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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Lesson 1: Introduction to Minutes-taking

By Leo Yu(Office: OEE1014; Phone: 3411-5803; email: leoyu@hkbu.edu.hk)

7 May 2002

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Outline

• Course Introduction

• Current Practice in Minutes-taking

• Stages in Minutes-taking

• Listening Skills

• Note-taking skills

• Using Symbols

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Course Introduction (Purpose)

• Help practising EOs equip with necessary minutes-writing skills to meet the needs in their daily work

• Exposed to the BU culture (c.f. Authentic materials)

• Sharing instead of Teaching

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Course Introduction (Content)

• 4-hr Workshop (one meeting per week)

• Lesson 2: Format and Variation

• Lesson 3: Language

• Lesson 4: Tips & Practice

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Teaching Methods

• Group Presentation (10 mins)

• Group Critique (10 mins)

• Mini-lecture (10-15 mins)

• Discussion and Reflection (15-20 mins)

• Discussion Board (outside classroom)

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Current Practice in Minutes-taking

• Skills training (In Lessons 1 & 2)

• Language-training (in Lesson 3)

• Use of IT (in Lesson 4)

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Stages in Minutes-taking

• Activity 1– What is the purpose of holding a meeting?– Could you organise the minutes-taking pro

cess into stages?

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Before the meeting

• Anticipation • Agenda items• Related document(s) (e.g. reports, last

minutes)

• Preparation• Outline (‘Skeleton’)• Attendance List

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

During the meeting

• Note-taking– Listening skills– Note-taking skills

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

After the meeting

• Writing up the minutes– Clarifications– Post-meeting action

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Listening Skills (1)

• Active listening– Listen for the gist

@ What needs to be noted down?

@ How to deal with figures?

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Listening Skills (2)

• Reporting– Who is reporting?– Parties involved– Actions taken– Suggestions– Details (figures/date/time/place)– [Responsible parties]

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Listening Skills (3)

• Decision-making– Proposer & Seconder– Proposal– Resolution (a statement)– Objection? (if yes, reasons)– Decision?– Agreed/Declined/Deferred?– Responsible parties

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Listening Skills (4)

• Figures– Reporting

• Maybe part of a report

– Decision/Proposal• Spontaneous

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Note-taking Skills (1)

• ‘Action’ verbs (YES)• Accept• Attempt• Confirm• Decide• Plan• Propose• Refuse• Reject• Try

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Note-taking Skills (2)

• ‘Reporting’ verbs (NO)• Hold• Illustrate• Report• Say• Show• State

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Note-taking Skills (3)

• Active voice

• Present tense

• Part of speech (verb)• classification (classify)• Modification (modify)

• Fragmented sentence• Key words (no articles/pronoun)

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Use of Symbols (1)

• Short-form (abbreviation)• That is (i.e.)• For example (e.g.)• Refer to (c.f.)• First/Second (1st / 2nd)• Before (b4)• You (U)• Today (2d)• Tomorrow (2mo)• Next/last week (n/wk; l/wk)

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Use of Symbols (2)

• Short-form (abbreviation-cont’d)• Monday/ Tuesday (M/Tu/W/T/F/S/Sun)• January/February (M1/M2)• Because (coz)• For information (FI)• Organising Committee (OC)

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Use of Symbols (3)

• Symbols• Between (./.)• Equal (=)• Not equal ( or #)• Optional ([])• Question/Pending (?)• Therefore/ as a result ()

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Use of Symbols (4)

• Symbols• Therefore/ as a result ()• Increase/decrease/stable (/ / )• Greater than ()• 1,000/1,000,000 (K/M)• Said (:)• Approximately (~)

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Example 1

• John Chan mentioned that the first meeting of organising committee would be held on Monday, 13 May 2002

• (John: 1st OC on 13 May)

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Workplace English for Executive Officers (Minutes-taking)

Example 2

• Mary Wong reported that the surplus of the year was approximately $750,000.

• (Mary: surplus ~ 750K)