Scheduling & Rescheduling Meetings

Focus: arranging, confirming, and changing meeting times professionally

Goal: by the end of this lesson, participants will be able to schedule and reschedule meetings clearly and confidently.

1. Vocabulary Review (from previous lesson)

1. He’s not ______ right now, but he will call you back later.

2. I left a message and I’m waiting for a ______.

3. Let me ______ your call to the right person.

4. You can reach her directly on extension 204 — that’s her internal ______.

5. I’m calling to make an  ______ regarding your services.

2. Useful Phrases (Scheduling Meetings)

Are you available on ___? Are you available on Thursday morning?

Would ___ work for you? Would 2 p.m. work for you?

Let’s schedule a meeting for ___. Let’s schedule a meeting for next Monday.

3. Natural Softeners

Would it be possible to… Example: Would it be possible to meet later this week?

Does that time suit you? Example: Does that time suit you?

I’m afraid I need to reschedule… Example: I’m afraid I need to reschedule our meeting.

4. Roleplay (Real Situation)

Scenario: Scheduling & Rescheduling a Meeting

Caller: Hi, this is ___, I’d like to schedule a meeting.

Colleague: (Respond: greet + ask for details)

Caller: Are you available on Thursday afternoon?

Colleague: (Respond: say yes or no + suggest alternative)

Caller: Actually, something has come up. I need to reschedule.

Colleague: (Respond: show understanding + suggest new time)

Caller: Would Friday morning work for you?

Colleague: (Respond: confirm or suggest another time)

Caller: Great, let’s confirm that.

Colleague: (Confirm details and close the conversation)

Switch roles after 2–3 minutes.

Vocabulary (B2 Level)

5. Discussion Questions

1. Imagine you need to schedule a meeting with someone very busy. How would you make sure they accept the meeting?

2. What would you do if someone keeps rescheduling meetings with you? How would you respond?

3. Have you ever joined a meeting that could have been an email? What made it unnecessary?

4. If two important meetings are scheduled at the same time, how do you decide which one to attend?

5. What is worse: someone cancelling a meeting last minute or not showing up at all? Why?

6. How far in advance should meetings be scheduled in a professional environment? Does it depend on the situation?

7. What makes you more likely to accept or reject a meeting invitation?

6. Example Answers

1. I would suggest a few time options and keep the meeting short and clear.

2. I would try to speak with them directly and agree on a fixed time.

3. Yes, sometimes meetings are unnecessary if the information could be shared by email.

4. I usually choose the meeting that is more urgent or more relevant to my work.

5. Not showing up is worse because it shows a lack of professionalism.

6. It depends, but usually a few days in advance works best.

7. I accept meetings that have a clear purpose and agenda.