Read the text below and do the tasks that follow it (paying attention to the vocabulary in bold type).

An Effective Chairperson

The chairperson must control the meeting so that it can reach a successful conclusion and achieve its purpose.

It is your job as a chairperson to begin and end the meeting on time and to make sure that the maximum amount of business is conducted in the minimum of time. The agenda will help to guide the discussion as it lists the order of the main points to be discussed. If there is only one issue to discuss at the meeting an agenda may not be necessary. However in this case you should make the purpose of the meeting clear.

Make sure the discussion is relevant. If participants start moving off the topic or bringing up irrelevant issues, the chairperson must politely bring the discussion back to the point. Once a suggestion has been introduced the group should examine it carefully before moving on to the next point.

All members ought to have an equal chance to participate. The chair asks quiet members questions to find out what their views and ideas on the point discussed are. But being in the chair you should also control people who talk too much or monopolize the discussion. Sometimes personal conflicts may get in the way of achieving the purpose of the meeting. It is important to keep the discussion to the point and not on the personalities of those present.

It is the role of to the person presiding over the meeting to keep the discussion moving. You have to decide when conversation is useful and should be encouraged. But you also have to cut off conversation when it becomes irrelevant. Members may spend too much time on the point or start repeating the same ideas. You may then summarize the discussion and look for areas of agreement. You can ask “Do we agree that …?” or “Then we agree that …?” When necessary the chair points out the action to be taken and the person responsible for it.

It is relevant that all participants understand the discussion. You may have to paraphrase or explain certain points. When chairing a meeting try to be fair and objective in leading the discussion and show an encouraging attitude towards all present. They should feel that their ideas and suggestions are important.

At the end of the meeting the chairperson summarizes the decisions taken. Make sure that all participants understand and agree with the decisions.

In meetings which are controlled from the chair, identical words are used on most occasions. The chairperson needs a certain amount of formal language to make the meeting a success.

Nowadays the chairperson is addressed as:

Mr Chairman … if the person is a man.

Madam Chair … if the person is a woman.

With the Chair’s permission … for a man and a woman.

Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:

1) What is the main task of the chairperson?

2) What must the chairperson ensure?

3) Why will the agenda help guide the discussion?

4) In what case is the agenda not necessary?

5) When must the chairperson bring the discussion back to the point?

6) When can the group move on to the next point?

7) Why should personal conflicts be avoided?

8) What are the responsibilities of the chair at the end of the meeting?

9) Why can the person in the chair not always be addressed as “Mr Chair”?

Exercise 2. Arrange the responsibilities of a chairperson at a formal meeting considering the following points:

Presents the speakers relevant orderly

Presents the agenda

Presents the most important facts

Paraphrases what a participant has said or asked

Explains the purpose of the meeting

Moves to the point on the agenda

Asks for action and sets follow-up tasks

Thanks participants

Announces the next meeting

Controls decision-making

Gets people’s attention and starts the meeting

Asks for repetition and clarification

Presents the most important facts

Summarizes

Asks for repetition and clarification

Opening the meeting	Bringing people into the discussion	Keeping the discussion	Closing the meeting

Exercise 3. Fill in the missing words.

The chairperson tries to c … the maximum amount of b … in the minimum of time. An a … is prepared and given to participants in a …. It l… the order of the main p… to be discussed. If there is no a … the chair makes the p … of the meeting c …. If participants b … up irrelevant i …you b … the discussion back to the p …. Every s … must be examined carefully. Everybody present must have an e … chance to participate and the chair finds out what their v … and i… discussed are. P … conflicts may get in the way of a…. the purpose of the meeting and that is why the discussion must be kept to the p….The person p… over the meeting keeps the discussion m…. He/she may have to p… and explain certain p….Sometimes conversation becomes i… and must be cut o…. It is important to find a… of a…. The chairperson must be f… and objective in l… the discussion.

Exercise 4. Read the text about a successful chairperson and fill in the gaps with one of the words below.

Impartially, word, commitment, standing, attend, common, passive, relaxed, persuasion, dynamic, to devote, superior, discretion, integrity, board, maintaining, strategic, participation, demonstrate, external

A successful chairperson is open and_______________, has good inter-personal relationship skills, is equal rather than___________________ and demonstrates a high level of integrity, both in ___________and action. The style of an effective chairperson is usually that of a_______________ organizational leader, rather than that of a___________ director.

The chairperson’s time___________ is significantly greater than that of other directors. The chairperson must prepare for and__________ board and committee meetings, and have the time to interact with the chief executive, to meet with other staff and directors, and carry out ___________functions with stakeholders outside the organisation.

An ideal chairperson should:

have the time_______________ to the role and duties of chairperson;

be a leader with a proven track record in leadership and governance, showing strong leadership skills such as____________, motivation and good interpersonal relationships;

be capable of leading ____________processes, demonstrating objectivity and independence;

have the will and ability to challenge individual board members, as appropriate. The chairperson must also have the______________, skills and self-confidence to lead and control the more forceful directors on a board;

be capable of establishing and ______________appropriate personal relationships with the chief executive;

be a clear and innovative _____________thinker;

encourage ____________and be a good listener;

be able to clarify issues and _____________summarize view points;

________________personal integrity (not politics) and respect;

demonstrate ____________sense and realism;

exercise good judgement and_____________.

Exercise 5. Translate the following text into English.

Продуктивні збори. Поради для головуючого

Хороший головуючий – це той, хто, завдяки знанням певних фундаментальних правил, надає важливості та проводить збори за правилами, а також підтримує позитивну атмосферу серед учасників зборів.

Дії головуючого повинні бути такими, щоб учасники зборів постійно відчували, що він виконує свої функції компетентно та чесно.

Права головуючого

ü Вся дискусія повинна проводитися через головуючого.

ü Всі питання спрямовуються через головуючого.

ü Ніхто не отримує права голосу, поки його не надасть головуючий.

ü Голос головуючого є вирішальним у випадку нічиї під час вирішення питання, проте це не стосується виборів.

J Business Mix

Slang and idioms

I. a) Read the dialogues “overheard” during and after the meetings. Translate them.

B) Work in pairs. Rephrase the dialogues.

C) Work in groups. Continue the dialogue and make a longer conversation.

1)

- What a way to run a meeting! Can’t get a word in edgeways.

- He certainly has the gift of the gab but I wish he’d come to the point at last, it’s so much hot air!

2)

- It’s five o’clock – time to wind up the discussion and go home.

- But there’s still one more thing that we should kick around.

- I’d like to take you up on that, Mr X – after the meeting

II. Choose the better of the two options to explain the idiom.

1. His comments threw a wet blanket on the discussion. (discouraged/stopped)

2. They were beat after three days of hard work. (exhausted/frustrated)

3. Jack was hard up to pay his rent. (reluctant/had no money)

4. The storm left them all in the same boat. (in the same situation / on the same territory)

5. The house fire meant we had to start from scratch (a draft/the beginning)

III. Match the idiom and its explanation

1) at a premium

2) back-of-the-envelope calculations

3) belt-tightening

4) (to) bite the bullet

5) bitter pill to swallow

6) blockbuster

7) brownie points(score brownie points)

8) cash cow

9) (to) cash in on

10) (to) climb the corporate ladder

11) to) compare apples to oranges

a) advance in one's career; the process of getting promoted and making it to senior management

b) to compare two unlike things; to make an invalid comparison

c) a product, service, or business division that generates a lot of cash for the company, without requiring much investment

d) to make money on; to benefit financially from

e) a big success; a huge hit

f) at a high price; at a relatively high price

g) bad news; something unpleasant to accept

h) credit for doing a good deed or for giving someone a compliment (usually a boss or teacher)

i) quick calculations; estimates using approximate numbers, instead of exact numbers

j) reduction of expenses

k) to make a difficult or painful decision; to take a difficult step

IV. Read the sentences and fill in the appropriate idiom.

1. Comparing a night at Econo Lodge with a night at the Four Seasons is like …………………. One is a budget motel, and the other is a luxury hotel.

2. Jamie Oliver, star of the TV show The Naked Chef, ……………….. his popularity by writing cookbooks and opening restaurants.

3. You want to …………………….? It helps to be productive and to look good in front of your boss.

4. After Gina spent her whole summer working as an intern for American Express, failing to get a full-time job offer from the company was a …………………………..

5. Sara ………………………….. with her boss by volunteering to organize the company's holiday party.

6. With strong sales every year and a great brand name, Mercedes is ……………….. for DaimlerChrysler

7. When worldwide demand for software decreased, Microsoft had to do some ……………...

8. When demand was down, U.S. automakers had to …………………… and cut jobs.

9. I don't need the exact numbers right now. Just give me some ……………………..

10. When flat-screen televisions first came out, they were selling ………………..

11. Eli Lilly made a lot of money with the prescription drug, Prozac. It was a real ………………..

Talking point

I. In groups make up the dialogues using the above idioms where:

a) the participants are exchanging the opinions on the decision taken at the meeting.(some of them consider it as the only possible solution, whereas others are blaming the chairperson for failing to get a better solution to the issue in question.

b) the participants highly praise the personality and skills of newly elected Chairman who obviously improved the meeting’s efficiency.

II. Read the table below. Comment on “Do’s and Don’ts of a Good Chairperson”. Dwell on the items provided in the table.

Do's and Don'ts

A good chairperson will:	A good chairperson will not:
· Make all members feel valued	· Be the person who talks most at the meetings
· Strive for consensus, using his/her casting vote sparingly	· Make all the decisions
· Listen to others	· Allow one or two people to dominate meetings
· Encourage new faces onto committee	· Cut people out of discussions
· Plan for the future	· Allow meetings to become unproductive
· Make new members feel welcome	· Make people feel foolish or useless
· Allow others to take responsibility	· Force people to contribute to discussions
· Keep calm	· Lose his/her temper
· Know when to stand down	· Stay too long

III. Role-play the situation in class when «the board members» are discussing the candidate (one of you) to be appointed as a chair of the board and the meeting at the same time. Dwell on the strengths of the candidate and analyze the weak points of the previous chairperson.

Use the vocabulary from exercise 2 and the list below.

to provide leadership

to ensure that

to fulfill the duties and responsibilities

to support

to challenge

to set the mission/ vision/strategy

to focus on

the proper and efficient conduct

for the proper governance

IV. Соmment on the following quotations.

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”

Peter F. Drucker

“Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.”

Stephen R. Covey

“Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them.”

Paul Hawken

“Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.”

Peter F. Drucker

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Starting up

Every meeting you attend is an opportunity for you to put your best foot forward. Managers and co-workers can tell a great deal about you by what you say and do in meetings. How you participate and what you contribute can be a determining factor in promotions, salary increases and even whether you're part of a staff downsizing or not.

Here are some simple ways to put your best foot forward and be a more productive meeting participant

a) RSVP to every meeting invitation (stands for a French phrase "répondez, s'il vous plaît," which means "please reply “)

b) Be prepared

c) Be on time

d) Check your ego at the door

e) Leave your cell phone behind

f) Keep a positive outlook

g) Agree to disagree amiably

h) Make your points quickly and clearly

i) Be mindful of the time but don't watch the clock

j) Thank the meeting organizer

k) Follow up promptly

Exercise 1. Read the paragraphs below, fill in the missing words and match each paragraph with the tips above.

1. (______) E__________ the conference room, leave your cell phone back at your desk, or if you must bring it to the meeting, turn it off or set it on v__________. If there's a chance you might be r___________ a call from a client or someone you a____________ need to speak to, inform you’re a__________ that you might have to leave the meeting for a m_____________ to take an important call. Displaying a l____ of cell phone etiquette ranks h____ on many executives' lists of unprofessional and u___________ behavior.

2. (______) Meetings are no place for inflated egos and p_____________ agendas. The meeting is not about you, but about something of interest to the c____________ and every person attending. Make it a p__________ to check your ego at the door and be a professional participant with valuable input.

3. (_____) P__________ is the key to putting your best foot f__________ and contributing to a p___________ and successful meeting. Always come to the meeting prepared. If no meeting a______ and reading materials are sent p_____ to the meeting, or if you are unclear about the p___________ or agenda, contact the meeting organizer for information or c_______________.

4. (_____) Maintain a positive, "can-do" a___________, even if the purpose of the meeting is to discuss something p_________negative such as budget cuts, client complaints or an extremely challenging project with t_____ deadlines. Negativity a__________ nothing and only lengthens the meeting, and p_________ the agony of the decision making process. A positive attitude and ideas always produce p__________.

5. (_____) Nothing is more a__________ than a person who talks on and on as the clock t______ away. This only shows that the person speaking is u________ or has nothing of value to say. Well-prepared meeting participants can make their points clearly and c_________. Everyone notices and appreciates this.

6. (_____) When you're i____________ to a meeting, promptly RSVP i_________ whether or not you will be attending. Make this a s__________ practice, even if the meeting invitation doesn't request a r__________. This is just a simple c__________ that shows your respect and e_________. It also helps make planning and m__________ the meeting much easier.

7. (_____) Any meeting that is important e_________ for you to attend is important enough for you to a________ on time. Arriving at a meeting late not only s_________ down or prolongs the meeting, shows you have no respect for others a__________ and sends out a signal that you just don't c______.

8. (_____) Meetings involve a two way c_____________ process, and often disagreements will naturally o__________. Disagreements can be healthy and even lead to innovative s________ to problems and positive c________. So always respect others' points of v_________ and "agree to disagree" in a professional and amiable manner. Arguing a____________ nothing. It only antagonizes people, causes dissent on the t______, decreases p___________ and prolongs the meeting.

9. (_____) If you were assigned any t______ or action items during the meeting, be sure to follow-up and c__________ them as soon as possible. This shows you're a serious team player who wants to work together with your c__________ to get the job done.

10. (_____) Time is v__________. Keep in mind that everyone has p__________ to go and things to do after the meeting, so it's in the best i___________ of everyone to end the meeting on s___________. Be professional and do everything you can to keep the meeting progressing, especially keeping your c_________ short, relevant and to the point. H________, don't be a clock watcher who is c_________ looking at the wall-clock, their cell phone or w__________ watch.

11. (_____) Always try to e______ the person who called the meeting to thank them for the o________ to participate and p__________ your input. This is also an excellent opportunity to include additional feedback or ideas you didn't have a chance to p___________ during the meeting. Your co-workers will r__________ and appreciate this small extra effort.

Reading

An Effective Participant

In order to be an effective participant in a discussion you should keep several points in mind. When in a meeting every member of the group should concentrate, communicate and cooperate to help achieve the objective of the meeting. Members are expected to prepare for the discussion. They should study and collect all information needed in order to take an active part in the meeting.

First of all you ought to speak loudly and clearly so that everybody can hear you. All participant need to show initiative in the discussion. Try to present your opinions as briefly as possible and keep them on the subject. If you want to make several important points do not present them all at once because the others will not be able to remember everything you have said and some of your ideas may be lost. It is more effective to make several short remarks. Support your opinions with facts, reasons and examples.

You should let the meeting know when you agree to something or with somebody or disagree to something or with somebody. It is advisable to make your comments on the issue discussed before others ask you questions. Listen carefully to other members’ views. If you do not hear, ask for repetition. If you do not understand, ask for explanations and further information. You may also suggest what action, you think, ought to be taken.

You are a member of a team and must let others present their ideas and consider opinions that are different from yours. Be prepared to compromise or change your position if others present good strong arguments. However do not change your mind just because someone disagrees with you.

A conflict of ideas within a group is useful as it helps to see different sides of an issue and make the right decisions.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions:

1. What should you do to help achieve the objective of the meeting?

2. Why is it essential to prepare for the discussion?

3. How should you speak when in a meeting?

4. Is it advisable to present all the points you want to make at a time? Why not?

5. What is the most effective way of presenting ideas and opinions?

6. When and why should you ask for the Chair’s permission to speak?

7. What do you do in order to make sure you fully understand what is being said?

8. Why should an effective participant be prepared to compromise and change his/her opinions?

Exercise 3. a) Scan the paragraph and tell the difference between attending and participating in a meeting. How can one learn the skill of an effective participant?

How to Be an Effective Participant in a Meeting and Not Just a Passenger.

Colin Dovey

As a member of a committee or working party, or as participant in a one-off meeting, you will have an excellent opportunity to influence decision-making and to make your talents known and 1. _____________ to the organization. You can attend a meeting or you can be a participant.

Improving participation in a meeting is a learned2_______. Practice and observation train the mind and, in a short while, a manager interested in being a better participant, becomes one. Good participation is, fortunately,3 __________, as is, unfortunately, poor participation. Set an example as a participant, and others will follow.

Whether solving problems or 4.___________ideas, a meeting in which you are involved can be productive for you and the organization, depending on how you act, and what real 5___________you make.

B) Fill in the gaps with the word that suits the context best

1. a) agreeable b) necessary c)available d)honourable

2. a) ability b) skillc) activity d) experience

3. a) contagiousb) catchy c) infectious d) sticky

4. a) tossing b) dicing c) poolingd) raising

5. a) input b) contributionc) income d) assistance

c) The word a one-off meeting most probably means

a) where one person has a possibility to display his/her talents

b) where most participants are merely present without intending to contribute to the cause

c) happening only once, not as part of a regular sequence

Exercise 4. Below are the tips how to become an active and efficient meeting participant after reading them fill in the gaps with one sentence missing from the options 1-10 after the text.

- Understand why you have been asked to participate.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Have I been brought in simply to fill a gap?

Am I representing a department or section or specialist group?

1 __________________________________________________________

Am I here as the Organizations' “bright young person” with ideas?

Am I here as the voice of experience, the steadying influence?

- Know the other participants

Find out about the other participants – their likes and dislikes 2 ____________________________ and how they react to new ideas and proposals. Knowing this, you can adopt effective tactics for dealing with them.

- Arrive Prepared

Prepare yourself by studying the agenda and working on all papers in advance. Focus on items for YOUR particular attention, and anticipate any needs the group will have for data you can bring. Prepare for your involvement by compiling handouts or charts, working up suggestions, or recommendations, and making notes from which to speak if required. 3 ________________________________ The amount of preparation you do will determine how others view you – as a passenger or valued participant. Plan in advance to make at least one specific contribution.

- Arrive early and use the time wisely

Arrive early and take the opportunity if necessary to introduce yourself to other participants. Use the waiting time profitably 4 _____________________________ If possible, get a seat close to the chairperson – you'll get more involved and you'll be noticed.

- Talk up – get involved.

Don't hesitate to get into the act. A well-chosen question can often help to break the ice. Then you can enter into the discussion and speak freely. Research has shown that talkative participants usually contribute the most useful remarks, have the best ideas, and impress other members. The only drawback is that 5 ______________________________________ productivity can be seen by some as a kind of control mechanism and therefore resented.

- Make your presence felt

Make your points clearly, succinctly and positively. 6 ________________________Listen, observe and save your arguments until you can make a really telling point. Resist the urge to dominate the discussion.

The chairperson (and others) will recognize and appreciate your value to the group when you build on the ideas of others, pose “what if?” questions, seek clarification of relevant issues, be supportive with constructive comments, and be open-minded, willing to compromise, and respectful of others' contributions.

- Be an active listener.

Practice the skill of listening in meetings because it will lead to understanding and good questions often, too many people try to talk at once, and as a result there are too many interruptions. At other times, people are too busy thinking of what to say and fail to hear what others are saying 7. ________________________________. Whatever the reason, failing to listen actively can cause meetings to fail.

- Be willing to learn

Go into meetings with the attitude of being prepared to learn from others. Effective participation in meetings does not always mean getting your own way. Rather, it means 8. ___________________________, incorporating the ideas of others into your proposal to make it better.

- Volunteer to wrap up the meeting.

Impress the chairperson, who is usually pleased 9. _____________________to bring things together in a final summary, report or action plan.

- Adhere to the rules of meeting etiquette

Consider the following:

Avoid interrupting

Refrain from distracting behavior, such as pencil-tapping

Avoid side comments to your neighbor 10. ____________________________Always be pleasant, courtesy and tactful. If you must discredit another's proposal, expose its defects, not the person.

a) perhaps learning their position on certain agenda items.

b) strong and weak points, the power brokers, the way they operate,

c) As well, animosity between participants often causes some not to listen or to prejudice what has been said

d) If you have something to say, say it to the group.

e) abstaining from voting

f) When you can answer such questions, you can channel your efforts appropriately

g) You may choose to canvass the views of influential participants beforehand.

h) Remain silent when you have nothing to say.

j) in becoming influential, you can also run the risk of becoming unpopular, since

k) learning from others, accepting criticism

l) to find someone willing

m) Have I been brought in to provide expertise or competence in a particular area?

Exercise 5. Fill in the missing words.

An e … participant should help a … the objective of the meeting. Members are expected to c… all the information needed and to take an a … part in the meeting. Participants need to show i… in the discussion and p… their opinions. Our opinions must be o… the subject. The others will not be able to remember, if we m… all important points at once and some of our ideas may be l…. To be e… we should rather make several short r…. Our opinions must be s… with facts, reasons and e….We should c… on the issues discussed before we are asked to do so. The opinions of others must be c…, even if they are d… from ours. We may have to c… or change our p… on an issue if strong a… are presented. A c… of ideas is useful, because it helps to see different s… of an issue and m… the right decision.

Exercise 6. Write as many synonyms as you can to the word combination a masterful meeting participant. You may use the following sentences as prompts:

1. Five minutes before the presentation, Sally told her boss that she was w_ _ _ -p_ _ _ _ _ e_ for her presentation.

2. Public opinion praises this garden as being s_ _ _ l_ _ _l_- e_ _ _ u _ _ d.

3. In many ways, a r_ _ _ _ _-o_ _ e_ _ _ _ work environment sounds ideal.

Exercise 7. Do at sight translation of the text.

Участь у зборах. Основні правила.

1. Приходьте вчасно. З’являйтеся завчасно для того, щоб зайняти місце та підготуватися до початку зборів в назначений час. Збори почнуться вчасно, а ви ризикуєте тим, що виглядатимете непрофесійно, якщо запізнитесь.

2. Жодних мобільних телефонів. Жодних дзвінків. Якщо ж ваша робота вимагає того (а чи так насправді? Справді?), щоб ви перебували на зв’язку, тоді увімкніть на своєму телефоні режим «вібро» та виходьте з приміщення для того, щоб зробити телефонний дзвінок чи вислати повідомлення, коли це необхідно. Ви повинні приділити 100% своєї уваги зборам як для того, щоб вони були продуктивними, так і для того, щоб проявити ввічливість до інших учасників.

3. Приходьте підготовленими. Візьміть з собою ручку та папір чи зошит, щоб робити записи. Візьміть також ті документи, які, ймовірно, вам знадобляться. Усвідомлюйте мету зборів: чи це презентація інформації, чи підсумовування результатів, а чи прийняття рішень щодо подальших дій. Усвідомлюйте й те, як ви збираєтесь зробити свій внесок в проведення зборів: презентувати пункт, що знаходиться на порядку денному, провести колективне обговорення питання, зробити записи і подати інформацію.

4. Слухайте. Уважно слухайте, що кожен учасник говорить. Це означає, що ви слухаєте про що говорять, а не лише думаєте про те, що збираєтесь сказати. Не перебивайте інших. Якщо ви хочете не погодитись (конструктивно), зробіть це ввічливо, уникайте емоційних відповідей, адже вони неефективні. Дотримуйтеся фактів.

5. Беріть участь в обговоренні. Якщо питання винесено на зборах, особа, яка це зробила, очікує, що його обговорять. Тож, обговорюйте, ставте під сумнів, висловлюйте конструктивні заперечення щодо питання, яке презентують. Вас запросили на збори, адже організатори вважають, що ви можете зробити свій внесок. Доведіть їм це.

6. Робіть стислі записи. Записуйте на папері ручкою, не використовуйте ноутбук чи кишеньковий комп’ютер. Не намагайтесь записати все, що говорять. Записуйте лише ключову інформацію: хто збирається що зробити і до якого часу. Переконайтесь, що ви занотували інформацію, яку необхідно передати іншим, наприклад, вашій команді. Ви можете створити свою власну систему нотування інформації для того, щоб прискорити цей процес.

7. Зробіть збори продуктивними. Дотримуйтесь теми. Зробіть свій внесок в обговорення, якщо він доречний. Також демонструйте ваше розуміння регламенту кожного питання, винесеного на порядок денний. Слідуйте цим простим правилам зборів, які є обов’язковими для усіх учасників зборів. Пам’ятайте про те, що збори скликані з певною метою і ваші дії на зборах повинні бути скеровані на її досягнення.

J Business Mix

Slang and idioms

I. a) Read the dialogues “overheard” during and after the meetings. Translate them.

B) Work in pairs. Rephrase the dialogues.

C) Work in groups. Continue the dialogue and make a longer conversation.

1)

- Where are we going to hold the meeting, in the small or large conference room?

- I’d suggest the large one, quite a few people are going to show up.

- Hope this won’t be a “Quakers” meeting this time.

2)

- I think this is a straightforward matter and it shouldn’t take long to decide. I’d like to put the motion to a vote now.

- “ Silence gives consent ”.

3)

- Every time I put forward a suggestion I get jumped on. Nobody stands up for me.

- And how about the manager, does he sit the fence as well?

II. a) Study the following idioms and use them in the dialogues of your own.

a level playing field equal opportunities

to move the goalposts to change the rules, laws which affect a business

a one-horse race a competition with only one possible winner

neck and neck to be very close to a rival in a competition

to pull together to be a good, supportive team

to settle in to start feeling comfortable after moving to a new place, job

1. My boss is never satisfied. Whenever I think I've done what he wants, he ___________

2. There are calls for less restrictive laws in order to allow them to compete on _________ (= in a way that is fair) with other financial institutions.

3. I need a little time ____________, then I can think about buying a car.

4. Mary and Ann were ___________ in the spelling contest. Their scores were tied.

5. If we _______________ as a team, we can get this job done on time.

6. This election has been ______________ right from the start.

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