Listening: Listening in Various Contexts & for Specific Purposes B2 - Lesson 2: Following Conversations and Discussions in Professional Meetings

💼Listening: B2 - Following Professional Meetings

Learning Objectives: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Identify the main purpose and key topics of a professional meeting.
• Follow the contributions of different speakers to understand their main points.
• Recognize common phrases for managing meetings and structuring discussions.
• Understand and identify key decisions and action items.

Welcome, B2 learners! Professional meetings are a common and important part of many jobs and academic projects. Being able to follow the conversations and discussions in these settings is a crucial skill for effective participation, collaboration, and understanding outcomes.

Key Elements of a Meeting

Meetings usually have a clear structure. Recognizing these elements will help you follow along and focus on what's important. Click the cards to learn more.

Agenda Items

Agenda Items: The specific topics to be discussed during a meeting. The chairperson will often introduce each one by saying, "The next item on the agenda is..."

Chairperson's Role

Chairperson's Role: The person who leads the meeting. They guide the discussion, manage time, ask for opinions, and summarize key points.

Action Items

Action Items: The most important things to listen for! These are specific tasks assigned to a person or group, usually with a deadline. For example: "Sokha, please send the report by Friday."

Discourse Markers

Discourse Markers: Phrases that signal the structure of the conversation. Examples: "To follow up on that...", "Moving on...", "So, to summarize...".

✍️ Interactive Activities

Activity 1: Meeting Vocabulary

Read the sentence from a meeting below. Which word best fits in the blank?

"The next _______ on the agenda is the quarterly budget review."

action

item

minute

Activity 2: Analyze a Meeting

Listen to this excerpt from a project update meeting. Focus on the purpose of the discussion and the final outcome.

Listen to the meeting excerpt:

Analyze the discussion:

1. What is the main purpose of this part of the meeting?

To brainstorm ideas for a new project.

To get a progress update and solve a problem for an existing project.

To complain about the project's failures.

2. What is one task that is completed, and what is the main "action item" that needs to be done?

🚀 Strategies for Following Meetings

• Prepare in Advance: If there is an agenda, read it. This helps you anticipate the topics and vocabulary.
• Listen for the Structure: Pay attention to the chairperson. They will use phrases like "First on the agenda..." and "Let's move on to..." to guide the meeting.
• Focus on Key Outcomes: The most important information in a meeting is usually about decisions and action items. Listen carefully for phrases like "So, we've agreed to..." or "The next step is for [Name] to...".
• Take Simple Notes: You don't need to write everything. Focus on jotting down main points, decisions, and action items (Who? What? By when?).

Summary: This lesson focused on the key skills for understanding professional meetings. By listening for the meeting's purpose, following the chairperson's guidance, tracking different speakers' points, and focusing on decisions and action items, you can effectively navigate and comprehend these important professional discussions.