A speaking exam: defending a view while the examiner tests it
An examiner probes a candidate's position on banning cars from city centres; the candidate concedes, corrects and holds the line.
Dialogues
Hearing a quiet no: a junior proposal is gently parked
A partner turns down a junior analyst's proposal without ever saying no; she has to hear the refusal in the wording and step back gracefully.
Coffee-machine small talk about a much-delayed office relocation
Two near-strangers fill the wait at the coffee machine with small talk about a move that keeps slipping.
Disagreeing with a colleague's plan without turning the meeting into a fight
Two colleagues disagree about a launch date and keep the meeting from turning into an argument.
Ringing a company to move an appointment you cannot keep
A client rings to move an appointment his flight will make him miss; the receptionist offers alternatives.
Two friends compare their weekends on a Monday morning
Two friends trade weekend stories before work, one of them visibly short of sleep.
Asking a stranger the way to the nearest pharmacy
A visitor asks a passer-by for the closest place to buy medicine and gets a two-step route.
Buying a few things in a small shop: greeting, asking and paying
A customer greets the shopkeeper, asks for three everyday items and pays.