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iopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfg
hjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcv
bnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwe
rtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopa
sdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjkl
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qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopa
sdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjkl
zxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm
qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyu
iopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfg
hjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcv
bnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwe
Departamentul de Învăţământ
la Distanţă şi Formare
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Continuă
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Facultatea de Ştiinte Economice

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Coordonator de disciplină:
Lector. univ. dr. Oana VOICHICI

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1
 2019-2020

UVT
LIMBA STRĂINĂ ÎN AFACERI II

Suport de curs – învăţământ la distanţă

Studii universitare de licenţă
Specializarea: Management
anul I, semestrul II

Prezentul curs este protejat potrivit legii dreptului de autor şi orice folosire alta
decât în scopuri personale este interzisă de lege sub sancţiune penală

2
SEMNIFICAŢIA PICTOGRAMELOR

 = INFORMAŢII DE REFERINŢĂ/CUVINTE CHEIE

= TEST DE AUTOEVALUARE

= BIBLIOGRAFIE

= TIMPUL NECESAR PENTRU STUDIUL UNEI UNITĂŢI DE

ÎNVĂŢARE

= INFORMAŢII SUPLIMENTARE PUTEŢI GĂSI PE

PLATFORMA ID

3
 CUPRINS - Studiu individual (S.I.)

UI 1. NEGOTIATIONS: Questioning and clarifying..................................... 5

1.1. Negotiation stages…………………………………….................................. 6
1.2. Reading: Negotiations vocabulary........................................................ ............ 6
UI 2. SOCIALISING: From contact to partner.............................................. 10
2.1. Reading: Turning new contacts into partners............................. ................... 11
2.2 Functions and phrases.................................................................................... 14
UI 3. NEGOTIATIONS: Clinching the deal................................................... 16
3.1. Quiz: Are you a hard-nosed negotiator or a soft touch?............................... 17
3.2 Reading: Brinksmanship and clinching the deal...................................... 18
UI 4. MEETINGS: Action points....................................……………………. 21
4.1. Reading.............................................................................................................. 22
4.2. Closing a meeting......................................................................................... 24

4
 UNITATEA DE ÎNVĂŢARE 1

UI 1. NEGOTIATIONS: Questioning and clarifying

1. Contents
2. Aims
3. Introduction
4. Topic development
5. Bibliography

Contents
 UI 1. NEGOTIATIONS: Questioning and clarifying
1.1. Negotiation stages
1.2 Reading: Negotiations vocabulary

= 3 ore

 Aims: to discuss the typical stages in a negotiation, and the

reasons for structuring a negotiation in this way; to examine the importance of
asking different types of questions to clarify and probe; to teach some useful
phrases for clarifying, summarising and responding; to provide practice and
feedback of the situation of checking and responding to the other party’s
position statement.

 Introduction: In a negotiation, it’s very important to know when

to speak, when to ask and when to shut up and listen. Very often, simply
asking questions and listening patiently to the responses can be an
extremely effective way of obtaining vital information and concessions
from the other party. Questions are also essential for checking that you
have understood. This workshop also introduces some language and
techniques for responding to the other party’s position to prepare the
ground for the bargaining stage, which comes next.

5
 1.1. Negotiation stages

1. Put the stages of a formal negotiation into the most logical order. Write 1–9 in
the first column. There may be more than one possible order.

4 a. Party B states initial position and responds to party A’s position

9 b. Tying up loose ends
7 c. Party A states initial position
8 d. Trading concessions
1 e. Relationship-building
3 f. Party A asks questions to clarify party B’s position
2 g. Establishing a procedure
9 h. Clinching the deal
5 i. Party B asks questions to clarify party A’s position
6 j. Party A responds to party B’s position
2. Discuss.

1. Do you think the stages of the negotiation should be kept separate in this way,
or is it better just to keep things flexible? is better to keep flexible
2. Is it better to present your position first or second? second time
3. What is the simple reason for asking lots of questions? clinching the deal
4. What is a more strategic reason for questioning? establish a procedure
5. Are there any dangers connected with questioning? loosen the end
6. What do you think is involved in responding to the other party’s position?
tradings
concessions
1.2. Reading: Negotiations vocabulary

A. In an important business negotiation, it’s vital to have a procedure. Of course, you

 can deviate from that procedure as much as you like as the negotiation progresses. And
Reading, certainly the most important parts of the negotiation, trading concessions and clinching the
key- deal, are almost impossible to plan. But the earlier stages definitely can be planned, and both
concepts sides will benefit if you take the time to do things properly.

B. Firstly, make sure you include time to build relationships with the other party. This
is not just about being nice and modern, but it actually makes very good business sense. The

6
negotiation is much more likely to reach a mutually-acceptable conclusion, and you’ll also
be in a much better position to build a successful long-term partnership once the deal is
signed.

C. The next stage is to establish the procedure – unless you’ve been really well
organised and done this via email in advance of your face-to-face meeting. Don’t impose
your own agenda on the other party, but aim to have at least a simple framework to follow.
Even if the other party wants to be flexible and spontaneous, that’s up to them. But you need
to be aware of the benefits you will gain by keeping everything under control.

D. Then it’s time for the first party to present its position. There are advantages and
disadvantages to going first. The advantage is that you get to set the agenda – you decide
what the main negotiation points are. It’s also much easier to prepare if you know you’re
going first. Unfortunately, it also means you may accidentally give the other party more than
they were expecting. For example, the price you say you’re willing to pay may be
significantly higher than the one they were willing to accept.

E. During the other party’s position statement, it’s absolutely vital for you to say as
little as possible. Very often, if you simply listen in silence, the presenter will do half the
negotiating for you! Just let them talk as much as they want, and whatever you do, don’t
interrupt them – unless it’s to tell them to slow down so you can keep notes. Of course,
there’ll be plenty of things that you’ll want to check, so that’s why you need to keep those
notes as detailed as possible.

F. When they’ve finished their opening position statement, you finally get your chance
to speak, but again, you’ll benefit a lot more by asking simple questions and letting them talk
some more. The obvious reason for asking questions is to check you’ve understood
everything correctly. But probing questions are also your best way to understand their
underlying interests, and to identify room for manoeuvre. Remember: the more they talk,
the more they reveal.

G. Just don’t be too aggressive in your questioning. If you challenge everything from
their opening position statement and make them justify all their demands, you’ll find it much
harder to trade concessions later. Psychologically, it’s much harder to back down once
you’ve justified your position in public, so you may accidentally back them into a corner,
with the result that the negotiation will soon reach deadlock.

H. Once you’ve checked and clarified as much as you can about their position, it’s a
good idea to repeat the key points back to them, one by one, as a final check. This may

7
actually prompt them to reveal more information or even give some ground. This is also
when you can start revealing your own position – initially by responding to the key points the
other party made. For example, you can comment on which of their points sound reasonable,
which might have some room for compromise, and which look like potential sticking points.
But avoid going into too much detail at this stage – you don’t want to start negotiating with
yourself, and you’ve also got your own position to present.

I. This whole procedure is repeated for the second party’s position statement: the
statement followed by questions and then a final check. At this stage, you’ll probably want to
take a time-out to talk things over with your team, and review your best strategy for
reaching a deal. There’s still the main body of the negotiation ahead of you: trading
concessions and hopefully clinching the deal, plus all the loose ends to be tied up once
you’ve agreed on the main points. But if you manage the early stages sensibly, those final
stages should be much easier and more successful.

1. Which paragraph from the article above deals with which questions from
exercise 2?

5
2. Look at the words and phrases in bold in the article. Match the words and
phrases from the article with their definitions.
1. If you deviate from a a. … you can be flexible.
procedure … b
2. If a decision is mutually- k b. … you make a concession.
acceptable, …
3. If you impose something on c. … you don’t give them a choice.
someone, …
c
4. A framework is … d. … you have a break from the
g negotiation.
5. If you set the agenda … e. … you give something in return
a for something from the other party.
6. Probing questions … j f. … you move away from it.
7. If you have room for g. … simpler than a structured
manoeuvre, … i agenda.
8. If you challenge a statement, h. … you make it impossible for
… h them to find a way out.
9. If you trade concessions, … i. … you finalise all the remaining
e small details.
10. If you back down, … j. … you force the other person to
f justify it.
11. If you back somebody into a o k. … both sides are happy with it.

8
corner, …
12. If you give some ground, …
13. A sticking point …
14. If you take a time-out, …
15. If you clinch the deal, …
16. If you tie up loose ends, …
l l. … is something that could cause
the negotiation to fail.
n m. … are attempts to discover
hidden details.
n. … you accept that you cannot get
d all you want.
o. … your actions determine how
p the rest of the meeting will run.
m p. … you reach an agreement.

BIBLIOGRAFIE RECOMANDATĂ

1. Evans, David (2000). Business English Verbs, Harlow: Pearson Education

Limited.
2. Gude, Kathy (1997). Proficiency in English, Oxford: University Press.
3. Tullis, Graham & Tonya Trappe (2005). New Insights into Business. Student’s
Book, Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

Resurse online
1. English for Business, https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teaching-
adults/resources/english-business
2. Business and work, https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/business-and-
work

9
 UNITATEA DE ÎNVĂŢARE 2

UI 2. SOCIALISING: From contact to partner

1. Contents
2. Aims
3. Introduction
4. Topic development
5. Bibliography

Contents
 UI 2. SOCIALISING: From contact to partner
2.1. Reading: Turning new contacts into partners
2.2 Functions and phrases

= 3 ore

 Aims: to discuss techniques and potential problems connected

with moving from superficial relationships towards friendship and
partnership; to introduce a range of functions and exponents for inviting,
insisting, accepting, refusing, etc.; to practise the language and skills in a series
of controlled and freer role-plays.

 Introduction: While it is natural to focus on the challenge of

starting conversations with strangers and keeping these conversations
going, the real purpose of socialising is to turn these contacts into partners
or even friends. Even a simple task like inviting a person out to a
restaurant can cause embarrassment and stress. For this reason, this lesson
includes discussions of why such situations are difficult, as well as plenty of
practice.

10
 2.1. Reading: Turning new contacts into partners
We meet dozens or even hundreds of people at conferences, and often find it difficult to

 remember faces to go with all the business cards we receive. For this reason, we need to do
something different, to stand out from the crowd, to give the other person a better chance of
Reading,
key- remembering who we are and, hopefully, doing some business with us in the future.
concepts
The simplest approach is to follow up your meeting with an email or connect with them
on a social networking site. This is much better than nothing, but it takes a long time to build
a good working relationship with someone through typed messages. A much better approach
is to try to build a relationship face-to-face. This may involve inviting the other person for a
meal, offering them a lift (or even sharing a walk back to the hotel), or helping them in some
way (e.g. buying them a coffee).

Easy, right? Well, actually, no. Inviting a person for dinner can be one of the most
difficult things we have to do. For one thing, it may feel uncomfortably like flirting: showing
that you are romantically attracted to someone. And even if you are not flirting, the other
person may think you are. Or you may simply think that they think that you’re flirting … and
it all gets very complicated.

More generally, by inviting the other person the chance to spend more time with you, it
can be unpleasant for you if they turn down your invitation. They may even accept your
invitation in order not to hurt your feelings, even if they don’t want to spend time with you.
This fear of rejection, or worrying about forcing the other person to do something they don’t
want to do, can make it very difficult to make the invitation in the first place.

So what can you do about these problems? One good way to show that you are not
flirting is to invite several people at the same time, or at least to make it clear that the person
you are inviting may bring a friend. There’s an added bonus in this approach: the
conversation will flow more freely if there are three or four of you, rather than just “dinner
for two”.

One way of dealing with the fear of rejection is to phrase your invitation in such a way
that you can pretend later (even if only to yourself) that it wasn’t really an invitation. For
example, if you ask “What are you doing after this evening’s meeting?”, the other person
could respond “Nothing, really. I was thinking of going to a restaurant. What about you?”.
Note the use of past tense (“I was thinking”) – that’s a signal that they’re open to ideas, and
you should continue with a more specific invitation. If they answer with some concrete plans
(e.g. “I’m meeting up with some friends for a drink”), you can pretend all along that you were

11
really just making small talk, and you could turn the conversation round to something else
(“Oh, so you have friends here in the city?”). It’s also important to signal that the other
person can say no without being embarrassed. Something like “it’s up to you” or “no
pressure” is good for this.

Whatever you do, make sure you try at least. You’ll find it gets much easier with
practice, and you’ll end up with some great new business partners – and maybe some good
friends too.

Sort out the three conversations

Conversation 1

a B: You know what, I think I will. There’s no point in both of us

6 eating alone.
b B: Great. And here’s mine.
8
c A: Well, I was thinking of checking out one of the restaurants. I
3 don’t suppose you’d like to join me for dinner?
A: Great. Do you like Italian food? There’s supposed to be a
d 5
really nice Italian restaurant near the old castle.
e 1 A: So, do you have any plans for this evening?

f A: OK, well, it’s up to you. If you do decide to join me, you’ll be

9 very welcome
g A: Perfect. OK, so here’s my business card – you can call me if
7 you can’t find it.
h B: Well, I don’t know. Possibly …
4
i B: Sounds great. Shall we say seven o’clock?
10
j B: Not really. I thought I might have a walk around the old town
later.
2 What about you?

12
Conversation 2

k B: By the way, please allow me to pay for tonight’s meal. I can

14 put it on my company’s invoice.
l A: Well, er, OK, then that’s very kind of you. Thank-you. In that
case, you must allow me to at least buy you a drink. What
17 can I get you?
m B: No – I got here about five minutes early, but I’ve been
12 admiring the view of the castle. It’s spectacular, isn’t it.
n B: Please, I insist. You were kind enough to invite me, so it’s the
16 least I can do.
o B: Just an orange juice for me, please. Thank-you. Now, you
18 must tell me more about this project you mentioned earlier.
p A: It is indeed.
13
q 11 A: Ah, you’re here already. Have you been waiting long?

r A: No, no, I wouldn’t dream of it. I invited you.

15

Conversation 3

s B: No, I’m fine, thanks. I think I’ll walk – I need some exercise
25 after all that food.
t A: OK, fair enough. What are you doing tomorrow evening?
22
u B: No, no. It’s not a problem.
21
v A: It’s really my pleasure. And are you sure I can’t pay for
anything?
20

13
 w B: I’m flying back tomorrow afternoon, I’m afraid. Why do you
ask?
23
x A: Oh, nothing. I was just going to suggest meeting up with
24 some of my colleagues. But it doesn’t matter. I’m going to
order a taxi back now. Can I offer you a lift anywhere?
y 19 B: That was a lovely meal. Thank-you again for inviting me.

2.2 Functions and phrases

Look at these examples of phrases for a range of social functions. The gapped
phrases all came from the dialogue. Without looking back at the dialogue, write
one word in each space. Then check by reading the dialogue again.

do you have any plans for this evening i was thinking to checking some restaurants

about you
are you doing for thought i might

supposed
don’t know
are you sure
be very welcomed

supposed to be
up to you
shall we say

know what
dream of it fair enough
fine,thanks

14
 put it on my
kind enough to
can call me last i can do
let me to a problem
my pleasure
give you a stop

must allow me to
very kind of you
i insist
for inviting me

was just going to suggest

u

i need some

BIBLIOGRAFIE RECOMANDATĂ

1. Evans, David (2000). Business English Verbs, Harlow: Pearson Education

Limited.
2. Gude, Kathy (1997). Proficiency in English, Oxford: University Press.
3. Tullis, Graham & Tonya Trappe (2005). New Insights into Business. Student’s
Book, Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

Resurse online
1. English for Business, https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teaching-
adults/resources/english-business
2. Business and work, https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/business-and-
work

15
 UNITATEA DE ÎNVĂŢARE 3

UI 3. NEGOTIATIONS: Clinching the deal

1. Contents
2. Aims
3. Introduction
4. Topic development
5. Bibliography

Contents
 UI 3. NEGOTIATIONS: Clinching the deal
3.1. Quiz: Are you a hard-nosed negotiator or a soft touch?
3.2 Reading: Brinksmanship and clinching the deal

= 4 ore

 Aims: to discuss some aggressive negotiation tactics, and ways to

deal with them; to analyse an example of the closing stage of a negotiation; to
teach some useful phrases for reaching agreement and clinching a deal; to
provide practice and feedback of the situation of closing a negotiation.

 Introduction: The final stages of a negotiation don’t always go

smoothly. It is not uncommon for one side to threaten to walk away from
the deal, a situation which is often in neither side’s interests. This is where
planning and preparation are especially valuable: you need to be able to
evaluate accurately the benefits of making an additional concession, or
simply accepting that there is no deal to be reached. This workshop deals
with a number of common events and situations from the closing stages of
a negotiation: from dealing with brinksmanship to finally clinching the
deal.

16
 3.1. Quiz: Are you a hard-nosed negotiator or a soft touch?
1. What is your goal in a negotiation?
a. To reach an agreement, no matter what.
b. To win, no matter what.
c. Something else. (What?)

2. Which of these adjectives best describes you during a negotiation? Choose up to

three.
a. tenacious e. stubborn i. patient
b. flexible f. aggressive j. cautious
c. generous g. helpful k. creative
d. weak h. accommodating l. spontaneous

3. Which of these nouns would you use to describe your opposite number in the
negotiation?
a. enemy c. adversary e. counterpart
b. partner d. opponent f. friend

4. You’re in an important negotiation which you desperately want to work. At one

point, your opposite number threatens to end the negotiation if you don’t concede a big
point. You’ve tried being flexible, but nothing seems to work. It’s all or nothing. What
do you do?
a. Make the concession.
b. Call his bluff – walk away yourself.
c. Something else. (What?)
5. You’ve reached deadlock. You know your opponent needs to get a deal signed today,
but she won’t accept your final offer. What do you do?
a. Dig your heels in. Let her find a way out of this.
b. Make a concession.
c. Something else. (What?)

6. In her opening statement, your potential client has said she can’t pay more than $100
per unit, which surprised you. You were planning to start your asking price at $100 and
would have settled for as little as £80. What do you do?
a. Accept the £100 immediately.
b. Ask for £120, and be prepared to give the £20 away later in the negotiation.
c. Something else. (What?)

17
 7. You’ve finally reached agreement on all the key points. But just as you’re ready to
sign the deal, your counterpart throws a spanner in the works: he wants to delay the
start date by a month. It’s not a disaster for you, but it’s certainly not convenient. What
do you do?
a. Accept the new terms – you don’t want to throw away all you’ve agreed.
b. Go back to the beginning and try to negotiate a solution.
c. Something else. (What?)

3.2 Reading: Brinksmanship and clinching the deal


In any negotiation, there may come a point where one or the other party threatens to
walk away. This, of course, is bad for both parties: they’re both here in order to find a
Reading, solution. They’ve both invested plenty of time, effort and money in the negotiation so far:
key-
researching it, planning it, taking part in it. They may have no obvious BATNA1 , or at least
concepts
their BATNA is a lot worse that a successful agreement.

On the other hand, a bad deal is worse than no deal. If you are convinced that you
would be better off by walking away, based on your previous research, then you have to be
prepared to do that. That’s one reason why it can be better to hold the negotiation in their
office, or even in neutral territory like a hotel: you can’t really walk away if it’s your own
office!

The same goes for the way you react to the other side’s threats: if you’d be better off by
letting them walk away, rather than accepting their unacceptable offer, then that’s what you
have to do. Try not to think in terms of the hours that you have personally invested in the
deal, but rather in terms of the overall costs and benefits for your organisation. It’s better to
accept you’ve wasted a week’s work (however difficult it’s been for you personally) than to
agree to a deal that will cost your organisation much more. Your investment in the
negotiation could still be a factor in your decision-making, but it shouldn’t normally be the
most important factor.

Brinksmanship – negotiating through threats to walk away – can sometimes be simply

a bluff. If they sense that you need the deal more than they do, they may try using threats to
walk away in order to extract concessions from you. They may not actually want to walk
away – their threats might be just a bluff. So if you call their bluff and say you’ll let them
walk away, they may well change their strategy to accommodate you. And even if you
calculate that the deal on offer is still better than nothing, remember: you’re trying to build a
long-term relationship here. If the relationship starts with threats and bluffs, it could be a sign
that it will be difficult in the future too.

18
 The point to remember is that negotiations aren’t a game. If you’re honest about what
you need, what you can and can’t accept and why you’re in the negotiation, there’s no need
for bluffing and brinksmanship. Tell them that you want to find a solution and do your best to
explore creative solutions, but don’t be afraid to tell them what you’re not prepared to accept.
Be firm but patient and positive.

Clinching the deal can be a long, slow process. The trick is to keep a record of what
you’ve agreed, and make absolute sure you both understand exactly what has been agreed.
That way you can focus the negotiation on the one or two key variables that remain ‘on the
table’. Of course, you can still return to those agreed points if necessary, to put them back on
the table in order to resolve those final sticking points. The principle is that everything is on
the table until the whole deal has been clinched. And in the end, either there’s a deal to be
clinched or there isn’t.

Once you’ve both decided that there is a deal to be clinched, there may be all sorts of
loose ends to tie up. As long as these really are just loose ends, tiny details which are
irrelevant to the main deal, it’s usually fine to leave these for later. (But make sure you do
resolve them pretty quickly!) But the real problem comes when one party throws a major
spanner in the works at the last moment, when you’re about to sign the deal. This is a
particularly unpleasant trick, as nobody wants to go back to square one, so tired negotiators
often capitulate. But a trick it is, and the only sensible way to handle it is to call a time out
and plan how to resolve the new complication calmly and logically.

After reading the article, answer the following question: Are these
statements true or false? Why?
1. Walking away from the deal is usually disadvantageous for both parties.
2. It’s usually better to hold the negotiation in your office.
3. Even if you’ve invested a lot of your own time and effort in the negotiation,
you shouldn’t let this influence your decision-making.
4. Brinksmanship is a very risky strategy.
5. If you call someone’s bluff, you allow them to do what they were
threatening to do.
6. Brinksmanship can be a useful way of building long-term relationships.
7. It’s important to be honest, creative, firm, patient and positive.
8. Once you have agreed on one point (e.g. a 5% discount), you shouldn’t go
back to renegotiate that point later.

19
9. You must always tie up all the loose ends before you clinch the deal.
10. Throwing a spanner in the works at the last minute can sometimes be an
effective strategy.

BIBLIOGRAFIE RECOMANDATĂ

1. Evans, David (2000). Business English Verbs, Harlow: Pearson Education

Limited.
2. Gude, Kathy (1997). Proficiency in English, Oxford: University Press.
3. Tullis, Graham & Tonya Trappe (2005). New Insights into Business. Student’s
Book, Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

Resurse online
1. English for Business, https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teaching-
adults/resources/english-business
2. Business and work, https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/business-and-
work

20
 UNITATEA DE ÎNVĂŢARE 4

UI 4. MEETINGS: Action points

1. Contents
2. Aims
3. Introduction
4. Topic development
5. Bibliography

Contents
 UI 4. MEETINGS: Action points
4.1. Reading
4.2 Closing a meeting

= 4 ore

 Aims: to discuss five key questions for Action Points; To teach

and practise some useful phrases for volunteering for and delegating Action
Points; to teach some useful phrases for closing a meeting; to provide practice
and feedback of the situations of closing a meeting.

 Introduction: For many people, a meeting is only as successful as

the Action Points it produces. Action Points are essential for moving things
forward between meetings, and provide a focus both for the closing of one
meeting and the opening of the next meeting. This lesson looks in some
detail at what makes a successful Action Point. There is also a focus on the
various steps involved in bringing a meeting to a successful close.

21
 4.1. Reading
Lara: OK, so we’ve done really well today in terms of coming up with ideas. I think now it’s
 time to firm things up a little and try to take some of these ideas forward as action
Reading, points. Er … we talked about setting up a crèche for employees’ children, and I think
key- we all agreed this would be something to investigate further. Arnie, you said there’s a
concepts
crèche in our Stockholm office. Can I task you with finding out as much as you can
about it?
Arnie: Sure, no problem. I’ll be seeing some of the reps from Stockholm in a couple of
weeks, so I’ll ask them about it when I see them.
Lara: Well, could you send them an email instead? I’d really prefer not to have to wait
several weeks. I think we’d need an answer in good time for next month’s meeting,
where I’d like you to report back on your findings.
Arnie: OK … that’s fine. What exactly do you want me to ask in my email?

Lara: Great. Well, I suppose we’ll also need to look into the legal aspects of having children
in the building. I imagine there are all sorts of rules and procedures we need to know
about. Would anyone like to volunteer?
Sabina: Yes, I can do that. I’ll make a start today.
Lara: That’s great. Roy, can you help Sabina out on that? It’s quite a big job, I imagine.
Roy: Well, I could, but I’m really busy at the moment with my regular work. Don’t forget, I
don’t have any hours allocated to this project.
Lara: OK, that’s a good point. Would you like to be more involved? I mean, would you like
me to speak to Niall about getting you some hours allocated to this project?
Roy: Well, perhaps at some stage in the future, but not for at least two months. I’m happy to
attend these meetings and contribute ideas, but I’ve got to put my regular duties first.
Lara: OK, fair enough.

Lara: OK, and finally, we need to look into how popular this service would actually be. I
suppose some sort of staff survey would be important here, you know, would you use
the service, how much would you be willing to pay for it, that sort of thing …
Arnie: So you want employees to pay for it? I thought it was supposed to be free …

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Lara: Well, someone’s got to pay for it, whether it’s the company, which effectively means
all the employees, or only the employees that use it. But it’s something we need to
investigate.
Kelly: Would you like me to organise a staff survey?
Lara: Yes, that would be great.
Kelly: OK, so can I pick your brains at some stage on exactly how to word the survey?
Lara: Well, I think Rachel might be the best person for that. Rachel, can I delegate that job to
you?
Rachel: Sure, no problem. We can have a quick meeting tomorrow morning, if you like.
Kelly: Great. That would be really useful.
Lara: Good. And Rachel, can I also ask you to oversee this survey, you know, in terms of
making sure Kelly has all the tools she needs to get it done and reported in time for our
next meeting?
Rachel: Yes, of course.

The extracts are from a meeting about making the workplace more family-
friendly. How many action points are there? Do the participants answer all of
these key questions for each action point?

The Five Key Questions for Action Points

• What exactly does the action point involve?
• Who is responsible for performing the action point?
• Who will monitor that person’s progress?
• What is the deadline?
• What will happen on that deadline? (How will it be checked and followed up?)

Writing
You all work for the same organisation. The managers from your head office have
asked you to make your premises more suitable for disabled employees and visitors.
Some of the ideas that you brainstormed included:

• installing a lift;
• adding a wheelchair ramp to the steps outside the front door;
• replacing the traditional heavy front door with sliding doors;
• training reception staff how to communicate with deaf people;
• making the whole building easier and safer for blind people to explore;

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 • ensuring all safety procedures, including fire evacuation procedures, are designed
with disabled people in mind.

Use these and your own additional ideas to plan a list of action points. Make sure
the five key questions have been answered for each action point. Try to use some
of the Useful Phrases from this lesson.

4.2. Closing a meeting

1. In what order would you do the following at the end of a meeting?

a. AOB d. Signal that people can leave

b. Invite final questions e. Summarise the Action Points
c. Plan the next meeting f. Thank people

2. Read the end of the meeting on making the building more family friendly. In
what order does Lara go through the six steps (a–f)?

 3. Underline the key phrases she uses for each step.

Key-
concepts 4. What do you notice about the verb forms for talking about Action Points?
Why is this different from the earlier part of the meeting?

Lara: OK, great, so I think that’s about all for the action points, unless there’s
something I’ve missed? No? OK, so the last point on the agenda is Any Other
Business. Is there anything else we need to discuss at this stage?
Roy: Well, obviously we’ll need to think about budgets at some point.
Lara: Yes, you’re right. But I think that’s something for our next meeting, once we’ve
got a rough idea of what’s feasible. Is there something specific you feel we
need to discuss now, or can it wait til we’ve got more information?
Roy: No, it’s fine to leave it til next time, but I’m just worried about wasting a lot of
time planning, and then thinking about budgets only as an afterthought, six
months into the project.

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Lara: OK, that’s a good point. I’ll add it to next month’s agenda. Is there anything
else? No? OK, so I just want to go through the list of Action Points. Arnie’s
going to email Stockholm this week, to find out about their crèche … and
you’re going to report back to us at our next meeting. Is that OK, Arnie?
Arnie: Yes, that’s fine. I’m going to email them tomorrow, in fact.
Lara: Good. Sabina’s going to investigate the legal aspects. Again, you’re going to
report back to us in a month, Sabina?
Sabina: Uh-huh. Unless I find something really important, in which case I’ll email
everyone straight away.
Lara: Good idea. And Kelly’s going to have a meeting with Rachel tomorrow
morning, to plan the staff survey … is that right?
Kelly: Yes.
Lara: Good … and you’re also going to report back at our next meeting. Wow, it’s
going to be a busy meeting. We’re also going to start thinking about our
budget and costs at that meeting. Is there anything I’ve missed? No? OK, so
I’ll send round a list of action points tomorrow morning, and a provisional
agenda for the next meeting. I suppose we could fix a time and date for that
meeting now. How about making it exactly a month from now? That’s
Wednesday the 11th at 10 o’clock. Is that OK? Excellent.
Right, so are there any final questions?
OK, so thank-you all very much. I think we’ve had a really productive
meeting. Loads of really good ideas, and it really feels as if we’re moving
forward with this project. Please do keep me informed if you have any
problems with your action points. OK, so thanks again everybody, and have a
nice day.

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 BIBLIOGRAFIE RECOMANDATĂ

1. Evans, David (2000). Business English Verbs, Harlow: Pearson Education

Limited.
2. Gude, Kathy (1997). Proficiency in English, Oxford: University Press.
3. Tullis, Graham & Tonya Trappe (2005). New Insights into Business. Student’s
Book, Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

Resurse online
1. English for Business, https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teaching-
adults/resources/english-business
2. Business and work, https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/business-and-
work

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