Speaking: Functional Language C1
Chairing Meetings & Leading Panel Discussions
Listen to the scenario audio here.
The Chair's Role: From Participant to Facilitator
At the B2 level, you learn to participate in discussions. At the C1 level, you learn to lead them. A chair or moderator is a facilitator (អ្នកសម្របសម្រួល) — your job is not to give all the answers, but to guide the group to find the best answers together. This requires a specific set of tools.
A C1 Framework for Chairing Discussions 🛠️ (Click 🔊)
A well-chaired meeting follows three clear stages.
Set the tone, state the objective, and get the conversation started.
- Welcome, everyone. The primary objective of today's discussion is...
- To kick things off, [Name], perhaps you could share your initial thoughts?
- Just to clarify, we're here to reach a consensus on...
Keep the discussion productive, inclusive, and on track.
To Keep on Track (Staying on topic):
- That's an interesting point, but let's not get sidetracked.
- I'd like to park that idea for a moment and return to the main agenda.
To Manage Turn-Taking (Inviting others):
- Thank you, Dara. I'd like to bring Vanna in here. Vanna?
- Does anyone have a counter-argument to that point?
To Synthesize (Pulling ideas together):
- So, what I'm hearing is that we agree on [X], but we're still divided on [Y]. Is that a fair summary?
End the meeting with clear outcomes and next steps.
- To wrap things up, it seems we've reached a consensus that...
- So, the key takeaways from our discussion are...
- Let's define the next action items. [Name], you'll handle... by [Date]?
Scenario: Leading a Panel on 'The Future of Work' 💬
Notice how the Moderator (Chair) uses the framework to control the flow.
Moderator: "Welcome, panelists. Our topic is 'The Future of Work'. To kick things off, Dr. Sok, what do you see as the single biggest challenge for Cambodia's workforce?"
Dr. Sok: "Thank you. The primary challenge is automation. We're seeing low-skill jobs disappear, and we are not training people for high-skill jobs fast enough. It's a huge problem."
Ms. Chan: "If I can interject, I have to disagree slightly. I'd argue the bigger issue isn't automation, it's the 'soft skills' gap. We have many graduates who can't problem-solve."
Moderator: "That's a fascinating split. So, Dr. Sok is focused on the technical skills gap due to automation, while Ms. Chan believes the soft skills gap is more critical. Mr. Ly, as an employer, where do you stand on this?"
Mr. Ly: "They're both right, but... (discussion continues)..."
[10 minutes later]
Moderator: "We're almost out of time. To wrap things up, it's clear we have two major challenges: a technical skills gap from automation and a soft skills gap in new graduates. Is that a fair summary of our main concerns?"
Pronunciation Tip
🗣️ The C1 Delivery: Diplomatic Intonation
When you chair a meeting, you *must* interrupt people. The difference between C1 (diplomatic) and B1 (rude) is your intonation.
To interrupt politely, use a slight rise-fall tone on the person's name, followed by a slight fall on your redirecting phrase. This sounds respectful but firm.
Practice this phrase: "Thank you, Dara ↗↘... just to bring us back to the main agenda...↘"
Avoid sharp, fast speech, which can sound aggressive (e.g., "STOP. We're OFF TOPIC!").
Practice: What Would You Say? 🎯
Practice Quiz: Choose the Best Phrase (Self-Check)
Read the situation, then choose the *best* phrase for a C1-level facilitator. Click "Check Answers" when done.
1. Situation: Two team members are arguing and getting loud. You need to calm them down and move on.
2. Situation: A quiet team member (Sophea) hasn't spoken at all. You want to include her.
3. Situation: The meeting is ending. You need to make sure things get done.
Key Vocabulary (Click 🔊)
- To Facilitate To make an action or process easy or easier.
- To Synthesize To combine a number of ideas into a coherent whole.
- Consensus A general agreement among a group of people.
- Agenda A list of items to be discussed at a meeting.
- Sidetracked To get distracted from the main topic.
- Takeaway A key fact or idea to be remembered from a discussion.
- Action Item A specific task assigned to a person to be completed by a deadline.
Your Mission: The 10-Minute Moderator ⭐
Your mission is to chair a real 10-minute discussion this week. It can be with friends, family, or colleagues. Choose a simple topic (e.g., "What movie should we watch?", "Where should we go for our team lunch?", "What is the best way to study English?").
You MUST use the 3-Stage Framework:
- Open: Use one phrase to state the objective (e.g., "Okay, we're here to decide...").
- Facilitate: Ask at least two follow-up questions. Try to bring a quiet person into the discussion.
- Conclude: Summarize the final decision and state the action item (e.g., "So, we've agreed on... Rithy, you will book the tickets.").