Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.
Preparation
Transcript
Hi, everyone. I know you're all busy so I'll keep this briefing quick. I have some important information about a change in the management team. As you already know, our head of department, James Watson, is leaving his position at the end of this week. His replacement is starting at the end of the next month. In the meantime, we'll continue with our projects as usual.
I have two more quick points. Firstly, there will be some improvements made to the staff car park next month for a few weeks. It will be closed during that time.
Don't worry, we've found a solution. We can use the local church car park until our own one is ready. If you arrive before 8.30 a.m., please use our small car park on Brown Street, and if you arrive after that, you should go directly to the church car park. It's only a five-minute walk away. But they need it in the evenings, so you have to leave before 6 p.m. Sorry about that – I know how much you all love working late!
The other thing I wanted to tell you about is that the canteen has now introduced a cashless payment system. So, you can't use cash for payments any more. You can pay directly with your smartphone or you can pay using your company ID card. The total amount put on your company ID card comes off your salary at the end of each month.
OK. That's it? Are there any questions?
Hello Rafaela1
A 'briefing' is a specific kind of meeting -- it is a meeting in which people are given information they need to perform some kind of action. A 'meeting' is much more general -- it just refers to people coming together and speaking.
And though you didn't ask about it, there are also 'debriefings'! In most situations, at least in my experience, people use the word 'meeting' even when there may be some briefing or debriefing happening in the meeting.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello abudo93,
In the context in which it is used in the text on this page, a canteen is a place in an institution (a company, an office building, a university, a school etc) where workers can eat. In other words, it is a small bar or restaurant inside an institution.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team