She says there may be “issues” with Zorax. In business, “issues” means problems. So Carina means that there may be problems with Zorax. How does Gene respond? Listen again. Carina: Perhaps we shouldn’t count our chickens before they’re hatched. I still think there may still be some issues with Zorax. Gene: Do you really think so? Anyway, we don’t have anything else coming down the pipeline right now. We have to try to make this work. Gene says the company “doesn’t have any more products coming down the pipeline right now.” This is another idiom. Pipeline means pipe; water travels through pipes to get to your office or house. If there are no more products coming down the pipeline, that means there are no more new products coming out of R&D. We can also use this idiom to talk about business, projects and so on. For example, A: How does next year look for us? B: Don’t worry. There’s a lot of business coming down the pipeline.. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 19.

(20) Meeting Essentials Now it’s your turn. First, let’s practice agreeing with short statements such as “so do I,” “I do too,” “neither do we,” and so on. You’ll hear a series of comments. After the beep, agree appropriately with each comment by using a short statement. Are you ready? Cue 1: I love chocolate. Learner: Cue 2: I don’t really like working overtime. Learner: Cue 3: We’re going on holiday in March. Learner: Cue 4: We’re not going to hire any new employees next year. Learner: How did you do? Listen to some example answers. Cue 1: I love chocolate. Answer: So do I. Cue 2: I don’t really like working overtime. Answer: Neither do I. Cue 3: We’re going on holiday in March. Answer: So are we! Cue 4: We’re not going to hire any new employees next year. Answer: Nor are we. Now, let’s practice using standard phrases to agree. Standard phrases include, “I entirely agree with you,” or “You’re quite right,” or “I couldn’t agree more,” and so on. After each beep, use a standard phrase to agree. When appropriate, you may also wish to use expressions that mean very good, like, “Yes, terrific isn’t it?” or expressions that mean very bad, like, “I know – it’s awful, isn’t it?” Let’s begin. Cue 1: It’s time to stop investing in the stock market and put your money in something safer. Learner: Cue 2: Wow, it was a really hard day. Learner: Cue 3: Well, I really think we can expect good things from the new employee. Learner: Cue 4: That meeting was great! What a success! Learner: © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 20.

(21) businessenglishpod How did you do? Here are some example answers so you can check. Cue 1: It’s time to stop investing in the American stock market and put your money in something safer. Answer: That’s exactly how I see it. Cue 2: Wow, it was a really hard day. Answer: Yes, terrible, wasn’t it? Cue 3: Well, I really think we can expect good things from the new employee. Answer: That’s just how I feel. Cue 4: That meeting was great! What a success! Answer: Yes, wonderful, wasn’t it? Remember it’s always a good idea to go back and try the practice again. Substitute different language to build up fluency. Well, that’s about all. We’ve looked at many different ways of appropriately agreeing, as we as some useful idioms. In the next chapter coming down the pipeline, we’ll be looking closely at different ways to express agreement. Thanks for listening!. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 21.

(22) Meeting Essentials Language Review A. Short Answer and Standard Phrases Part 1: To review short answers for agreeing, match the responses on the right with the dialogs on the left. 1). I don’t have time this weekend.. a). Nor do we.. 2). We don’t want to lose this deal.. b). Neither do I.. 3). We can wait two more weeks.. c). I do too.. 4). I hate working in the evening.. d). So can we.. B: To review common phrases, put the following jumbled sentences in order: 1) entirely I 2) quite 3) ’t. I. you. 6) how. you. right. ’re. more. 4) exactly 5) how. agree. agree. that. just. exactly. couldn. how. that. I. I ’s. with. see. feel it. I. it ’s. ’s feel. about. that. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 22.

(23) businessenglishpod B. Agreeing with Examples. To practice agreeing by giving examples, fill in the blanks with the words from the box. Then, match the statements on the left with the responses on the right. Take note of key language for giving examples, such as, "Just have/take a look at...," "Just look at...," "Take thix xx, for example," etc. take. example. look. instance. especially. 1). This food is great.. a) Yeah. Just ______ at Fred -- he hasn't made a sale in months.. 2). Michael Ballack looked great last night.. b) ________ the chicken!. 3). The food is great, isn't it?. 4). Africa is a big place.. c) Yes, ________ just Sudan alone -slightly more than a quarter the size of the US! d) Yes! Take this pizza, for _________. Delicious!. 5). A lot of the younger guys in the sales department just can't keep up. Chinese food is delicious.. e) For ________ the way he passed the ball. That was amazing!. Learning work.. g) Yes, all Asian food is.. 6) 7). Spanish. is. hard. f) Learning any language is difficult.. Study Strategy Take any of the short exchanges in exercise A or B above and develop it into a full dialog. You can either do this by role playing with a friend, or by actually writing out the dialog. As you practice, be sure to use the different strategies we’ve studied for agreeing.. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 23.

(24) Meeting Essentials Answers A. Short Answers and Standard Phrases Part 1: Short Answers 1). I don’t have time this weekend.. Neither do I. (b). 2). We don’t want to lose this deal.. Nor do we. (a). 3). We can wait two more weeks.. So can we. (d). 4). I hate working in the evening.. I do too. (c). Part 2: Standard phrases 1) I entirely agree with you. 2) You’re quite right. 3) I couldn’t agree more. 4) That’s exactly how I see it. 5) That’s just how I feel. 6) That’s exactly how I feel about it. B. 1). This food is great.. Especially the chicken! (b). 3). Michael Ballack looked great last night. The food is great, isn't it?. For example the way he passed the ball. That was amazing! (e) Yes! Take this pizza, for instance. Delicious! (d). 4). Africa is a big place.. Yes, take just Sudan alone -- slightly more than a quarter the size of the US! (c). 5). A lot of the younger guys in the sales department just can't keep up.. Yeah. Just look at Fred – he hasn't made a sale in months. (a). 6). Chinese food is delicious.. Yes, all Asian food is. (g). 7). Learning Spanish is hard work.. Learning any language is difficult. (f). 2). Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the online practice:. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 24.

(25) businessenglishpod Unit 204 – Disagreeing In the previous episode of this two-part series, we looked at expressing agreement. We practiced four ways of agreeing: Using standard phrases, using synonyms, giving an example and making a general comment. Today, we’re going to focus on disagreement. We’ll learn different ways to disagree, from polite to strong. Appropriate expression of agreement and disagreement is an important part of all meetings and discussions. As you’ll remember, the listening takes place in the R&D department of PharmaTek, a pharmaceutical company. Pharmaceutical means medicine (or drug). This meeting is between Gene, the head scientist, and Louis and Carina, two researchers. They are talking about the results of a new trial. Here, “trial” means “test”—the test of a new medicine on animals or patients. The new medicine is called Zorax. Let’s listen.. Dialog Gene: So, what do you think about the new Zorax trial? This could be the drug we’ve all been waiting for. I think it’s going to be a big seller. Louis: So do I. Carina: I’m sorry, but I really can’t agree. After all, so far we’ve only carried out two trials. And don’t forget the strange results from the first trial. Louis: Yes, I admit, the first trial was a little disappointing; but that doesn’t take anything away from these new results. Absolutely amazing! Gene: Yes, fantastic, aren’t they? Louis: Especially for men over 60. Carina: Don’t you think it’s still a little early to be so sure? Perhaps we shouldn’t count our chickens before they’re hatched. I still think there may still be some issues with Zorax. Gene: Do you really think so? Anyway, we don’t have anything else coming down the pipeline right now. We have to try to make this work. Carina: Yes, of course, but our patients come first. Gene: The patients always come first. We won’t forget that. Now, Carina, let’s talk about these issues one by one.... © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 25.

(26) Meeting Essentials Vocabulary (To be a) big seller: A product that sells very well. “In a year’s time, the majority of our revenue could come from sales of this new product, so it’s fair to say that it’s a big seller.” (To carry out/conduct a) trial: In the pharmaceutical or medicine industry, this refers to trying out a new medicine or drug on animals and, later, human beings. “This chemical looks promising, but we need to conduct human trials to be sure.” Amazing: In slang/informal use, this just means very, very good. “My trip to Brazil last week was amazing! I really could’ve stayed there some more days.” Fantastic: In slang/informal use, this means very, very good (like “amazing” above). “We had a fantastic time last night at our Christmas party – you should have come!” To count one’s chickens before they’ve (they’re) hatched: Idiom. This saying criticizes the attitude of counting on something before it has been confirmed. “I know that we have a lot of possible new contracts, but we shouldn’t count our chickens before they’ve hatched. We need to be more conservative in our earnings estimates for the new year.” (To have/to be) an/some issue(s): In many industries, this is jargon (industry language) for having a problem. “Issue” sounds less serious and more positive than “problem.” “We’re having some issues with the new software, but nothing that can’t be solved before the product launch in two months.” To be coming down the pipeline: Idiom. Refers to something in the future (usually a product or a new project) that is still in the planning stages. “As for next year, we have several projects coming down the pipeline that might interest you.” To come first: To be the priority. “Our sales team should come first next year when we upgrade computers – they really need new laptops.” One-by-one: One at a time. “Let’s deal one-by-one with the problems you raised.”. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 26.

(27) businessenglishpod Debrief As with agreeing, you can use standard phrases to disagree. Carina uses a standard phrase when she disagrees with Gene and Louis. Carina: I’m sorry, but I really can’t agree. After all, so far we’ve only carried out two trials. And don’t forget the strange results from the first trial. “I’m sorry, but I really can’t agree” is a formal (or careful) phrase for disagreeing. Perhaps Carina is being careful because she is talking to her boss, Gene, the head scientist. Let’s listen to some more polite phrases that Carina could use.     . Well, I am not so sure about that, to be honest. Well, I don’t know. Well, it depends. I don’t really agree, I’m afraid. I’m afraid I don’t totally agree with that.. There are also many informal (or direct) phrases for disagreeing. But be careful. They are very strong.      . I disagree. I couldn’t disagree more. I totally disagree. You must be joking! Come off it! Get real!. Another way to disagree is to use “Yes, but...” Listen to Louis. Louis: Yes, I admit, the first trial was a little disappointing; but that doesn’t take anything away from these new results. Absolutely amazing. Let’s practice some more examples of the “Yes, but...” technique: A: I just didn’t think it was a very good presentation—not fluent, you know what I mean? B: Yes, but at least he was well prepared. A: Our price is too high. We have to improve sales. B: Yes—sales are important; but we can’t lower our price. To make these sentences even more polite (or careful), you can use “though” or “although” to put your disagreement at the beginning of the sentence; then, finish the sentence with a little bit of agreement. A: I just didn’t think it was a very good presentation—not fluent, you know what I mean? B: Mmmm... Although I thought he was pretty well prepared, he wasn’t very fluent, you’re right about that.. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 27.

(28) Meeting Essentials A: Our price is too high. We have to improve sales. B: Mmm...Although I really don’t think we can lower our price, I totally agree that we have to do something to improve sales. In addition to standard phrases and “Yes, but...,” there are more ways to disagree. Let’s look back at the dialog again. Louis: ...Absolutely amazing. Gene: Yes, fantastic, aren’t they? Louis: Especially for men over 60. Carina: Don’t you think it’s still a little early to be so sure? This is using a negative question—“Don’t you think...?”—to disagree. It sounds careful and polite, doesn’t it? Listen to another example. A: Wow, that was a great movie. B: But don’t you think it was just a little too long? Besides negative questions, you can also use other types of questions to disagree. Do you remember how Gene disagrees with Carina at the end of the dialog? Carina: ...I still think there may still be some issues with Zorax. Gene: Do you really think so? By asking a question—“Do you really think so?”—Gene shows that he disagrees with Carina. We often use “really?” this way. A: It’s almost time to go home. B: Really? But we just got here. Now it’s your turn to practice. First we’ll review formal and informal phrases for disagreement. In a moment, you’ll hear a series of comments, each followed by a beep. After each beep, use a standard phrase to disagree. A cue will tell you whether to be careful (that is, formal) or direct (that is, informal). Remember, careful phrases include “Well, I am not so sure about that, to be honest,” and, “Well, it depends.” Direct phrases include, “I disagree,” or “I totally disagree!” Are you ready? Let’s try it. Cue 1: Careful – “I just don’t think it’s a good idea to sell the company.” Learner: Cue 2: Direct – “Having money is more important than having free time.” Learner:. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 28.

(29) businessenglishpod Cue 3: Careful – “We should delay the launch date for the new product.” Learner: Cue 4: Direct – “Outsourcing HR is a great idea.” Learner: How did you do? Listen to some example answers to check. Cue 1: Careful – “I just don’t think it’s a good idea to sell the company.” Answer: Well, I don’t know. Cue 2: Direct – “Having money is more important than having free time. Answer: I couldn’t disagree more. Cue 3: Careful – “We should delay the launch date for the new product.” Answer: I’m afraid I don’t totally agree with that. Cue 4: Direct – “Outsourcing HR is a great idea.” Answer: You must be joking? Keep in mind that “You must be joking!” along with such expressions as “Come off it!” and “Get real!” are very strong and direct; they may be quite offensive in some situations. Now, let’s another skill: We’re going to review the “yes, but” method of disagreement. For example, if you hear, “The economy is bad, so we should be careful,” you can say something like, “Yes, the economy is bad, but our performance is still very good.” Are you ready? Cue 1: Our products are very competitive, so it’s time to enter a new market. Learner:. Cue 2: We are lacking people with management experience, so we need to recruit from outside. Learner:. Cue 3: It’s hard to lower construction costs when the cost of steel is so high. Learner:. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 29.

(30) Meeting Essentials How did it go? Listen to some example answers to check: Cue 1: Our products are very competitive, so it’s time to enter a new market. Answer: Yes, our products are competitive, but the market is also very competitive. Cue 2: We are lacking people with management experience, so we need to recruit from outside. Answer: Yes, our people lack experience, but they can be trained. Cue 3: It’s hard to lower construction costs when the cost of steel is so high. Answer: Yes, the oil price of steel is high, but perhaps we can find better suppliers. That’s all for this chapter. We’ve studied several ways of disagreeing: using standard phrases, using “yes, but...,” using negative questions (“Don’t you think...?”) and using other types of questions (“Do you really think so?”...”Really?”). Be sure to try the online exercises at www.businessenglishpod.com. There you’ll find quizzes, vocabulary practice, and a variety of language and listening exercises for each chapter. Thank you for listening.. Study Strategy For further practice, you can develop each sentence into a dialog with further instances of agreement and disagreement. Write out your dialog, then perform it with a friend. You may wish to record it as well, then play back the recording to see how you sound.. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 30.

(31) businessenglishpod Language Review A. Standard Phrases To practice standard language for disagreeing, select the most appropriate response for each blank from the box. As you do the exercise, observe the differences between formal/careful/weak language and informal/direct/strong language. As you do the exercise, note which of the phrases are more formal and which are more informal. depends know 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11). disagree more real sure. disagree totally. off joking. agree. Well, I am not so __________ about that, to be honest. Well, I don’t ___________ . Well, it __________. I don’t really __________ , I’m afraid. I’m afraid I don’t __________ agree with that. I __________. I couldn’t disagree ________. I totally __________. You must be __________! Come __________ it! Get __________!. B. Disagreeing with Questions and with “Yes…, but…” To practice disagreeing by using the "Yes..., but..." technique and by asking questions, match the statements on the left with the responses on the right. 1). Our price is too high. We have to improve sales.. a). Mmm... Although I thought he was pretty well prepared, he wasn’t very fluent, you’re right about that.. 2). Our products are very competitive, so it’s time to enter a new market.. b). Yes—sales are important; but we can’t lower our price.. 3). I just didn’t think it was a very good presentation—not fluent, you know what I mean?. c). Yes, our people lack experience, but they can be trained.. 4). We are lacking people with management experience, so we need to recruit from outside.. d). Yes, our products are competitive, but the market is also very competitive.. 5). Wow, that was a great movie.. e). Really? But we just got here.. 6). It’s almost time to go home.. f). Don’t you think it was just a little too long?. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 31.

(32) Meeting Essentials Answers A. Standard Phrases 1) Well, I am not so sure about that, to be honest. 2) Well, I don’t know. 3) Well, it depends. 4) I don’t really agree, I’m afraid. 5) I’m afraid I don’t totally agree with that. 6) I disagree. 7) I couldn’t disagree more. 8) I totally disagree. 9) You must be joking! 10) Come off it! 11) Get real! B. Disagreeing with Questions and with “Yes…, but…” 1). Our price is too high. We have to improve sales.. Yes—sales are important; but we can’t lower our price. (b). 2). Our products are very competitive, so it’s time to enter a new market.. Yes, our products are competitive, but the market is also very competitive. (d). 3). I just didn’t think it was a very good presentation—not fluent, you know what I mean?. Mmmm... Although I thought he was pretty well prepared, he wasn’t very fluent, you’re right about that. (a). 4). We are lacking people with management experience, so we need to recruit from outside.. Yes, our people lack experience, but they can be trained. (c). 5). Wow, that was a great movie.. 6). It’s almost time to go home.. Don’t you think it was just a little too long? (f) Really? But we just got here. (e). Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the online practice:. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 32.

(33) businessenglishpod Unit 205 - Making Suggestions Today’s show is part of a two-part series on making, rejecting and accepting suggestions. Reject means to say no. And accept means to say yes. Making, rejecting and accepting suggestions appropriately is an important part of meetings and discussions of all types. In this episode, we’re focusing on making suggestions. Next time, we’ll look at accepting and rejecting suggestions. This dialog takes place at a sports shoe company called Stratos. You’ll be listening to Karen, a marketing manager, meet with three members of her team, Charles, Sven and Miguel. They are choosing a celebrity spokesperson for a new product. Celebrity means a famous person. Here, spokesperson is someone who gets paid to be in an advertisement for a product. In the dialog, “target market” is the place where you want to sell your product. And “target consumer” is the type of customer you want to sell your product to. In this case, the product is a special kind of new sports shoe made especially for overweight people. Overweight is a nice way of saying too heavy or not fit. Okay, let’s listen. As you listen, pay attention to the language the speakers use to make suggestions to each other.. Vocabulary Spokesperson: Someone hired to represent a company. A famous spokesperson – usually an athlete or movie star – is someone who advertises a product. “Nike usually gets famous spokespersons to sponsor their products.” To go around the table: To hear everybody’s opinion one at a time. “Let’s go around the table to see if we all agree.” Overweight: Adjective. A polite way to say someone is not slim. “Overweight can have a range of meanings from slightly fat to very fat.” Fit: Adjective. 1) To be slim and healthy. “I really want to get fit in the new year, so I went on a diet and I’m exercising every day.” 2) To be suitable for something. “He’s not fit to manage the company.” If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it: Idiom. Also, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” (American slang). It criticizes the approach of always trying to improve things that are okay. “Look, let’s stop looking for things to change and just release the product on time – If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” Target market: The market one is trying to sell something to. “The target market for this new kind of sports car is urban professionals with an income over 80,000 euros per year.” Target customer: Similar to target market, but target customer refers to a specific group of customers you are trying to sell something to. “Our target customers are women in their early 30s with children.” Agile: Adjective. Able to move flexibly and quickly. “What makes her such a great sports star is her amazing agility.” “In this business environment, only agile companies with the ability to make quick decisions will succeed.” To kill two birds with one stone: Idiom. To get two things done at once. “We can kill two birds with one stone by improving our training system - the number of staff who leave the company will decrease and our sales will improve.”. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 33.

(34) Meeting Essentials Dialog Karen: Okay. Now, let’s talk about who we want to use as a spokesperson for this product. Let’s go around the table. Shall we use a sports star? Or someone else? Sven—what do you think? Sven: Well, one possibility would be to use a famous overweight business executive or CEO—someone who is really successful. Miguel: Sorry, can I come in here? Karen: Yes, go ahead, Miguel. Miguel: That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure it would work. Karen: Why not? Miguel: Well, for one thing, customers want to be fit, not fat.. our. Karen: Well, then what do you suggest? Miguel: Perhaps we should just use a famous sports star like we usually do. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it, you know what I mean? We could try getting Rooney, or Nadal. Karen: Good suggestion. But I can see one or two problems with that, to be honest. Miguel: Oh? Karen: First off, our target markets are the UK and the U.S. We need someone who both Americans and Britons really like. Secondly, our target customer is kind of special... Charles: I’ve got a suggestion. Karen: Go ahead, Charles. Charles: It’s just an idea, but how about choosing someone from a sport where it’s normal to be heavy. American football, for example. Heavy, but agile; overweight, but strong and fast. You know what I mean? Karen: Right, I can see what you mean. What do others think? Miguel: Yes, that might be worth trying. Sven: Okay, but what about the UK? Who are we going to use on this side of the Atlantic? Karen: Hmmm... let me think about this. Shall we try to find someone in golf? That’s popular in the U.S. and in the UK. That way, we can kill two birds with one stone. Everybody (chorus): That’s not a bad idea! Good idea! Yes, I think that’s worth trying.. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 34.

(35) businessenglishpod Debrief Karen’s team has a lot of ideas. What language do they use to make their suggestions? First, listen to Sven. Sven: Well, one possibility would be to use a famous overweight business executive or CEO—someone who is really successful. How does Sven make his suggestion? He says, “One possibility would be to...” Instead of “will,” he uses “would.” The use of “would” here means it is just a suggestion. Past modal verbs (should, could, might would) are often used like this in suggestions. Now, listen to Miguel make a suggestion. Miguel: Perhaps we should just use a famous sports star like we usually do. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it, you know what I mean? “Perhaps we should...” is another polite way of making a suggestion. Notice the use of “just”: “Perhaps we should just use a famous sports star....” This shows that what he is suggesting is no change from the normal way of doing things. That’s why he says, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” This is an idiom. It means, don’t change something if it is already working fine. In informal American oral English, you can say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So, so far we have two ways of making suggestions: One possibility would be to... And: Perhaps we should... Now, let’s look at a couple more ways to make suggestions. Listen to Charles. Charles: I’ve got a suggestion. Karen: Go ahead, Charles. Charles: It’s just an idea, but how about choosing someone from a sport where it’s normal to be heavy. First Charles shows that he has a suggestion: I’ve got a suggestion. Then, since he is talking to his boss (and perhaps since he is not sure everyone will agree with him), he uses a careful, polite way to introduce the suggestion: “It’s just an idea, but how about...” “How about” is a normal way of making a suggestion. “It’s just an idea, but...” makes it extra polite. Instead of “how about,” you can also say “what about.” “How about” and “what about” are followed by a verb +ing. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 35.

(36) Meeting Essentials How about washing the dishes? . It’s just an idea, but what about eating lunch together?. These are sometimes followed by a phrase (or sentence.) This is more common with “how about”: How about you wash the dishes and I dry? How about we have lunch together? Finally, let’s look at a couple more way of making a suggestion. Listen to how Karen makes her suggestion: Shall we try to find someone in golf? You can also say “What if....” For example: What if we...cut costs by finding a new office? Now, with Karen’s team, practice the ways of making suggestions that we have learned so far:     . Well, one possibility would be to...hire more staff. Perhaps we should...have more vacation? It’s just an idea, but...how about leaving a little bit early today? Shall we try to look at this from another point of view? Well, what if we try to open a new store in Germany?. Now, it’s your turn to talk. In a moment, you’ll hear a series of cues followed by a beep. After each beep, use the information supplied in the cue to make a suggestion. For example, if you hear, “Get Beckham to sponsor the product,” you can say “Well, one possibility would be to get Beckham to sponsor the product.” Are you ready? Let’s give it a try. Cue 1: Launch the new product in Q1 next year. Learner: Cue 2: Open a Branch in Slovenia. Learner: Cue 3: Give employees larger bonuses Learner: Cue 4: Hold English trainings Learner: Cue 5: Schedule weekly meetings to check on progress. Learner:. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 36.

(37) businessenglishpod How did you do? Listen to the examples to check your answers. Remember, there are many possible ways to respond to each question. Cue 1: Launch the new product in Q1 next year. Answer: Perhaps we should launch the new product in Q1 next year? Cue 2: Open a Branch in Slovenia. Answer: It’s just an idea, but what if we open a branch in Slovenia. Cue 3: Give employees larger bonuses Answer: Well, what if we try to give employees larger bonuses? Cue 4: Hold English trainings Answer: Well, one possibility would be to hold English trainings. Cue 5: Schedule weekly meetings to check on progress. Answer: Let’s schedule weekly meetings to check on progress. Now that you’ve heard examples, go back and practice again. Substitute different phrases to build fluency. That’s all for this chapter. We’ve covered many useful expressions for making suggestions. In the next chapter, we’ll use the same dialog to cover rejecting and accepting suggestions. We’ll also look closely at some idioms that were used in the dialog. Thanks for listening!. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 37.

(38) Meeting Essentials Language Review A. Making Suggestions Revise key language by filling in the blanks with words from the box.. idea. try. but. should. possibility. what. if. about. would. another. 1) How _________ washing the dishes? 2) It’s just an _________, but what about eating lunch together? 3) What _________ we...cut costs by finding a new office? 4) Well, one _________. _________ be to...hire more staff.. 5) Perhaps we _________...have more vacation? 6) It’s just an idea, _________...how about leaving a little bit early today? 7) Shall we _________ to look at this from _________ point of view? 8) Well, _________ if we try to open a new store in Germany? B. Jumbled Sentences To review the language for making suggestions, put the following jumbled sentences in order: 1) we launch year should perhaps product new Q1 in next the 2) it idea just an but if we what open branch in a Slovenia ’s 3) if what try we give to employees bonuses larger well 4) to one possibility well be trainings English hold would 5) progress schedule meetings weekly check to on ’s let. Study Strategy What kind of suggestions do you have for making your office, company, or government better? Make a list of 10. Pretend you are in a meeting in which you have the opportunity to make your suggestions. Using the language we have learned today, practice forming new sentences. Do your bet to use a variety of language in order to practice fluency.. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 38.

(39) businessenglishpod Answers A. Making Suggestions 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8). How about washing the dishes? It’s just an idea, but what about eating lunch together? What if we...cut costs by finding a new office? Well, one possibility would be to...hire more staff. Perhaps we should...have more vacation? It’s just an idea, but...how about leaving a little bit early today? Shall we try to look at this from another point of view? Well, what if we try to open a new store in Germany?. B. Jumbled Sentences 1) 2) 3) 4) 5). Perhaps we should launch the new product in Q1 next year? It’s just an idea, but what if we open a branch in Slovenia. Well, what if we try to give employees larger bonuses? Well, one possibility would be to hold English trainings. Let’s schedule weekly meetings to check on progress.. Online Practice Click the “Launch” button to open the online practice:. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 39.

(40) Meeting Essentials. Unit 206 - Rejecting and Accepting Suggestions Today’s show is the second part of a two-part series on making, rejecting and accepting suggestions. In the first episode, you practiced making suggestions. In this episode, we’ll look at appropriate ways to reject and accept suggestions. As you’ll remember, the listening takes place at a sports shoe company called Stratos. You’ll be listening to Karen, a marketing manager, meet with three members of her team, Charles, Sven and Miguel. They are choosing a celebrity spokesperson for a new product. Celebrity means a famous person. Here, spokesperson is someone who gets paid to be in an advertisement for a product. Okay, as you listen, pay attention to how the speakers accept or reject each other’s suggestions.. Vocabulary Spokesperson: Someone hired to represent a company. A famous spokesperson – usually an athlete or movie star – is someone who advertises a product. “Nike usually gets famous spokespersons to sponsor their products.” To go around the table: To hear everybody’s opinion one at a time. “Let’s go around the table to see if we all agree.” Overweight: Adjective. A polite way to say someone is not slim. “Overweight can have a range of meanings from slightly fat to very fat.” Fit: Adjective. 1) To be slim and healthy. “I really want to get fit in the new year, so I went on a diet and I’m exercising every day.” 2) To be suitable for something. “He’s not fit to manage the company.” If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it: Idiom. Also, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” (American slang). It criticizes the approach of always trying to improve things that are okay. “Look, let’s stop looking for things to change and just release the product on time – If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” Target market: The market one is trying to sell something to. “The target market for this new kind of sports car is urban professionals with an income over 80,000 euros per year.” Target customer: Similar to target market, but target customer refers to a specific group of customers you are trying to sell something to. “Our target customers are women in their early 30s with children.” Agile: Adjective. Able to move flexibly and quickly. “What makes her such a great sports star is her amazing agility.” “In this business environment, only agile companies with the ability to make quick decisions will succeed.” To kill two birds with one stone: Idiom. To get two things done at once. “We can kill two birds with one stone by improving our training system - the number of staff who leave the company will decrease and our sales will improve.”. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 40.

(41) businessenglishpod Dialog Karen: Okay. Now, let’s talk about who we want to use as a spokesperson for this product. Let’s go around the table. Shall we use a sports star? Or someone else? Sven—what do you think? Sven: Well, one possibility would be to use a famous overweight business executive or CEO—someone who is really successful. Miguel: Sorry, can I come in here? Karen: Yes, go ahead, Miguel. Miguel: That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure it would work. Karen: Why not? Miguel: Well, for one thing, customers want to be fit, not fat.. our. Karen: Well, then what do you suggest? Miguel: Perhaps we should just use a famous sports star like we usually do. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it, you know what I mean? We could try getting Rooney, or Nadal. Karen: Good suggestion. But I can see one or two problems with that, to be honest. Miguel: Oh? Karen: First off, our target markets are the UK and the U.S. We need someone who both Americans and Britons really like. Secondly, our target customer is kind of special... Charles: I’ve got a suggestion. Karen: Go ahead, Charles. Charles: It’s just an idea, but how about choosing someone from a sport where it’s normal to be heavy. American football, for example. Heavy, but agile; overweight, but strong and fast. You know what I mean? Karen: Right, I can see what you mean. What do others think? Miguel: Yes, that might be worth trying. Sven: Okay, but what about the UK? Who are we going to use on this side of the Atlantic? Karen: Hmmm... let me think about this. Shall we try to find someone in golf? That’s popular in the U.S. and in the UK. That way, we can kill two birds with one stone. Everybody (chorus): That’s not a bad idea! Good idea! Yes, I think that’s worth trying.. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 41.

(42) Meeting Essentials Debrief Here’s another good idea: Let’s study the dialog to learn about accepting and rejecting suggestions. First, we’ll talk about rejecting suggestions. When rejecting suggestions, it’s important to avoid hurting people’s feelings. Let’s think back to Karen and her team in the dialog. During their discussion, what language do they use to reject suggestions they don’t like? First listen to Miguel reject Sven’s suggestion. Miguel: Sorry, can I come in here? Karen: Yes, go ahead, Miguel. Miguel: That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure it would work. Miguel interrupts politely: Can I come in here? Then he says, “That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure it would work....” This is a good careful way of rejecting a suggestion. Later, Karen rejects Miguel’s suggestion. Miguel: ...If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it, you know what I mean? We could try getting Rooney, or Nadal. Karen: Good suggestion. But I can see one or two problems with that, to be honest. Karen’s way of rejecting Miguel’s suggestion follows the same form: First she praises the idea: Good suggestion. Then she politely rejects it: But I can see one or two problems with that, to be honest. Here, adding “to be honest” to the sentence makes it even more polite. You can add “to be honest” to almost any rejection. You can also use “frankly speaking” or to “to be frank” the same way. Let’s practice that together.  . Good suggestion. But frankly speaking I can see one or two problems with that. That’s a good idea, but I’m not sure it would work, to be frank.. To reject suggestions, you can also say...  . I’m not really sure about that... Do you think so?. So now you’ve learned ways to make suggestions and ways to reject suggestions. Next, we’ll look at ways to accept suggestions. Karen and Miguel like Charles’ suggestion, don’t they? Charles wants to use a sports star that is heavy but agile. Agile means quick and skillful. Let’s listen again.. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 42.

(43) businessenglishpod Charles: It’s just an idea, but how about choosing someone from a sport where it’s normal to be heavy. American football, for example. Heavy, but agile; overweight, but strong and fast. You know what I mean? Karen: Right, I can see what you mean. What do others think? Miguel: Yes, that might be worth trying. “Right, I can see what you mean...” and “Yes, that might be worth trying...” are two ways to accept suggestions. What else can you say?     . Okay, let’s do that. That’s not a bad idea. Yes, I think that would work really well. Good idea! Great idea!. Okay. So today, you’ve learned many ways to reject and accept suggestions. Now, before we finish today’s show, let’s look at an idiom Karen uses at the end of the listening. Karen: Hmmm... Let me think about this. Shall we try to find someone in golf? That’s popular in the U.S. and in the UK. That way, we can kill two birds with one stone. “To kill two birds with one stone” is an idiom that means to do or accomplish two things at one time. You can say, “That way, we kill two birds with one stone” or “That will let us kill two birds with one stone.” Now, let’s practice what we’ve learned. First let’s go over rejecting suggestions politely. You’ll hear a series of suggestions, each followed by a beep. After each beep, use a polite phrase to reject the suggestion. For example, if you hear, “What if we cut the sales training budget,” you can say, “Well, I can see one or two problems with that idea” or “Well, I don’t know….” Are you ready? Let’s give it a try. Cue 1: What if we hold the meeting next week? Learner: Cue 2: I think we should buy new computers. Learner: Cue 3: Let’s try to hold the training in a pub. Learner: How’d you do? Listen to some examples to check your answers:. © 2009 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com. 43.

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