A2 — Elementary

Meetings at Work

A2 level  ·  40-minute interactive lesson

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Stage 1 — Warm-up
Work meetings
5 minutes · Simple discussion
A2 Work English
Meetings at Work
Learn simple phrases to start a meeting, ask questions, agree, and finish clearly.
Lesson preview
40 minutes 6 stages Role play
Vocabulary
agenda, minutes, chair, action, absent, vote
Speaking
Start a meeting, ask for repetition, agree or disagree, and move to the next topic.
Final task
Run a short team meeting about a party, a computer system, and next week’s schedule.

Talk to your partner. Use simple words:

1. Do you have meetings at work or school? How often?

2. What do people do in a meeting? (e.g. talk, listen, write...)

3. What time do meetings usually start in your country? Are they long or short?

Teacher note: At A2 focus on core meeting vocabulary and very simple functions: starting a meeting, saying you understand, asking someone to repeat, agreeing. Drill: "Can we start?" / "What time is the meeting?" / "I agree." Keep sentences to one clause wherever possible.

Today's situation:

You are in a short team meeting at work. There are three topics: the office party, a new computer system, and next week's schedule.

Student A = the meeting organiser (manager).
Student B = a team member.

Simple meetingsWork EnglishShort sentences
5 min
Stage 2 — Vocabulary
Meeting words
10 minutes · Gap-fill
Click a word. Then click a blank. Click a filled blank to remove it.
agenda
minutes
chair
item
action
absent
vote
break

Put the correct word in each gap.

Please look at the . Today we have three topics.

Can you write the today? We need a record of the meeting.

Sarah is the today — she will start and finish the meeting.

The first on the agenda is the office party.

Your is to send the report to the team by Friday.

Tom is today. He is ill and cannot come to the meeting.

Let's . Who wants Friday for the party? Please raise your hand.

Let's have a short — five minutes, then we continue.

10 min
Stage 3 — Useful phrases
What to say in a meeting
8 minutes · Study and practise

Starting a meeting

Good morning everyone. Let's start.
Can we begin? It's nine o'clock.
Today we have three topics.
Is everyone here? OK, let's go.

Checking understanding

Do you understand?
Is that clear?
Sorry, can you say that again?
Can you speak more slowly, please?

Agreeing and disagreeing simply

Yes, I agree.
That's a good idea.
I'm not sure about that.
I don't agree, sorry.

Moving on and finishing

OK, let's move to the next topic.
Any questions?
That's all for today. Thank you.
The meeting is finished. See you next week.
Practise these phrases aloud. Short, clear sentences are perfect in meetings — nobody wants long, complicated sentences!
8 min
Stage 4 — Grammar practice
Meeting English grammar drill
10 minutes · Choose the correct answer
10 min
Stage 5 — Role play
A short team meeting
12 minutes · Pair work
How to use: Student A = manager who runs the meeting. Student B = team member. Use short, simple sentences. Look at Stage 3 if you need help!
Student A — Manager

You run the meeting. Topics: office party (Friday or Saturday? Office or restaurant? Budget: 200 euros), new computer system (starts Mon 15th, training Tue 9-11am Room 3), team lunch Wednesday. Give one action to Student B at the end.

Student B — Team member

You will write the minutes. You prefer Friday for the party. You can attend Tuesday training. Ask questions when you don't understand. Use phrases from Stage 3.

Student A — Manager
[Welcome everyone. Say good morning. Say the meeting starts now. Say there are three topics today.]
Student B
Good morning! Sorry, I'm a little late. What are the three topics?
Student A — Manager
[Say: 1. the office party, 2. the new computer system, 3. next week's schedule. Ask if everyone is ready.]
Student B
Yes, ready! Can I write the minutes today?
Student A — Manager
[Say yes, thank you. Start topic 1: the office party. Say: when should it be? Friday or Saturday?]
Student B
I prefer Friday. Saturday is difficult for me. What do you think?
Student A — Manager
[Say you also prefer Friday. Ask: where should the party be? The office or a restaurant?]
Student B
A restaurant is nicer! But the office is cheaper. What is the budget?
Student A — Manager
[Say the budget is 200 euros. Decide together. Move to topic 2: the new computer system. Say it starts on Monday.]
Student B
Sorry, can you say that again? Monday — this Monday or next Monday?
Student A — Manager
[Say: next Monday, the 15th. Say there is a training session on Tuesday morning. Ask if Student B can attend.]
Student B
Yes, I can attend. What time is the training?
Student A — Manager
[Say 9am to 11am in Room 3. Move to topic 3: next week's schedule. Say there is a team lunch on Wednesday.]
Student B
That's great! Is there anything else?
Student A — Manager
[Say no, that's all. Give Student B one action: send the minutes to the team today. Close the meeting politely.]

Swap roles!

Now Student B runs a meeting about: 1. A new team member starting Monday. 2. A customer visit on Thursday. 3. Overtime pay this month. Use phrases from Stage 3.

12 min
Stage 6 — Summary
Lesson complete!
5 minutes · Review

Today's lesson

A2 — Elementary

Meetings at Work

~40 minutes

What you practised:

8 meeting vocabulary words: agenda, minutes, chair, action, absent, vote
Phrases to start, check understanding, agree/disagree, and close a meeting
6 simple grammar drills: "let's + infinitive", "can you + infinitive", simple present for meetings
A short team meeting role play with three real agenda items

Homework:

1. Write a simple agenda for a meeting with 3 topics. Include the time and place.
2. Practise starting and ending a meeting with a partner. Use only phrases from Stage 3.
3. Write 5 sentences about a meeting you had (or invent one). Use past simple: "We talked about...", "We decided..."
Well done! You can now run and participate in a simple meeting in English. Keep practising — meetings are everywhere!