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
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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)
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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
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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
process 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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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
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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
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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)
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