Where Should We Build a Future?

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

   Maya wants to raise children near her parents, but you keep imagining life in another country.

   Line 1
2. Emma 0:05

   That's the conflict, because we agree on timing but not on the place shaping everything else.

   Line 2
3. Tom 0:11

   Then this isn't abstract romance, since schools, support, work permits, and daily help all come with it.

   Line 3
4. Emma 0:18

   Exactly, and her strongest point is family support, especially if childcare becomes expensive or overwhelming.

   Line 4
5. Tom 0:26

   And your main reason for moving abroad is career growth, or is there something broader too?

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6. Emma 0:31

   Career comes first, but I also want better transport, safer streets, and less dependence on a car.

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7. Tom 0:39

   Those are substantial reasons, though they may look less urgent once family support becomes practical.

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8. Emma 0:44

   I accept that, and I've probably spoken as if adventure mattered more than practical support.

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9. Tom 0:51

   Could you rank what is truly non-negotiable and what simply feels ideal at the moment?

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10. Emma 0:56

    We started doing that, and her non-negotiable is nearby family while mine is access to meaningful work.

    Line 10
11. Tom 1:03

    Then a mid-sized city near her parents might satisfy both better than either of your extreme options.

    Line 11
12. Emma 1:09

    Maybe, although I'd need to check whether my industry has enough openings there.

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13. Tom 1:14

    If that city offers decent work and reachable family support, it becomes a credible compromise.

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14. Emma 1:20

    If not, we may need a timed plan, like two years abroad and then a serious reassessment.

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15. Tom 1:26

    That sounds fair because it turns values into testable stages instead of endless symbolic arguments.

    Line 15
16. Emma 1:32

    Yes, because we don't need a final answer tonight, but we do need honest priorities.

    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.

• imagining /ɪˈmædʒənɪŋ/ verb form

  forming a picture or idea in the mind

• shaping /ˈʃeɪpɪŋ/ verb

  forming or influencing something

• romance /ˈroʊˌmæns/ noun

  love or a love story

• schools /skulz/ noun plural

  places where people learn

• permits /pɚˈmɪts/ verb

  allows something to happen

• substantial /səbˈstænʃəl/ adjective

  large, important, or meaningful

• spoken /ˈspoʊkən/ past participle; adjective

  said aloud; expressed in speech

• adventure /ədˈvɛntʃɚ/ noun

  an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity

• rank /ræŋk/ noun; verb

  a position in an order; to place in order

• mid-sized /ˈmɪdˌsaɪzd/ adjective

  of medium size

• satisfy /ˈsætɪsˌfaɪ/ verb

  to meet a need or make someone pleased

• reassessment /ˌriəˈsɛsmənt/ noun

  a new evaluation

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