English for Meetings or Language for Meetings, not "the language of meetings"

I've heard and read the phrase "the language of meetings". I don't feel that we can say that there is a such thing as the "language of meetings". In my opinion, this implies that the language people use at business meetings or at work can be defined and that it is limited in its scope. We cannot define this language. The language that people use at meetings is diverse in many respects. Furthermore, I would say that the phrase "the language of meetings" seems to indicate that language is something we observe or look at - something that sits on a shelf. Language certainly does not sit on a shelf. Language has a purpose. Language is a alive. Language moves. The preposition "of" implies that language belongs to meetings. This is a rather sedentary view of language. In the phrase "language for meetings", the preposition "for" implies that language has a purpose. When something has a purpose, it's alive. When something has a purpose, people use it. It's practical. It's good. Therefore, a more well-defining term is "language for meetings". In the context of English language training, we say "English for meetings".

One could be rather wary of a course entitled "The Language of Meetings". I would ask whose meetings one is referring to. Certainly we can't say that everyone speaks the same language at meetings. Some meetings are more formal and serious, and other meetings are more informal and casual. And then, of course, many meetings are somewhere in the middle. The expectations for participation at a meeting depend on the purpose of the meeting, the company, the business, and those in attendance. Raising the bar for business English language training and workplace English training means replacing "the language of meetings" with language for meetings. And whose meetings are we talking about? We're talking about the meetings at your company. By the way, a "meeting" does not have to be held in a conference room or an office. Meetings take place anywhere in the workplace. That said, we now consider that language for meetings is, of course, part of a larger category, that being "workplace language", and in English language training, we, of course, say workplace English.

Now, let's return to what we typically think of when we say "meetings". This usually means spending time in a conference room with two or more people in order to discuss a particular business or work topic. So how are we going to teach English for meetings? We must first learn about how language training course participants use language at meetings, and we must first learn about how they should improve their communication skills. We must learn about the language of the companys' meetings at which we provide language training. Gaining this background knowledge is essential in developing quality English language training courses.

When learning about course participants' language for meetings, we are able to effectively develop lessons for language training and course content. Teaching "the language of meetings" does not cut it. Let's raise the bar for English language training by learning about language for meetings and English for meetings. Let's teach language for meetings and English for meetings. Whose meetings are we talking about? We're talking about the meetings at your company in which your international employees participate. Let's raise the bar for communication at multicultural workplaces. Let's raise the bar for English language training.

Speaking Skills - Functions of Language

English Language Training Boston MA
Business English Boston
Language for Meetings Greater Boston Massachusetts