A Temporary Adjustment with Evidence

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

   My sleep has been messy for weeks, and I think the late client calls are a big reason.

   Line 1
2. Emma 0:05

   Are you asking for a permanent workload change, or for a temporary adjustment while you reset?

   Line 2
3. Tom 0:11

   Ideally temporary, because I can handle pressure but the current schedule stretches too late too often.

   Line 3
4. Emma 0:17

   Then your request should sound targeted rather than like a general complaint about being busy.

   Line 4
5. Tom 0:23

   I worry my manager will hear sleep problems and assume I'm becoming unreliable.

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6. Emma 0:28

   That risk is real, so lead with work impact and the specific change most likely to protect performance.

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7. Tom 0:35

   For example, I could ask to limit non-urgent calls after nine and move one weekly check-in to mornings.

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8. Emma 0:42

   Yes, because that connects the adjustment to sustained output instead of making it sound like a comfort request.

   Line 8
9. Tom 0:50

   I can also show that my response times and draft quality dip after those late sessions.

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10. Emma 0:55

    Concrete patterns help a lot, because they make the request easier to judge fairly.

    Line 10
11. Tom 1:01

    What if she says everyone is overloaded right now and there's no room for special arrangements?

    Line 11
12. Emma 1:06

    Then ask for a trial period rather than a permanent exception, because temporary changes are easier to approve.

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13. Tom 1:14

    If two weeks of ending calls earlier improve my sleep and work quality, we'd have something measurable.

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14. Emma 1:20

    And if nothing changes, you'll know the calls were only part of the problem and can reassess honestly.

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15. Tom 1:27

    That feels balanced, because I'm asking for a tested adjustment rather than indefinite special treatment.

    Line 15
16. Emma 1:33

    Exactly, since managers often respond better to requests that come with limits, reasons, and review points.

    Line 16

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.

• permanent /ˈpɝmənənt/ adjective

  lasting for a long time or forever

• ideally /aɪˈdiəli/ adverb

  in the best possible situation

• becoming /bɪˈkʌmɪŋ/ verb

  developing into or turning into

• connects /kəˈnɛkts/ verb

  third-person singular of connect; joins together

• sustained /səˈsteɪnd/ adjective/verb

  continued over time or kept going

• arrangements /əˈreɪndʒmənts/ noun

  plans or preparations made for an event or activity

• exception /ɪkˈsɛpʃən/ noun

  a person or thing not following a rule

• approve /əˈpruv/ verb

  to officially agree to or accept as satisfactory

• honestly /ˈɑnəstli/ adverb

  in a truthful way

• tested /ˈtɛstɪd/ verb/adjective

  checked by a test or proven through testing

• indefinite /ɪnˈdɛfənət/ adjective

  not clearly fixed or limited

• reasons /ˈrizənz/ noun; verb

  causes or explanations; thinks logically

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