SPEAK FIRST · A1 · 50 min

The Meeting

Introductions, three facts about your company, and a yes. The meeting Leo flew to London for.

Speak First · Lesson 11 of 15. ← Lesson 10: Dinner with the Customer · Lesson 12: A Present for Carla →

Today: introduce people, say three simple facts about your company, and understand a decision. Grammar: we / our, This is…, and Let's…
Warm up — five words to remember. They come from Lessons 4, 9 and 10. Do you know it? Say what it means and use it in a sentence. Is it new? Good — learn it now. Click Reveal to check, and follow the link to read the lesson.
the bill — from Dinner with the Customer
What does it mean? Ask for it politely.
the bill — the paper that says how much you pay. "Could we have the bill, please?"
delicious — from Dinner with the Customer
What does it mean? What is delicious in your country?
delicious — very, very good (food).
to order — from Dinner with the Customer
What does it mean? Order a main course now.
to order — to say to the waiter what you want.
a towel — from A Problem, and the Way
What does it mean? Say the problem: There are no…
a towel — a cloth to dry your body.
a customer — from A Working Day
What does it mean? How many customers does your company have?
a customer — a person who buys things from a company.

Now — the words for today's conversation

These are the new words for The Meeting. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.

Words

  1. a colleague
  2. a manager
  3. an office
  4. a team
  5. a price
  6. a contract
  7. to agree
  8. to start

Meanings

  • A. to say yes together
  • B. the money you pay for something
  • C. the people you work with, together
  • D. the person who is the boss of a team
  • E. a paper both companies sign: the deal
  • F. to begin
  • G. a person who works with you
  • H. the rooms where a company works

1 = G (a colleague) · 2 = D (a manager) · 3 = H (an office) · 4 = C (a team)

5 = B (a price) · 6 = E (a contract) · 7 = A (to agree) · 8 = F (to start)

Now talk — out loud

Before we read:
  • Which words are people? Which words are about money and paper?
  • A first meeting with a new customer. What do you say about your company? Say three things.

The conversation, in three parts

Leo shakes hands with Mr Hill in a bright London office; Sarah and Tom at the table; a screen reads JANUARY.
Look at the picture. Say:
  • Where is Leo?
  • How many people can you see?
  • What does the screen say? Guess why.

Four o'clock, 40 King Street. Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and answer the last one about you.

Part 1 — This is Sarah

Mr Hill's office is on the third floor, with a big window and a view of the river. Two people are waiting.

Mr Hill: Leo, welcome! This is Sarah, our manager. And this is Tom, from our team.

Leo: Nice to meet you, Sarah. Nice to meet you, Tom.

Sarah: Nice to meet you too. How was your flight?

Leo: Long. And late! But I'm here.

Tom: Would you like a coffee, or tea?

Leo: Coffee, please. Black.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. Who are Sarah and Tom?

2. What does Leo say about his flight?

1. Sarah is the manager. Tom is from the team.

2. Long, and late. But he is here.

Talk about it:
  • And you? When you meet people at work, what do you say first?

Part 2 — Tell us about your company

Mr Hill: So, Leo. Tell us about your company.

Leo: We have a small company. Forty people. Our office is in the city, near the port. We work with companies in Spain, France and Italy.

Sarah: How many customers do you have?

Leo: About two hundred. Small and big.

Tom: And why London?

Leo: Because you are a good company. And because I like rain.

Everyone laughs. Leo relaxes. Say hello, smile, ask questions.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. How many people are in Leo's company? Where is the office?

2. How many customers does Leo have?

1. Forty people. The office is in the city, near the port.

2. About two hundred, small and big.

Talk about it:
  • And you? Tell me about your company or your work: how many people, where, who are the customers?

Part 3 — Let's start in January

Mr Hill: The price is good. The dates are good. Let's start in January.

Leo: January is perfect.

Sarah: We'll send the contract on Monday.

Leo: Thank you. Thank you very much.

Mr Hill: No — thank you, Leo. Now: dinner?

Five thirty. One hour and a half, in English. Leo looks at the river. He did it.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. When do they start?

2. What will Sarah send, and when?

1. In January.

2. The contract, on Monday.

Talk about it:
  • And you? What is a good meeting for you? What is a bad meeting?

Grammar: we, our / This is… / Let's…

In a meeting you speak for your company, not only for you. That means we and our.

we / our / us. "We have forty people." "Our office is near the port." "Tell us about your company." (we = the people · our = of the company · us = to the people)
Three facts about a company: "We have … people." "We work with companies in …" "Our office is in …" Questions: "How many people do you have?" "Where are your customers?"
This is… to introduce a person: "This is Sarah, our manager." — "Nice to meet you, Sarah." Then a small question: "How was your flight?" "Would you like a coffee?"
Let's… = a decision together: "Let's start in January." "Let's have dinner." "Let's talk about the price."

1. we, our or us?

Complete each sentence with we, our or us.

1. have forty people.

2. office is near the port.

3. Tell about your company.

4. work with companies in France.

1. We

2. Our

3. us

4. We

2. Make the sentence

Put the words in order. Then say the sentence out loud.

1. is / This / Sarah, / our manager

2. do / How many / you / have / customers?

3. in / start / Let's / January

4. near / Our office / the station / is

1. This is Sarah, our manager.

2. How many customers do you have?

3. Let's start in January.

4. Our office is near the station.

3. Complete the conversation

Fill each gap with one word. Read the conversation out loud when you finish.

"Tell us about your ." — " have a small company. Twenty people. office is in Milan." — "How customers do you have?" — "About a hundred." — "Good. start in March."

company · We · Our · many · Let's

We + verb · Our + thing · Let's + verb.

Role Play

A meeting at a new company. They ask about your business.

Round 1 — you are yourself. Read your partner's line, then say your own line from the cue in italics. Use your real answers. Then click to compare with a model.

Manager: Welcome! This is Anna, our manager.
You: nice to meet you · a small question

Manager: How was your journey?
You: one or two words · but I'm here

Manager: Tell us about your company.
You: three facts: people · office · customers

Manager: How many customers do you have?
You: a number

Manager: And why our company?
You: one reason

Manager: The price is good. Let's start next month.
You: agree · thank

Manager: Welcome! This is Anna, our manager.
You: Nice to meet you, Anna. How are you?

Manager: How was your journey?
You: Long, but good. I'm here!

Manager: Tell us about your company.
You: We have thirty people. Our office is in the city. We work with companies in Germany and Poland.

Manager: How many customers do you have?
You: About a hundred.

Manager: And why our company?
You: Because you are a good company. And I like your city.

Manager: The price is good. Let's start next month.
You: Next month is perfect. Thank you very much.

Round 2 — change roles. Now you are Manager. Ask the questions, and listen to the answers. Then say one thing you remember.

Quick-fire questions

Answer fast, in full sentences. No time to think. Then check a model answer for the ones that were hard.

1. Tell me about your company.

2. How many people do you have?

3. Where is your office?

4. Who are your customers?

5. How was your flight?

6. Would you like a coffee or tea?

7. Who is Sarah?

8. When do we start?

9. This is Tom, from our team.

10. Was the meeting good?

1. We have twenty people. Our office is in the city.

2. Forty.

3. It's near the port.

4. Small and big companies in Spain and France.

5. Long, but OK.

6. Coffee, please. Black.

7. She's the manager.

8. Let's start in January.

9. Nice to meet you, Tom.

10. Yes. Very good. He did it!

Speak

Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.

Useful language: "This is…, our manager." · "Nice to meet you." · "How was your flight?" · "We have… people." · "Our office is in…" · "We work with…" · "Let's start in…"
Time remaining: 1:00
Task A · Tell the meeting

Tell the meeting in your own words. Steps: the third floor, the river → this is Sarah, this is Tom → coffee, black → forty people, near the port, Spain, France, Italy → two hundred customers → "I like rain" → the price, the dates, January → the contract on Monday → he did it.

Task B · My company (2 minutes)

Tell me about your company or your work in five sentences: how many people, where the office is, who the customers are, what you do every day, and one thing you like. Start the timer and keep talking.

Task C · Ask me

I am a new customer. Introduce me to two people ("This is…"), ask me about my journey, then ask me three questions about my company. Then we change: you are the customer.

To finish

  1. Say three facts about your company. Then three facts about a company you like.
  2. Leo says "I like rain" and everyone laughs. Is a joke good in a first meeting? Why, or why not?
  3. From memory: introduce two people, and say one sentence with Let's.