Using English at Work

Lesson 7 - Scheduling a Meeting

Usually managers are given a certain amount of money to entertain clients, taking them out for lunch or dinner, especially if they work in sales. Since I have to entertain clients on Wednesday night, I need to leave the office early that day, and that's why I would prefer to meet with Andrea earlier in the afternoon.

Andrea suggests 1 p.m. I check my schedule again, meaning that I look at my calendar to confirm that 1 p.m. on Wednesday is free and clear. To "confirm" means to verify something, or to say that something is correct or true based on the information that you have. We often confirm appointments to make sure that the people we're supposed to have a meeting with still have time to meet with us. Doctors' and dentists' offices usually call their patients to confirm their appointments to make sure that they will be coming at the scheduled time, often calling the day before, for example. When I say I'm "free and clear," that's just another way of saying I am open, I don't have any meetings or other obligations during that time. I'm looking at my calendar to confirm, or check, that 1 p.m. on Wednesday is free and clear. It is free and clear, so Andrea and I agree to meet at 1:00 on that day.

Andrea says that she will send me an email Wednesday morning as a reminder. A "reminder" is something that is said or written so that the other person doesn't forget about something important. So, when the dentist or doctor's office calls you to confirm your appointment, they're really giving you a reminder. Andrea doesn't want me to forget our meeting, so she's going to send me an email as a reminder. Many people write notes for themselves, for example, as reminders of the things they need to do. I thank Andrea for offering to send a reminder. After all of that back and forth, we finally have a meeting set for next week. "Back and forth" is a conversation where two people alternate in speaking, first I speak, then you speak, and so on and so on. We usually use this expression when there is a long conversation or we need to negotiate something. In this case, we're trying to find the best time that will be good for both of us, so we go back and forth. I say something, she says a date, I say, "No, how about that date?" she says, "No, how about this date?" and so forth. Andrea and I have been going back and forth looking at our calendars, trying to find a time when we can both meet. Finally we have a meeting set for next week.

That's a good example of how meetings are scheduled at work in the U.S. Now that we've talked about this part of my workday, let's listen again as I describe how we scheduled the meeting, this time when I'm speaking at a normal pace.

[start of script]

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Using English at Work

Lesson 7 - Scheduling a Meeting

At 3 p.m., I get a call from one of our vendors who wants to set up a meeting for the following week. Since I was away from my desk at the time, she left a voicemail message. When I get back to my desk, I retrieve the message and listen to it, and then return her call. I call her twice, but she isn't there, so I leave a voicemail message for her. We're playing phone tag. Finally, at 4 p.m., she calls again and since I am at my desk, we can talk at last.

Andrea asks me if it is possible for us to meet early in the week next week. I check my calendar and I tell her that I'm tied up Monday and Tuesday, but that I'm free Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning. She says that Wednesday afternoon suits her and asks what time would be good for me. I tell her the earlier the better, since I will be entertaining clients that night and need to leave work a little early that day. She suggests 1 p.m. I check my scheduled again to confirm that 1 p.m. Wednesday is free and clear and it is. She says that she will send me an email Wednesday morning as a reminder and I thank her. After all of that back and forth, we finally have a meeting set for next week.

[end of script]

I hope that listening to me schedule a meeting with Andrea has taught you some new vocabulary that you can use in your own job the next time you need to set up a meeting. In our next lesson, lesson eight, I'm going to talk about a meeting with my boss.

This course has been a production of the Center for Educational Development, in beautiful Los Angeles, California. Visit our website at eslpod.com.

This course was produced by Dr. Jeff McQuillan and Dr. Lucy Tse. Copyright

2008.

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