What do you bring to the table?
What Do You Bring to the Table? or, A Cheesy Extended Metaphor (that, while cheesy, is still helping me to envision and articulate my goals) “What do you bring to the table?” is an idiomatic expression in English meaning “What do you provide that will be beneficial to this group?” It is often used in a business setting or an interview scenario to determine a newcomer’s potential role in the office. I don’t know its origins, but I like to think of the expression as coming from a potluck dinner party. What will you bring to the table? I’ll bring plates and napkins. I’ll bring a side dish. I’ll bring dessert. Maybe some people also show up with flowers or a bottle of wine. Ideally, every guest brings something that contributes to the overall enjoyment of the meal. This week, as my classmates and I have discussed the definition of applied linguistics and the concept of “funds of knowledge”, the phrase “bring to the table” keeps entering my head, and I’ve been exploring the ex...