Business Verbs

Listen to the following PODCAST and learn some useful verbs connected to Business.

Inviting colleagues to a meeting

There are a number of ways in which you can call or be called to a meeting. Sometimes, meetings are announced by email or posted on bulletin boards. However, you are going to invite a colleague (in this case another participant from the course) by means of a video. In order to do so, you will have to create an account in the following WEBSITE to then record your invitation and share it. 
Remember to look for tutorials on the web. There are plenty of them available! 

Before completing the task, have a look at the following emails to get ideas on what to say and how to say it. Don't forget to complete the multiple choice activity suggested to check you have understood the phrases in bold type. 

How a meeting is organised?

Look at the following moments in a meeting and organise them in an ONLINE TIMELINE. Try to include keywords to help you remember what is involved in each step.

Remember to check how to use this tool by watching this TUTORIAL or any other online resource available on the web and don't forget to share the link so we can all have a look at it. 

• Introducing the agenda: Sometimes people prefer to pass copies of the agenda, post a large copy on the walls or use an overhead projector. No matter the which format it is used, the person in charge of the meeting should always provide a brief verbal outline of the objectives.
• Closing the meeting: it includes reminders, summary of the main points, thank you’s and congratulations and closing remarks.
• Taking attendance: In big meetings, it is very common to send around an attendance sheet or call out names. 
• Taking the minutes: it is an outline of the meeting. It should include at least the following ítems: a title for the meeting, the location of the meeting, the time the meeting started and ended, the name of the chairperson, a list of attendees, the names of the abseentees as well as people who arrive late at the meeting, important points discussed, votes and results. 
• Opening a meeting: Once everyone has arrived, the chairperson, or whoever is in charge of the meeting should formally welcome everyone to the meeting and thank the attendees for coming.

USEFUL VOCABULARY: Check the following web pages and study the phrases you can use in each of the steps mentioned above.

• OPENING A MEETING
• FOLLOWING THE AGENDA
• CLOSING A MEETING

Business Meetings - Vocabulary Practice

Love them or hate them, as we have already seen in the video, meetings are an important part of the business world. Nowadays, it is increasingly common to have business meetings with colleagues or clients from other countries, where the meeting is in English. 

Read the introduction below of a Business Meeting, where participants are welcomed and introduced to the different items to be covered. Try to infer from the context, the meaning of the words that appear in bold type and complete the suggested multiple choice activity. 

Chair: 'Welcome to the latest meeting for the Samuel Project. I appreciate that you're all busy and thanks for attending. My name is David Mitchell and I will be the Chairfor today's meeting. Steve Crowther will be taking the minutes.

You'll find a copy of the meeting agenda in front of you on the table. As you can see, there are 7 items which we are going to discuss today. I updated the agenda this morning, so it should be fine. But if you have any other issues which you would like to talk about, please do it in the any other business part of the meeting at the end.

There are two absentees from today's meeting, Peter Jackson can't attend today due to a prior commitment. He sends his apologies. Also Sarah Campbell can't make it, she's on holiday. So, John Hopkins is standing in for Sarah today. Does anybody have any questions?'

Attendee:'Yes, I do. How long will the meeting last?'

Chair: 'About two hours. Any more question? No? Well, I think that's all, so let's start.'

Now, take a look at the following set of words and phrases which are also connected to Business Meetings. Choose two of them, and provide a definition and an example on how to use it in a sentence in the following WIKI. You can check the following ONLINE DICTIONARY to find the meaning of any unknown word. 

Business Meetings - Introduction

Welcome to a new class in which we are going to learn useful words, phrases, structures and cultural tips to run effective business meetings. 

In order to start, let's work together on the following ONLINE MINDMAP in which you will have to write ideas connected to the main question: What do meetings mean? 

Remember to check the following ONLINE TUTORIAL or any other resource available on the web to get to know how to use this new tool. 

Once you have completed the map, watch the video below and compare your ideas with the ones mentioned by the different business people. Add any new ideas, concepts or information you consider important to our collaborative mindmap. 

Remember to read your partners' contributions to avoid repeating already mentioned ideas. 

Reading Comprehension Practice

Before reading: Look at the following WORDCLOUD in which key words that appear in the text you are about to read are presented and answer: 

Word cloud made with WordItOut

-What do you think the text is going to be about? 
-What information do you expect to find? 
-What type of text (newspaper article, essay, coursebook text, etc) is it? Why do you think so? 

While reading: Read the TEXT carefully and choose the option that best completes each of the sentences below. Write your answer as a comment to this post. 

1. The economists ___________.
    a. disagree whether to restrict free trade or not. 
    b. agree on free trade. 
    c. agree on the restriction of International Trade.
    d. hold different arguments because of their different interests. 

2. The two parties in a free trade __________.
     a. do not care at all. 
     b. care for different things. 
     c. care for the things being traded. 
     d. care for the same things. 

3. What is the author's attitude toward protectionism?
     a. Sincere.
     b. Appreciative.
     c. Grateful. 
     d. Ironic.

4. Why has protectionism always been exercised if it is wasteful and injust? 
     a. because it helps to establish national industry of one's own. 
     b. because it can achieve an independent economy. 
     c. because it is favored by general public. 
     d. because it benefits some privileged few.

5. According to the free trade principle, the author suggests that ______. 
     a. U.S. explore its oil shale. 
     b. Saudi Arabia build its own industry. 
     c. Saudi Arabia import food from U.S
     d. U.S. becomes more self-sufficient in food. 

After reading: What's your own opinion about the topic discussed? Do you agree or disagree with the author of the text? Why? 

Check the following PRESENTATION in which some useful words and phrases for giving opinions in English are shown. 

Giving opinions from emekoo

Write your personal opinion in the following shared DOCUMENT.

International Trade

In today's lesson we are going to focus on International Trade and how it affects or benefits business.

Let's start by watching the following VIDEO to then discuss orally the questions below: 

                  

- Why countries trade? 

- Which are the advantages of trade in a global economy? Are there any disadvantages? 

- How would you define International Trade? Which are its main characteristics?

 Take a look at the following Voicethread in which International Trade is defined and its main characteristics mentioned:

                   
YOUR TASK: Choose one of the last four (4) elements that characterize International Trade and that was not explained in the VoiceThread and do some research to explain it in your own words. 
Record your answer using the following ONLINE TOOL. 
If necessary, check this TUTORIAL to know how Ivvox works.