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B1 · Work Progress and Priorities

Managing Competing Requests from Two Managers

CEFR level:
B1
Sentences:
12
Duration:
1 min
Speakers:
Tom & Emma

"Managing Competing Requests from Two Managers" is a B1-level English conversation about work progress and priorities, 12 lines long (about 1 minute) between Tom & Emma. Read the full script below with the translation next to each line, then try speaking one of the roles out loud.

Dialogue script

Each entry shows the English sentence first, with the translation on the line below it. To practise speaking, cover the translation and repeat after the audio.

  1. Tom 0:00

    Both managers marked tasks as urgent, and timelines collide badly.

    Line 1
  2. Emma 0:04

    Do they know about each other's requests and resource limits?

    Line 2
  3. Tom 0:08

    Not fully. Each assumes their project takes top priority.

    Line 3
  4. Emma 0:12

    Then coordination failure is structural, not personal conflict.

    Line 4
  5. Tom 0:17

    I'm afraid saying "no" will look uncooperative.

    Line 5
  6. Emma 0:20

    You can say "not both at once" and offer ranked options.

    Line 6
  7. Tom 0:25

    I'll draft three scenarios with delivery dates and trade-offs.

    Line 7
  8. Emma 0:29

    Invite both managers to one sync call this afternoon.

    Line 8
  9. Tom 0:33

    During the call, I'll ask them to confirm one main goal.

    Line 9
  10. Emma 0:37

    Great, and document decision so priorities stay stable.

    Line 10
  11. Tom 0:41

    If scope expands later, we'll reopen decision transparently.

    Line 11
  12. Emma 0:45

    Good call. Shared visibility helps prevent hidden overload.

    Line 12

Native audio, line-by-line recording and pronunciation scoring for this dialogue are in the EngTalk app.

Key vocabulary

Content words from this dialogue, ranked by the CEFR level at which they appear across the whole 500-dialogue library. Function words and proper nouns are excluded.

  • limits /ˈlɪmɪts/ noun

    the greatest amounts or levels allowed

  • coordination /koʊˌɔrdəˈneɪʃən/ noun

    the organization of different elements of a complex body or activity so as to enable them to work together effectively

  • failure /ˈfeɪljɚ/ noun

    a lack of success

  • personal /ˈpɝsənəl/ adjective

    relating to one individual or private life

  • saying /ˈseɪɪŋ/ verb

    speaking or expressing words

  • goal /ɡoʊl/ noun

    something you aim to achieve

  • decision /dɪˈsɪʒən/ noun

    a choice made after consideration

  • priorities /praɪˈɔrətiz/ noun

    things that are more important than others

  • reopen /riˈoʊpən/ verb

    to open again

  • shared /ʃɛrd/ adjective

    used or owned by more than one person

  • prevent /prɪˈvɛnt/ verb

    to stop something from happening

  • hidden /ˈhɪdən/ adjective

    not seen or not easy to find

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