Meetings: Making a proposal — ESL lesson

This lesson plan is designed to equip learners with the essential vocabulary and phrases needed to confidently make and discuss proposals in a professional meeting setting. By focusing on practical, commonly used terms and polite, adaptable sentence structures, learners will build the skills to present ideas, explain benefits, and respond to feedback effectively.

Through engaging activities like role-plays, mock meetings, and personalized practice, this lesson creates a dynamic environment for applying new language in realistic workplace scenarios. Suitable for beginners and intermediate learners, the plan incorporates visuals, pronunciation practice, and cultural tips to ensure a comprehensive and interactive learning experience.

By the end of the lesson, learners will feel prepared to contribute meaningfully to discussions and propose ideas with clarity and professionalism.

Also see: Meetings: Making and using an agenda

Basic Vocabulary

Start with essential words related to making proposals in a meeting. These should be simple, commonly used terms that learners can easily apply in professional contexts.

Vocabulary list

• Proposal: A suggested idea or plan.
• Meeting: A gathering to discuss ideas or plans.
• Agenda: A list of topics to discuss in a meeting.
• Idea: A suggestion or thought to solve a problem.
• Suggestion: A recommended action or solution.
• Plan: A detailed way to achieve a goal.
• Goal/objective: The desired outcome of a proposal.
• Team: A group of people working together.
• Feedback: Opinions or comments about an idea.
• Decision: A final choice made after discussion.
• Benefit: An advantage of a proposal.
• Challenge: A difficulty or problem with a proposal.
• Budget: The money available for a plan.
• Timeline: The schedule for completing a plan.
• Action item: A task assigned after a decision.

Vocabulary for extension

• Priority: Something considered more important (e.g., this project is a priority).
• Stakeholder: A person or group affected by a proposal (e.g., clients, employees).
• Resource: Something needed for a plan, like time or materials.
• Approval: Official agreement to a proposal.
• Impact: The effect or result of a plan (e.g., this will have a positive impact).
• Collaboration: Working together with others on a plan.
• Feasibility: Whether a proposal is possible or practical.
• Strategy: A long-term plan to achieve a goal.
• Consensus: Agreement among the team after discussion.
• Outcome: The final result of a proposal or plan.

Teaching tips

• Use visuals like a sample meeting agenda or a flowchart of a proposal process to connect vocabulary to real contexts.
• Practice pronunciation of terms like “proposal” (pruh-POH-zul) or “objective” (ob-JEK-tiv).
• Create flashcards with words on one side and definitions or examples on the other for quick recall.

Useful phrases

Teach simple sentence structures for making and discussing proposals in a meeting. These phrases should be professional, polite, and adaptable for various scenarios.

Key phrases

1. Introducing a proposal
   • “I’d like to propose [idea/plan].”
   • “I have a suggestion for [topic].”
   • “I think we should [action].”
   • “Here’s my idea: [describe idea].”
2. Explaining benefits or details
   • “This will help us [achieve goal/benefit].”
   • “The advantage of this is [benefit].”
   • “The timeline for this plan is [timeframe].”
   • “The budget would be approximately [amount].”
3. Asking for feedback
   • “What do you think about this idea?”
   • “Do you have any suggestions?”
   • “Are there any concerns about this proposal?”
   • “Can we discuss the challenges of this plan?”
4. Responding to feedback
   • “That’s a great point, thank you.”
   • “I agree, we could [adjust idea].”
   • “I understand your concern about [issue].”
   • “Let’s consider [alternative suggestion].”

Teaching tips

• Write phrases on a board or handout and model their use (e.g., “I’d like to propose a new marketing plan. It will help us reach more customers.”).
• Have learners substitute their own ideas or goals into the phrases for practice.
• Emphasize polite and professional language (e.g., “I’d like to…” or “What do you think?”) to suit workplace settings.

Example conversations

Provide short, realistic dialogues to model how to discuss proposals in a meeting. These examples progress from basic to more detailed exchanges.

Conversation 1: Basic exchange

Anna (Team Member): I’d like to propose a new break schedule for our team.
Tom (Manager): Okay, tell us more.
Anna: I think we should have two short breaks instead of one long break.
Tom: What’s the benefit?
Anna: It will help us stay focused and productive.
Tom: Good idea. Let’s discuss it further.

Conversation 2: Adding details

Sara (Team Member): I have a suggestion for our project timeline.
Juan (Team Leader): Great, what’s your idea?
Sara: I propose we finish the design phase by next Friday.
Juan: Why do you think that’s better?
Sara: It gives us more time for testing, which will improve quality.
Juan: I like it. Any concerns, team?

Conversation 3: More advanced

Mark (Team Member): I’d like to propose a new training program for our staff.
Lisa (Manager): Interesting. Can you explain the details?
Mark: The program will teach new software skills. It’ll take three weeks and cost about $5,000.
Lisa: What’s the main benefit?
Mark: It’ll make our team more efficient and save time on projects.
Lisa: Sounds promising. What does everyone think? Any challenges we should consider?

Teaching tips

• Role-play these dialogues with the learner, switching roles to practice proposing and responding.
• Encourage learners to adapt the dialogues using their own ideas or workplace scenarios.
• In group settings, pair students to practice, prompting them to ask at least one follow-up question.

Teaching strategy

Here’s a step-by-step lesson plan to teach this topic effectively (approximately 45 minutes).

Step 1: Warm-up (5 minutes)

• Ask: “Have you ever suggested an idea in a group? What was it?” to spark interest.
• Show a sample meeting agenda or a short video clip of a workplace meeting to introduce the context.

Step 2: Vocabulary introduction (10 minutes)

• Present the vocabulary list using visuals like a meeting agenda or a proposal outline.
• Practice pronunciation, especially for terms like “feedback” or “timeline.”
• Play a quick game: Say a word (e.g., “proposal”), and learners explain what it means or use it in a sentence.

Step 3: Phrase practice (10 minutes)

• Display key phrases and model them with your own example (e.g., “I’d like to propose a new schedule. It will save time.”).
• Have learners practice by filling in the blanks (e.g., “I’d like to propose ____. It will help us ____.”).
• Correct pronunciation and grammar gently, emphasizing professional tone.

Step 4: Conversation practice (15 minutes)

• Read one example conversation aloud, emphasizing polite and clear delivery.
• Pair learners (or role-play with them) to practice the dialogues, encouraging personalization.
• Ask learners to create their own short dialogue about a proposal for a workplace or group scenario.

Step 5: Wrap-up and personalization (5 minutes)

• Have each learner share one or two sentences about a proposal they’d make (e.g., “I’d propose a new coffee machine. It will keep the team happy.”).
• Provide feedback on their use of vocabulary and phrases.
• Assign homework: Write 3-5 sentences about a proposal or practice a dialogue with a friend.

Additional tips

• Cultural sensitivity: Be aware that workplace meeting norms vary by culture (e.g., some cultures value directness, others prefer indirect suggestions). Discuss these differences if relevant.
• Visual aids: Use a sample agenda, a whiteboard with a proposal outline, or a video of a meeting to make the lesson engaging.
• Listening practice: Play a short audio or video clip (e.g., from YouTube or ESL resources) of a meeting where someone makes a proposal to expose learners to different accents.
• Adapt for level: For beginners, focus on simple phrases (e.g., “I propose this.”). For intermediate learners, encourage details (e.g., “This plan will cost $500 and take two weeks.”).
• Incorporate technology: If teaching online, share a screen with a meeting agenda or use a virtual whiteboard to highlight vocabulary.

Common mistakes to address

• Grammar: Learners may say “I propose we to do this” instead of “I propose we do this.” Clarify verb forms after “propose.”
• Pronunciation: Terms like “objective” or “benefit” may be mispronounced. Practice these explicitly.
• Politeness: Emphasize polite phrases (e.g., “I’d like to propose…” instead of “We must do this”) to suit professional settings.

Example activity: “Mock meeting”

For group classes, try this interactive activity.

• Set up a mock meeting with a topic (e.g., “Plan a team event” or “Improve office efficiency”).
• Assign roles (e.g., team leader, team member) and give each learner a chance to propose an idea.
• Others respond with feedback or questions (e.g., “What’s the benefit?” or “How much will it cost?”).

Homework or follow-up

• Writing: Write a short paragraph (5 sentences) about a proposal you’d make in a meeting.
• Speaking: Record a 30-second audio or video presenting a proposal for a workplace or group.
• Research: Watch a short video of a workplace meeting and note three phrases used to propose ideas.