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B2 · Reviewing Experiences and Revising Judgments

When Good Intentions Miss the Mark

CEFR level:
B2
Sentences:
16
Duration:
2 min
Speakers:
Tom & Emma

"When Good Intentions Miss the Mark" is a B2-level English conversation about reviewing experiences and revising judgments, 16 lines long (about 2 minutes) 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

    My post about the neighborhood meeting upset people, even though I meant to support them.

    Line 1
  2. Emma 0:04

    Was the issue the facts you shared, or the way your wording framed the people involved?

    Line 2
  3. Tom 0:10

    I think it was the wording, because I called the complaints emotional while trying to show they mattered.

    Line 3
  4. Emma 0:16

    I can see your intention, but that word often makes people sound less rational than informed.

    Line 4
  5. Tom 0:21

    That's what I missed, since I was focused on defending them rather than on the frame I created.

    Line 5
  6. Emma 0:26

    Did anyone explain the impact directly, or are you mainly inferring it from public reactions?

    Line 6
  7. Tom 0:33

    Two neighbors messaged me privately and said the post made residents sound dramatic instead of informed.

    Line 7
  8. Emma 0:39

    Then you have specific feedback, which matters more than guessing from a pile of angry comments.

    Line 8
  9. Tom 0:45

    I want to apologize, but I don't want the apology to become a speech about my good intentions.

    Line 9
  10. Emma 0:51

    Keep intention brief and name the effect clearly, because the impact is what people actually felt.

    Line 10
  11. Tom 0:57

    Should I delete the post first, or leave it there and add a correction underneath?

    Line 11
  12. Emma 1:02

    If the original wording is still spreading the wrong frame, reposting cleanly may do less harm.

    Line 12
  13. Tom 1:09

    That makes sense, and I can post a shorter correction without centering my embarrassment.

    Line 13
  14. Emma 1:14

    You might also ask one resident to check the new wording before you publish it.

    Line 14
  15. Tom 1:18

    If they feel accurately represented, the apology has a better chance of rebuilding some trust.

    Line 15
  16. Emma 1:24

    Exactly, because the goal is not proving innocence but reducing the harm your wording caused.

    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.

  • rational /ˈræʃənəl/ adjective

    based on reason and logic

  • inferring /ɪnˈfɜrɪŋ/ verb

    drawing a conclusion from evidence

  • messaged /ˈmɛsɪdʒd/ past tense verb

    sent a message to

  • spreading /ˈsprɛdɪŋ/ present participle; noun

    extending or becoming widely shared

  • reposting /riˈpoʊstɪŋ/ verb

    posting again

  • centering /ˈsɛntərɪŋ/ verb

    present participle of center; placing in the middle or focusing

  • embarrassment /ɪmˈbɛrəsmənt/ noun

    a feeling of awkwardness or shame

  • resident /ˈrɛzɪdənt/ noun

    a person who lives in a place

  • accurately /ˈækjərətli/ adverb

    in a way that is correct in all details

  • represented /ˌrɛprɪˈzɛntɪd/ verb

    stood for or acted for someone

  • rebuilding /ˌriˈbɪldɪŋ/ noun; verb

    the process of building again

  • innocence /ˈɪnəsəns/ noun

    the state of not being guilty

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