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Unit 04 :
Taking meeting minutes

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Vocabulary

Repeat these sentences with your teacher first.

1. tips(n.)
to say that someone is likely to be successful or achieve something

2. meeting minutes(n.)
the written record of what was said at a meeting

3. notice(v.)
to see or become conscious of something or someone

4. formatting(n.)
the way in which text, pictures, etc. are organized, especially on a computer

5. preferred(adj.)
liked or wanted more than anything else

6. jot(v.)
to make a quick short note of something

7. attendance(n.)
the fact of being at an event or going to a place

8. decisions(n.)
a choice that you make about something after thinking about several possibilities

9. agenda(n.)
a list of matters to be discussed at a meeting

10. approved(v.)
used to refer to something that is generally or officially accepted as being correct or satisfactory

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Dialogue

Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.

James

Richard

Hey Richard, could you please give me some tips on taking meeting minutes?

Sure. Have a look at this copy of last week’s meeting minutes. Notice the formatting?

So it’s ok if I take notes by hand?

Sure is. It’s actually preferred most of the time because it’s easier to jot side notes down.

Ok. So I should take attendance and note decisions made about each agenda item, right?

That’s right. Oh, and don’t forget to write down the date and time of the meeting.

Of course. I take it that I have to get a final draft approved before distributing it to the team?

You got it. Once it’s been approved, just convert it to a PDF file and email it to everyone.

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Article

Read the article with your teacher.

How to take meeting minutes

Meeting minutes are the detailed notes that serve as an official written record of a meeting or conference. Here are some pointers to help you handle this task with finesse. 

Pass around an attendance sheet and make sure everyone signs in. You will need to include a list of all attendees in the official meeting minutes.

Make sure you know who everyone is. That way you will be able to identify who is speaking and correctly record that information.

Note the time the meeting begins.

Don’t try to write down every single comment. It is okay to include only the main ideas. Be very careful not to leave out items with which you disagree. Your biases shouldn’t influence you. Remember this is an official account, not your opinion of what happened.

Write down all motions, who made them, and the results of votes, if any; you don’t need to write down who seconded a motion. Of course, the rules of your organization may differ so verify those with your boss first.

If votes on any motions or discussions are deferred until the next meeting, make a note of that.

Record the ending time of the meeting.

Source: The Balance Careers, “How to take meeting minutes”

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Discussion:

Answer the following questions to your teacher.

1.What kinds of meetings do you usually attend? 
2.Do you think regular meetings are necessary? Why? Why not

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Let’s practice

Choose the correct answer.

1. I ____ that the CEO is coming for this meeting.

A.point 
B.notice
C.cancel 
D.note

2.Should I ____ every document ____ a PDF file?

with / move / lead / to / convert

3.It usually takes two days for the board to ____ our program.

A.approve|
B.vote 
C.command
D.propose