Module 2 — Business Meetings
Unit 2.1 Comprehensive Teaching Materials
Participating in Meetings
Target Learners
Japanese professionals working in international companies
English Level
Intermediate
Recommended Lesson Time
3–4 hours total or divided into multiple lessons
UNIT OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, learners will be able to:
Participate actively in English meetings
Express opinions professionally
Agree and disagree politely
Ask for clarification naturally
Interrupt appropriately during discussions
Understand meeting discussions and action items
Take effective meeting notes in English
Use common business meeting idioms and expressions confidently
UNIT TOPICS
Opening and Joining Meetings
Sharing Opinions Professionally
Agreeing and Disagreeing Politely
Asking Questions and Clarifying Information
Interrupting Politely and Managing Turn-Taking
Listening and Note-Taking During Meetings
Meeting Role-Plays and Discussions
TOPIC 1 — OPENING AND JOINING MEETINGS
PART A — WARM-UP DISCUSSION
Discussion Questions
What makes a successful business meeting?
Are meetings in Japan different from meetings in international companies?
What problems happen during meetings?
How can employees participate more actively?
PART B — KEY VOCABULARY
| Word/Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Agenda | List of meeting topics |
| Participant | Person attending a meeting |
| Deadline | Final due date |
| Action item | Task assigned after meeting |
| Discussion | Exchange of ideas |
| Minutes | Written meeting summary |
| Proposal | Suggested plan |
| Consensus | General agreement |
| Objective | Goal |
| Update | New information |
PART C — KEY EXPRESSIONS
Starting a Meeting
“Let’s get started.”
“Thank you everyone for joining today.”
“Today’s meeting is about…”
“Let’s begin with the first agenda item.”
Joining a Discussion
“I’d like to share my thoughts.”
“May I add something?”
“I have a suggestion.”
“From my perspective…”
PART D — COMMON BUSINESS IDIOMS
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Get the ball rolling | Start something | “Let’s get the ball rolling.” |
| On the same page | Share understanding | “We need to be on the same page.” |
| Touch base | Make contact later | “Let’s touch base tomorrow.” |
PART E — MODEL DIALOGUE
Dialogue 1 — Opening a Meeting
Manager: Good morning everyone. Thank you for joining today’s meeting.
Staff: Good morning.
Manager: Today we’ll discuss the launch schedule for the new product. Let’s begin with the marketing update.
Aya: I’d like to share the latest sales projections.
Manager: Great. Please go ahead.
PART F — SPEAKING PRACTICE
Activity 1 — Opening a Meeting
Instructions
Students practice opening meetings in pairs.
Student A
Meeting leader
Student B
Team member
Include:
Greeting participants
Introducing agenda
Starting discussion
Activity 2 — Meeting Introductions
Instructions
Students introduce themselves and explain their role in the meeting.
Example
“I’m responsible for the overseas sales report.”
PART G — LISTENING PRACTICE
Listening Task 1
Teacher Reading Script
“Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for attending today’s project meeting. Our main objective today is to review the product launch timeline and discuss possible delays. First, the marketing team will present the advertising schedule. Then, the logistics department will provide an update on shipping arrangements.”
Exercise A — Listening Questions
What is the meeting about?
What is the main objective?
Which team will present first?
What will the logistics department discuss?
PART H — NOTE-TAKING PRACTICE
Instructions
Listen again and complete the meeting notes.
| Meeting Notes |
|---|
| Meeting Topic: |
| Main Objective: |
| First Presentation: |
| Second Discussion Topic: |
TOPIC 2 — SHARING OPINIONS PROFESSIONALLY
PART A — KEY EXPRESSIONS
Expressing Opinions
“In my opinion…”
“I believe that…”
“From my perspective…”
“I think we should…”
Softening Opinions
“Perhaps we could consider…”
“It might be better to…”
“One possible solution is…”
PART B — COMMON IDIOMS
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Think outside the box | Think creatively |
| Raise the bar | Improve standards |
| Bring something to the table | Contribute ideas |
PART C — MODEL DIALOGUE
Ken: I think we should increase online advertising next quarter.
Maria: That’s an interesting idea. Could you explain why?
Ken: I believe it would help us reach younger customers.
Manager: Good suggestion. Let’s discuss the budget impact.
PART D — SPEAKING ACTIVITIES
Activity 1 — Opinion Sharing Circle
Topic Examples
Remote work
Flexible schedules
International business travel
AI in the workplace
Instructions
Students must:
Share opinion
Give reason
Respond to another opinion
Activity 2 — Problem-Solving Discussion
Scenario
Sales are decreasing in one market.
Students Discuss:
Possible causes
Suggested solutions
Best strategy
PART E — LISTENING PRACTICE
Teacher Reading Script
“I think our customer support response time is too slow. Several clients have complained recently. In my opinion, we should hire additional staff or improve our automated support system. Another possibility is extending support hours during busy seasons.”
Exercise B — Questions
What problem was mentioned?
Who complained?
What solutions were suggested?
When should support hours be extended?
PART F — NOTE-TAKING PRACTICE
| Problem | Suggested Solutions | Additional Ideas |
|---|---|---|
TOPIC 3 — AGREEING AND DISAGREEING POLITELY
PART A — KEY EXPRESSIONS
Agreeing
“I completely agree.”
“That’s a good point.”
“I see what you mean.”
Disagreeing Politely
“I understand your point, but…”
“I’m not sure I completely agree.”
“Another way to look at it is…”
PART B — MODEL DIALOGUE
Aya: I think we should reduce travel expenses.
David: I see your point, but face-to-face meetings are still important for some clients.
Aya: That’s true. Perhaps we can reduce non-essential trips instead.
PART C — SPEAKING ACTIVITIES
Activity 1 — Agree or Disagree
Statements
“Remote work increases productivity.”
“Meetings should always be short.”
“AI will replace many jobs.”
Students must:
Agree/disagree politely
Give supporting reasons
Activity 2 — Debate Discussion
Teams
Team A and Team B discuss a business topic professionally.
PART D — LISTENING PRACTICE
Teacher Reading Script
“I understand your concern about the budget. However, reducing staff training could negatively affect customer service quality. Perhaps we should look for other ways to reduce expenses instead.”
Exercise C — Questions
What concern was mentioned?
What might happen if training is reduced?
What alternative was suggested?
PART E — NOTE-TAKING PRACTICE
| Concern | Possible Negative Effect | Alternative Solution |
|---|---|---|
TOPIC 4 — ASKING QUESTIONS AND CLARIFYING INFORMATION
PART A — KEY EXPRESSIONS
Asking Questions
“Could you explain that further?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Could you give an example?”
Clarifying
“So what you’re saying is…”
“Let me confirm that.”
“If I understand correctly…”
PART B — SPEAKING ACTIVITIES
Activity 1 — Clarification Practice
Instructions
Students intentionally give unclear information. Partners ask clarification questions.
Activity 2 — Information Gap Activity
Students exchange missing project information through questions.
PART C — LISTENING PRACTICE
Teacher Reading Script
“The shipment may arrive later than expected because of customs processing delays. However, we’re currently working with our logistics partner to speed up the process.”
Exercise D — Questions
Why might the shipment arrive late?
What is the company doing now?
PART D — NOTE-TAKING PRACTICE
| Problem | Cause | Current Action |
|---|---|---|
TOPIC 5 — INTERRUPTING POLITELY AND MANAGING TURN-TAKING
PART A — KEY EXPRESSIONS
Interrupting Politely
“Sorry to interrupt, but…”
“May I add something?”
“Before we move on…”
Managing Turn-Taking
“Let’s hear from everyone.”
“Would anyone else like to comment?”
“Please go ahead.”
PART B — SPEAKING ACTIVITIES
Activity 1 — Controlled Meeting Discussion
Students practice:
Entering conversations politely
Responding professionally
Managing speaking turns
Activity 2 — Fast Discussion Challenge
Students discuss topics with limited speaking time.
PART C — LISTENING PRACTICE
Teacher Reading Script
“Sorry to interrupt, but I think we should also consider customer feedback before making the final decision. Several clients mentioned concerns about delivery speed during last month’s survey.”
Exercise E — Questions
Why did the speaker interrupt?
What should the team consider?
What concern did clients mention?
PART D — NOTE-TAKING PRACTICE
| Suggestion | Supporting Information |
|---|---|
FINAL MEETING ROLE-PLAY TASK
Scenario
International project meeting
Roles
Team leader
Sales manager
Marketing manager
Logistics manager
International client
Students Must:
Open meeting
Share opinions
Agree/disagree professionally
Ask questions
Interrupt politely
Summarize decisions
TEACHER’S GUIDE
RECOMMENDED LESSON FLOW
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| Warm-Up | 10 mins |
| Vocabulary & Expressions | 20 mins |
| Dialogue Practice | 20 mins |
| Speaking Activities | 40 mins |
| Listening Activities | 25 mins |
| Note-Taking Practice | 20 mins |
| Role-Play Task | 40 mins |
| Feedback & Review | 15 mins |
COMMON CHALLENGES FOR JAPANESE LEARNERS
1. Hesitation to Speak
Problem
Students may avoid interrupting or disagreeing.
Teaching Tip
Emphasize that participation is valued internationally.
2. Overly Direct Translation from Japanese
Problem
Speech may sound unnatural in English meetings.
Teaching Tip
Teach natural English chunks and expressions.
3. Fear of Mistakes
Problem
Students may become silent during discussions.
Teaching Tip
Focus on communication effectiveness before grammar perfection.
ANSWER KEY
Exercise A Answers
Product launch timeline
Review timeline and discuss delays
Marketing team
Shipping arrangements
Exercise B Answers
Slow customer support response
Clients
Hire staff / improve automated system
Busy seasons
Exercise C Answers
Budget concern
Customer service quality may decrease
Find other ways to reduce expenses
Exercise D Answers
Customs processing delays
Working with logistics partner
Exercise E Answers
To mention customer feedback
Customer feedback
Delivery speed
SAMPLE NOTE-TAKING ANSWERS
Topic 2
| Problem | Suggested Solutions | Additional Ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Slow customer support | Hire staff / improve automation | Extend support hours |
RECOMMENDED FEEDBACK FORMAT FOR TUTORING NOTES
| Category | Feedback |
|---|---|
| Participation | Actively contributed during discussions |
| Fluency | Speaking becoming more natural |
| Vocabulary | Used meeting expressions correctly |
| Listening | Good understanding of key details |
| Pronunciation | Needs clearer pronunciation of business terms |
| Confidence | Improved willingness to express opinions |
| Next Goal | Practice polite disagreement strategies |
SAMPLE TEACHER FEEDBACK COMMENTS
Positive Feedback
“Excellent participation during discussions.”
“Good use of polite disagreement expressions.”
“You asked clear clarification questions.”
Corrective Feedback
“Try expanding your answers with examples.”
“Practice smoother transitions between ideas.”
“Remember to use softer language when disagreeing.”
HOMEWORK ACTIVITIES
Homework 1
Watch a business meeting video on TED Talks and write meeting notes.
Homework 2
Practice introducing opinions about workplace topics for 1 minute.
Homework 3
Record yourself participating in a mock meeting discussion.
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