The English you need for the conversation in front of you.

The job interview: 'Tell me about yourself'

Sell your strengths without sounding like a CV.

Negotiate your salary

Ask for more money, politely and firmly.

Run a meeting that ends on time

Keep a meeting on track when someone keeps going off topic.

Negotiate a deal with a supplier

Get a better price and a faster delivery.

An angry client: the order is late

Calm a client down and fix it, on the phone.

Your performance review

Talk about your work honestly and ask for what's next.

Tell a colleague their work isn't good enough

Give honest feedback without making an enemy.

Pitch your idea to the boss

Get a yes for your idea in five minutes.

Network at a conference

Talk to strangers who could change your career.

Quit your job without burning bridges

Resign gracefully and leave on good terms.

Your first week at a new job

Settle in fast and ask for help without looking lost.

Present your project's progress

Give a clear update, good news and bad, in two minutes.

Handle tough questions after your presentation

Answer the hard question calmly, even when you don't know.

Say no to extra work (without looking lazy)

Protect your time and still look like a team player.

You made a mistake at work: own it and fix it

Admit it fast, fix it, and keep your boss's trust.

A video call that keeps going wrong

Keep the meeting moving when the tech doesn't.

Brainstorm ideas with your team

Throw in bold ideas and help the best one win.

Rant: my job is eating my life

Complain about work properly, then work out what to change.

Address a missed quarterly target

Own a missed deadline or revenue target and present a credible recovery plan.

Seminar: argue your point in class

Disagree with a classmate clearly and politely.

Pitch your research idea to a supervisor

Explain a project idea like a researcher.

Ask your professor for an extension

Ask for more time on an assignment and actually get it.

Defend your grade to your professor

Ask for a better mark without begging.

Group project: someone isn't doing their part

Sort out a lazy teammate without a fight.

Study group the night before the exam

Plan the night, share tricks, and actually remember things.

Office hours: you didn't understand the lecture

Ask for help clearly, and leave actually understanding it.

Give feedback on a classmate's essay

Say what works and what doesn't, clearly and kindly.

Choose what to study at university

Talk through a big choice and make a decision you can defend.

Your essay was flagged for plagiarism

Explain what happened calmly and protect your grade.

Ask a librarian for help with your research

Find good sources fast, and use them well.

Interview for a research grant or scholarship

Persuade a funding committee that your research deserves financial backing.

Talk about your hometown

Say more about where you live than 'it is big and nice'.

Describe a person you admire

Describe someone you admire without saying 'nice' or 'kind'.

Is social media making us unhappy?

Hold a strong opinion about social media and back it up.

Should cities ban cars?

Give a clear opinion on traffic, pollution and city life.

Whose job is it to save the planet?

Argue about the environment with words that carry weight.

Should university be free?

Debate education, money and fairness.

Is tourism good for a place?

Weigh up tourism like a local and like a visitor.

Will AI take our jobs?

Talk about AI with the words the news uses.

One job for life, or many?

Talk about careers, ambition and security.

Is working from home better?

Weigh up home and office like someone who has done both.

Should children have smartphones?

Give a balanced opinion on kids and screens, and back it up.

Is fast fashion a problem?

Talk about shopping and its real cost, and give a clear view.

Should young adults live with their parents?

Weigh up family and independence, and give a clear view.

Is it better to rent or buy a home?

Compare renting and buying, and give a clear opinion.

Is space exploration worth the money?

Weigh up the stars against problems at home, and decide.

Explain a chart or graph

Describe rises, falls and trends precisely, in a meeting or an exam.

Is a cashless society a good idea?

Argue the economic efficiency and social risks of a completely digital monetary system.

You missed your connecting flight

Get on the next flight and get what you're owed.

Complain at the hotel desk

Turn a bad room into a better one, politely.

Fix your trip with a travel agent

Change a booking and get what you paid for.

The airline lost your luggage

Report a missing bag and get what you need until it turns up.

Rent a car (and it breaks down)

Dodge the hidden costs, and stay calm when the car stops.

Order dinner abroad (with a food allergy)

Order safely, ask for changes, and sort out the bill.

Get through passport control

Answer the officer's questions clearly and walk through.

Haggle at a street market

Get a fair price, and keep it friendly.

Your train is cancelled

Find out what's happening and get home anyway.

See a doctor abroad

Explain what's wrong when you're ill far from home.

Rent a flat in a new city

Ask the right questions before you sign.

Ask a local where to really go

Skip the tourist traps and find the good stuff.

Plan a trip with a friend

Talk about where to go and how to travel.

Your bag was stolen abroad

File an official police report and obtain emergency travel credentials to return home.

Meet new people at a party

Small talk that does not die after 'hi'.

Rant: my boss is impossible

Describe a nightmare boss the way friends really talk.

Rant: the neighbours partied till 3 a.m.

Complain about noise like a native speaker.

Rant: that film was terrible

Tear a film apart with the right words.

Rant: my friend keeps cancelling

Tell a friend it's not okay, and keep the friendship.

Bump into an old friend after years

Turn an awkward 'hey!' into a real reunion.

Cheer up a friend after a break-up

Listen first, then help them look forward.

Apologise to a friend you upset

Say sorry properly and save the friendship.

Your friend just got engaged

Share the big news with real excitement.

Host a dinner party

Welcome guests warmly and end the night well.

Support a friend who was laid off

Comfort a friend dealing with sudden job loss and help them rebuild momentum.