Speaking: Functional Language C1 - Lesson 4: Chairing Meetings & Leading Panel Discussions

Speaking: Functional Language C1

Chairing Meetings & Leading Panel Discussions

What you will learn: At the C1 level, a key leadership skill is the ability to effectively chair a meeting or moderate a panel discussion. Your job is to guide the conversation, manage time, and ensure the group achieves its objectives.

The Three Phases of Chairing a Meeting 🤝

A well-chaired meeting follows a clear, three-part structure. As the chairperson, you are a neutral facilitator, not a participant.

Phase 1: The Opening

Establish control and set clear expectations.

"Good morning, everyone. Let's get started." "The primary objective of this meeting is to finalize the project timeline." "As you can see from the agenda, we have three items to discuss..."

Phase 2: The Discussion (Facilitation)

Guide the conversation productively.

"I'd like to open the floor for discussion. Soriya, perhaps you could start us off?" "Thank you, Dara. Now let's hear from Piseth." "I'm conscious of the time, so we have about five more minutes on this topic."

Phase 3: The Closing

Summarize decisions and clarify the next steps.

"Okay, to summarize, we have agreed to..." "The key action items are..." "Thank you all for your valuable contributions. The meeting is adjourned."

Advanced Moderating Skills

Moderating a Panel Discussion

When moderating a panel, your role is to guide the experts and create an engaging experience for the audience.

• Introducing Panelists: "It is my great pleasure to introduce our first panelist, Dr. Chan, a leading expert in..."
• Asking Probing Questions: "That's a fascinating insight. Could you elaborate on the potential long-term consequences?"
• Bridging Between Panelists: "Thank you, Dr. Chan. That connects perfectly to your research, Ms. Lina. What are your thoughts?"
• Involving the Audience: "Now I'd like to open up the discussion to our audience for a Q&A session."

Scenario: Chairing a Difficult Meeting

Listen to a manager, Soriya, chairing a tense budget meeting. Notice how she uses language to stay neutral and guide the team towards a decision.

Soriya: "Okay, everyone. The objective today is to identify areas where we can reduce our spending by 10%. I know this is a difficult topic, so let's keep the discussion constructive."

(After a long debate...)

Soriya: "Thank you both for your perspectives. I'm conscious of the time, so let's try to find some common ground. It seems both departments agree that we should not cut the training budget. Is that a fair assessment?"

Colleagues: "Yes."

Soriya: "Excellent. So, we have agreed to protect the training budget. Now, let's explore other areas. Piseth, we haven't heard from you yet. What are your thoughts on potential savings?"

Pro Tips for Difficult Situations

💡 Managing Difficult Personalities

A key skill of a chairperson is managing different personalities in the room.

• For the person who talks too much: "Thank you, Rithy, those are some excellent points. To ensure we hear from everyone, I'd now like to invite Sophea to share her perspective."
• For the person who talks too little: "Lina, you have a lot of experience with this client. What challenges do you anticipate from their side?" (Asks a specific question that only they can answer).

Check Your Understanding 🎯

📝 Practice Quiz: What's the Chairperson's Function?

1. "That's a very interesting point. However, it's a little off-topic. In the interest of time, let's circle back to the main agenda item."

A) Eliciting a new opinion.
B) Keeping the discussion on track.
C) Summarizing a decision.

→ Answer: B. The speaker is politely steering the conversation back to its main purpose.

2. "So, to recap the key decisions from today: Item one is approved, Item two will be postponed, and Lina will circulate a revised proposal for Item three. Is that correct?"

A) Starting the meeting.
B) Asking a probing question.
C) Summarizing outcomes and action items.

→ Answer: C. This is a classic example of how to close a meeting by confirming what has been agreed upon.

Key Vocabulary

• To Chair / To Moderate (Verbs) | ធ្វើជាប្រធាន / ធ្វើជាអ្នកសម្របសម្រួល
  To be the person in charge of a meeting or discussion, responsible for guiding it smoothly.
• Objective (Noun) | វត្ថុបំណង
  A specific goal that is being aimed for.
• Agenda (Noun) | កម្មវិធី
  A list of matters to be discussed at a meeting.
• Action Item (Noun Phrase) | ធាតុសកម្មភាព
  A specific task assigned to a person, usually arising from a meeting.

Your Mission: The Mini-Meeting Challenge ⭐

Your mission is to practice the functional language of chairing a meeting.

1. Work in a small group of 3-4 people. One person will be the Chairperson.
2. Choose a simple meeting topic, like "Plan a one-day company outing" or "Decide on a new design for the office break room."
3. The Chairperson's Mission: You must lead a 5-minute meeting. During that time, you must use at least four phrases from this lesson to:
   1. Open the meeting and state the objective.
   2. Invite a specific person to speak.
   3. Keep the discussion on track or manage the time.
   4. Summarize the final decision and close the meeting.
4. Switch roles and try again. This role-play is the best way to build confidence in professional leadership communication.