Module 6 · Listening & Speaking Strands · Lesson 24

Negotiation & Mediation

Persuasion, diplomatic disagreement, repair

CEFR C245–60 minDiplomatic directnessCore

Teacher Notes

Warm-up · Section 1

4 min

Get talking

reflection

Honest vs rude — where's the line?

'I think you're wrong about that.' Is this direct, rude, or diplomatic — and what changes the answer?

activity

Repair after a misfire

You just said something that landed wrong. The partner has gone quiet. What's the FIRST repair sentence out of your mouth?

discussion

Persuade without bulldozing

Persuade someone to come to your event when they've already said no. Three sentences. No pressure, no guilt — just honest invitation.

Grammar focus · Section 2

8 min

Diplomatic directness — the C1 frame

Quick rule

C1 directness is built on three frames: (1) the soft-front + hard-core sentence ('I have to be honest — I disagree.'), (2) the repair sentence ('Let me put that better.'), (3) the relational anchor ('I'm with you on X — I just see Y differently.'). Hedging without commitment = B2 vague. Directness without warmth = B2 blunt. C1 lives in the combination.

Examples

✓

Soft-front + hard-core: 'I have to be honest — I think we're solving the wrong problem.'

✓

Repair: 'Let me put that better — I wasn't trying to dismiss your idea, I was responding to the timing of it.'

✓

Relational anchor: 'I'm with you on the goal; what I'd push back on is the route.'

✓

Diplomatic persuasion: 'Could I make a case for one more look at it — not to overturn the decision, just to test it?'

Quick check

Question 1.Best C1 diplomatic disagreement:

Question 2.Best REPAIR sentence after a misfire:

Question 3.Which is DIPLOMATIC PERSUASION (not pressure)?

Question 4.Which combines soft front + hard core?

Question 5.Why does visible REPAIR raise the band, not lower it?

Answer all items, then check.

Vocabulary · Section 3

6 min

Words & phrases to own

to make a case for

to argue calmly without insisting

e.g. Could I make a case for one more look at it?

Use it now

Make a case for an unpopular opinion in 20 seconds.

↻ Recycled in speaking

to push back on

to disagree clearly, without aggression

e.g. I'd push back on the framing, not the substance.

Use it now

Push back on a real recent decision someone made.

↻ Recycled in speaking

let me put that better

the most useful single repair line in English

e.g. Let me put that better — I wasn't dismissing your idea.

Use it now

Use 'let me put that better' to repair a sentence you regret.

↻ Recycled in speaking

to land (a sentence) badly

for a remark to be received the wrong way

e.g. That landed badly — I'm sorry, let me try again.

Use it now

Describe a time something you said 'landed badly'.

↻ Recycled in speaking

to bring (someone) along

to persuade by including, not pressuring

e.g. I'm trying to bring her along on the decision, not push her into it.

Use it now

Distinguish 'bring along' (relational) from 'win over' (transactional).

↻ Recycled in speaking

I'm with you on (X)

anchoring agreement before a disagreement

e.g. I'm with you on the goal — I just see the route differently.

Use it now

Use 'I'm with you on ___' before a real disagreement.

↻ Recycled in speaking

Activate the language

Pair / group discussion

Which of today's repair lines do you most need in your first language too?
Which one is HARDEST to say sincerely — and why?

Complete each stem about yourself

I'm with you on ______, but I'd push back on ______.…
Let me put that better — ______.…
That landed badly. ______.…
Could I make a case for ______?…

Rank & justify

Rank by how strongly each one signals 'I value the relationship AND I'm still being honest'.

let me put that better
I'm with you on the goal
you're wrong
could I make a case for
I'm trying to bring you along

Quick write (60 seconds)

Write a 50-word reply to a colleague who has just said something you disagree with — using soft-front + hard-core + relational tail.

Pronunciation · Section 4

3 min

Tone of repair — sincerity, not apology

Repair sentences fail when delivered with apology-tone (over-soft) or defensive-tone (rising at the end). The C1 repair is delivered at NORMAL volume, slightly slower than baseline, with a falling intonation that signals seriousness. Practise saying 'let me put that better' three ways: apologetic, defensive, and C1-direct. Only the third one repairs the conversation.

LET me PUT that BETter ↘.
That came out BLUNTer ↘ than I MEANT ↘.
I'M with you on the GOAL ↘ — I just SEE the ROUTE ↘ DIFFerently ↘.
Could I MAKE a CASE for ONE more LOOK ↗?

Reading · Section 5

8 min

Three short dialogues — direct, indirect, repaired

Working dialogues · for stance comparison

Three short dialogues — direct, indirect, repaired

Same disagreement, three approaches. Notice which one leaves the relationship intact AND advances the argument.

Prepared by the teacher · Pre-listening

DIALOGUE 1 — TOO DIRECT. A: I think the marketing plan is weak. B: …Right. OK. (B has gone quiet. The conversation is over.)

DIALOGUE 2 — TOO INDIRECT. A: I mean, the marketing plan is… interesting. There are bits I like. Maybe we should think about it more? B: So you like it? A: Well, sort of? (The disagreement never lands. Nothing changes.)

DIALOGUE 3 — DIPLOMATICALLY DIRECT (with repair). A: I have to be honest — I think the marketing plan needs serious work. B: That stings a bit. A: Yeah, I can hear that. Let me put that better — I'm with you on the goal. What I'd push back on is the route. Specifically the launch sequence: I think we're front-loading the channels that historically convert least. B: Hm. OK — go on.

Question 1.What's wrong with Dialogue 1?

Question 2.What's wrong with Dialogue 2?

Question 3.What does Dialogue 3 do that the other two don't?

Question 4.A's repair sentence is:

Question 5.What does B's 'Hm. OK — go on.' tell you?

Answer all items, then check.

Listening · Section 6

8 min

Listening — a real-sounding negotiation that nearly breaks (and is repaired)

Notes

Pre-listen brief — repair in action

▸Listen for: the misfire sentence, the partner's flinch, the repair line.
▸Note which of today's frames the speaker uses to repair.
▸Decide: is the relationship intact at the end?

Listening audio

Tap play to listen. Scrub the bar or use ± 5 s to jump.

Show transcript

Karim (English, m, marketing manager):So — the launch plan. Honestly, I think it's the weakest version we've put forward in two years.

Sara (Spanish, f, marketing colleague):Wow. OK. That's quite a thing to say.

Karim:Yeah — sorry, that came out blunter than I meant. Let me put it better. I'm with you on the goal — I think a Q3 launch is right, I think the audience is right. What I'd push back on is the SEQUENCE. We're leading with the lowest-converting channel, and that worries me. Could I make a case for swapping the first two weeks around?

Sara:OK — that's a different conversation. Let's look at the data on that. The way you opened, I thought you were dismissing the whole plan.

Karim:Fair. That's on me. I'm not dismissing it. I'm trying to bring you along on one specific change.

Question 1.Karim's MISFIRE sentence is:

Question 2.How does Sara signal the flinch?

Question 3.Karim's REPAIR move uses which frames?

Question 4.What evidence shows the repair worked?

Question 5.Karim's final 'I'm trying to bring you along on one specific change' does what?

Answer all items, then check.

Visual stimulus · Section 7

3 min

The misfire-and-repair flowchart

Real negotiations misfire. The C1 skill is noticing the misfire and repairing within ONE turn.

Notes

Misfire → repair (one-turn loop)

▸1. MISFIRE — your sentence lands wrong (partner flinches, goes quiet, hardens).
▸2. NOTICE — within ONE turn, name the misfire ('that came out blunter than I meant').
▸3. RELATIONAL ANCHOR — 'I'm with you on X.'
▸4. SCOPED RESTATE — narrow the disagreement to a specific point.
▸5. INVITE BACK — 'could I make a case for…' / 'go on?' Re-open the floor.

Discuss in pairs

Identify the step you're most likely to skip — and what skipping it costs.

Exam skills · Section 8

3 min

Integrated Speaking P3 + P4 — negotiation under exam pressure

Strategy

1.Disagree EARLY — by minute 1. Saving disagreement for the end looks evasive.
2.Use scoped push-back: 'I'm with you on X — I'd push back on Y.' Specificity raises the band.
3.Repair within ONE turn of any flinch. Don't wait.
4.When persuading, frame it as INVITATION not pressure: 'Could I make a case for…?'
5.In the P4 follow-up, treat the negotiation itself as the topic — anchor your stance on how it went and concede honestly.
6.Never bulldoze. The C1 marker is leaving the partner willing to keep talking.

Example

INTEGRATED MOVE: 'I'm with you on the goal — and that's a real point — but I'd push back on the route. Granted, my preferred route has its own costs. If anything, that's why I'd want to TEST it rather than skip it. Could I make a case for a two-week pilot before we commit?'

Practice · Section 9

7 min

Fill in the blank

Question 1.Let me ____ that better — that came out blunter than I meant.

Question 2.I'm ____ you on the goal — I just see the route differently.

Question 3.Could I make a ____ for one more look at it?

Question 4.That landed ____ — I'm sorry, let me try again.

Question 5.I'm trying to ____ you along on this — not push you into it.

Question 6.I'd push ____ on the framing, not the substance.

Answer all items, then check.

Writing · Section 10

4 min

Put it in writing

Your task

Plan (in 4 minutes) FOUR reusable repair lines for your exam toolkit: ONE soft-front, ONE relational anchor, ONE repair-of-misfire, ONE diplomatic-persuasion invitation.

• Four lines only — must be portable across topics.
• Each ≤ 15 words.
• Test by inserting into TWO different scenarios (e.g. plan disagreement, scheduling clash).

Before you submit

☐ Soft-front opener that doesn't dilute the core.
☐ Relational anchor that names a shared point.
☐ Repair line that names the misfire without grovelling.
☐ Diplomatic-persuasion invitation that's clearly not pressure.

Show model answer

Soft front: 'I have to be honest — I see this differently.' Relational anchor: 'I'm with you on the goal; it's the route I'd want to test.' Repair: 'Let me put that better — that came out blunter than I meant.' Invitation: 'Could I make a case for one more look at it?'

Speaking · Section 11

6 min

Make it a real conversation

Speaking — integrated P3+P4 negotiation (7 minutes). Scenario: a working group must decide which of THREE options (a · in-person quarterly summit / b · monthly virtual workshops / c · async written briefings) best serves a distributed team. You and the partner have OPPOSED first preferences. You must disagree at least twice, repair at least one misfire, and reach (or honestly fail to reach) a joint decision in 4 minutes. Then a 60-second P4 follow-up: 'How would you describe the negotiation you just had?'

After the 7 minutes, debrief: was there a misfire? Was it repaired? Did the partner stay willing to talk?

Was the disagreement HONEST and the relationship INTACT?

Both

C1 diplomatic directness — Band 5 territory.

Honest but relationship strained

Misfire wasn't repaired in time; rehearse the repair loop.

Relationship intact but no real disagreement

You hedged out of the disagreement; force the soft-front + hard-core next.

Neither

Run the scenario again with the partner deliberately combative.

Useful phrases

I have to be honest — I think ______.
I'm with you on ______ — I just see ______ differently.
Let me put that better — ______.
Could I make a case for ______ , not to overturn ______ , just to test ______?
That landed badly. ______.
Where we converged was ______.

Optional · Teacher-led

Teacher Activities

Stretches if time allows. All work 1:1. ~18 min total

Homework · Section 12

Take-home

Take it home

speaking

Record a 4-minute negotiation with a friend (or solo, simulating both sides) on any topic you genuinely disagree about. Listen back: identify (a) one disagreement, (b) one misfire, (c) one repair. Re-record any missing piece.

vocab

Build a personal 'diplomatic directness' bank: 3 soft-front openers, 3 repair lines, 3 relational anchors, 3 invitations. Memorise four.

writing

Write a 150-word email diplomatically disagreeing with a colleague's recent decision. Use soft-front, relational anchor, scoped push-back, and a diplomatic-persuasion invitation.

reading

Find a real interview or debate clip (any language you understand) in which one speaker REPAIRS a misfire. Transcribe the repair sentence. Note: what tone, pace and word choice did they use?

Recap · Section 13

Wrap-up

What you've learned

C1 directness = soft front + hard core + relational tail. None of the three on its own is enough.
Repair within ONE turn of any flinch — 'let me put that better' is the most useful single line in English.
Push-back is SCOPED: 'I'm with you on X — I'd push back on Y.'
Persuasion is INVITATION ('Could I make a case for…?'), not pressure.
The C1 marker: the partner is still willing to keep talking after you've disagreed.

Lesson complete

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