Course Content All Lessons
A1
Beginner
39 lessons
Common Greetings Present Simple Tense Listening Skills: Tips and Strategies Telephone and Video Call English Articles: A, An and The Numbers, Dates and Time Asking Simple Questions The Verb To Be Classroom and School Vocabulary Personal Pronouns: I, You, He, She Plurals: Regular and Irregular Nouns Possessives: My, Your, His, Her Family Members and Relationships Food and Drink Basics Days, Months and Seasons Reading: A Short Email to a Friend Colours, Shapes and Sizes Reading: Short Personal Profiles Reading: Signs and Notices Reading: Product Labels Using Capital Letters and Full Stops Reading: A Simple Menu Reading: A Basic Timetable Writing Your First Email in English Writing About Yourself Writing a Simple Message Writing a Shopping List Writing Numbers and Dates Correctly Listening: Numbers and Prices Listening: Greetings and Introductions Listening: Simple Instructions Listening: Spelling Names and Words Greeting People and Saying Goodbye Listening: Days and Times Listening: Short Conversations at a Shop Asking for Directions Introducing Yourself in English Ordering Food and Drinks Talking About Your Daily Routine
A2
Elementary
41 lessons
Past Simple Tense Reading: A Day in London Writing Paragraphs Food and Drink Vocabulary The Present Continuous Tense Describing People: Appearance and Personality At the Airport Reading: A Famous City Writing Simple Sentences Comparatives and Superlatives Simple Past Tense: Regular Verbs Simple Past Tense: Irregular Verbs Can and Can't: Ability and Permission How Much and How Many Work and Jobs Vocabulary Transport and Travel Vocabulary Sports and Hobbies Health and Body Parts Shopping and Money Vocabulary Reading: A Short News Story Reading: A Holiday Postcard Reading: A Job Advertisement Reading: A Simple Recipe Reading: A Hotel Review Writing About Your Weekend Writing a Postcard Writing a Short Biography Using Connectors: And, But, Because Writing a To-Do List and Notes Listening: At the Airport Listening: A Phone Conversation Listening: Weather Forecasts Listening: Announcements Listening: Describing a Picture At the Airport: Conversations Describing Where You Live Listening: A Short Interview Making and Refusing Invitations Shopping Conversations in English Talking About Past Events Talking About Your Family
B1
Intermediate
38 lessons
Reading: The Future of Work Understanding Accents and Dialects Countable and Uncountable Nouns The Present Perfect Tense Phrasal Verbs: Top 30 Health and Medicine Vocabulary Listening Strategies for Podcasts Job Interview English Writing a Formal Letter First and Second Conditional Modal Verbs: Should, Must, Might Environment and Nature Vocabulary Passive Voice in Present and Past Gerunds and Infinitives Reading: Understanding Charts and Graphs Business and Work Vocabulary Technology and the Internet Feelings and Emotions Vocabulary Reading: A Newspaper Article Reading: A Book Review Reading: An Informal Blog Post Reading: A Travel Guide Extract Reading: A Science Article Writing a Complaint Email Listening: A Job Interview Writing a Book or Film Review Writing an Informal Email to a Friend Paragraph Writing: Structure and Cohesion Describing Graphs and Charts in Writing Listening: A Radio Programme Expressing Opinions and Agreeing Giving a Short Presentation Listening: A Lecture Extract Listening: Discussions and Opinions Listening: Following Complex Instructions Making Plans and Arrangements Talking About Health and Lifestyle Telling a Story in English
B2
Upper Intermediate
38 lessons
Business Email Writing Reading: The Art of Listening Passive Voice Discourse Markers and Linking Words Academic Writing: Paragraphs and Essays Debate and Discussion Language Reading: Understanding Opinion Pieces Relative Clauses: Defining and Non-defining Third Conditional and Mixed Conditionals Academic Vocabulary: Word Families Inversion for Emphasis Cleft Sentences for Emphasis Reading: Academic Journal Extracts Environment and Climate Change Vocabulary Idioms and Fixed Expressions Politics and Society Vocabulary Collocations: Common Verb-Noun Pairs Prefixes and Suffixes for Word Building Reading: A Research Summary Reading: A Financial News Article Reading: Identifying Bias in Media Reading: Literary Prose Extracts Summarising and Paraphrasing Writing an Argumentative Essay Writing a Report Writing a Cover Letter Listening: News Broadcasts Expressing Complex Opinions Writing a Formal Proposal Listening: Debates and Panel Discussions Listening: Interviews with Experts Listening: TED-style Talks Listening: Academic Lectures Listening: Documentaries Dealing with Difficult Questions Giving a Formal Presentation Language for Meetings and Conferences Negotiating in English
C1
Advanced
34 lessons
Nominalisation in Academic English Advanced English Idioms Hedging Language in Formal Writing Advanced Collocations and Word Partnerships Reported Speech Critical Listening: Analysing Arguments Persuasive Speaking and Rhetoric Reading: Literary and Cultural Texts Advanced Passive Structures Subjunctive Mood in Formal English Advanced Conditionals and Wishes Concession and Contrast Structures Formal and Informal Register False Friends and Confusing Words Idioms in Professional Contexts Reading: Philosophical Arguments Nuance: Near Synonyms and Subtle Differences Reading: Scientific Research Papers Reading: Historical Texts Reading: Legal and Official Documents Reading: Satire and Irony Writing a Dissertation Abstract Advanced Punctuation and Style Critical Writing and Analysis Writing for Publication Synthesising Sources in Academic Writing Listening: Accents and Dialects Advanced Presentation Techniques Writing Concisely: Avoiding Wordiness Listening: Comedy and Irony Listening: Complex Academic Lectures Listening: Implicit Meaning and Inference Listening: Political Speeches Diplomatic Language in Conflict
Lessons Speaking
🤝

Diplomatic Language in Conflict

Speaking Advanced ~2 min

Navigate disagreements professionally by mastering softening strategies, reframing, and assertive diplomacy in high-stakes conversations.

📖 Lesson

What You Will Learn

You'll learn how to disagree without destroying relationships, manage tension in serious conversations, and maintain your position while keeping dialogue open. This isn't about being fake—it's about being strategically honest.

Explanation (with real-life context)

Diplomatic language doesn't mean avoiding conflict. It means managing it skillfully. Think about a business negotiation where both sides need something different, or a difficult conversation with a colleague who made a mistake. The words you choose determine whether the other person gets defensive or stays engaged.

The three pillars are:

1. Softening strategies — acknowledging the other person's perspective before your own disagreement
2. Reframing — presenting problems as shared challenges, not attacks
3. Assertiveness — being clear about your needs without aggression

Examples (natural sentences from daily life)

Weak (too direct): "Your report is full of errors."
Diplomatic: "I appreciate the work you've put in. I noticed a few inconsistencies I'd like us to address together before we submit."

Weak: "That's impossible."
Diplomatic: "I see why that appeals to you. We might face some logistical challenges. What if we explored this angle instead?"

In meetings: "I respect your perspective, and I'd like to offer another lens here..."
In emails: "Thanks for raising this. I think we're actually aligned on the goal—let me clarify my concern about the approach."

Common Mistakes

  • Over-apologizing: "I'm so sorry, but..." weakens your position. Skip the apology if you've done nothing wrong.
  • Hedging too much: "Kind of," "sort of," "maybe" make you sound uncertain. Be direct.
  • Fake enthusiasm: Diplomacy isn't performative. People smell insincerity instantly.
  • Delaying bad news: "We have an issue" is clearer than three minutes of context-setting.

Quick Tips

• Start with agreement: "We both want this project to succeed..."
• Use "and" instead of "but": "I hear you, and here's my concern..."
• Name the tension: "This is awkward to say, but I need to be honest..."
• Propose solutions, not problems: Never end with criticism alone.

Follow Along reads paragraph by paragraph with highlighting. Hover underlined words for quick definitions.

🃏 Key Vocabulary — tap to flip

7 words
to defuse tension
/dɪˈfjuːz ˈtenʃən/
Advanced
Tap to see definition →
Definition
To reduce anger or conflict in a situation gradually and carefully
"The mediator used calm language to defuse tension between the two parties."
Tap to flip back
diplomatic immunity
/ˌdɪpləˈmætɪk ɪˈmjuːnəti/
Advanced
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Definition
Official protection from legal action granted to diplomats and government representatives
"The ambassador claimed diplomatic immunity when questioned about the controversial statement."
Tap to flip back
to circumlocute
/ˌsɜːkəmˈlɒkjuːt/
Advanced
Tap to see definition →
Definition
To express something using many words instead of being direct; to talk around a topic
"Rather than say 'no,' the negotiator circumlocuted by discussing various practical concerns."
Tap to flip back
posturing
/ˈpɒstʃərɪŋ/
Advanced
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Definition
Adopting an artificial position or attitude to impress others or gain advantage
"Both governments engaged in posturing before the actual peace talks began."
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to obfuscate
/əbˈfʌskeɪt/
Advanced
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Definition
To deliberately make something unclear or confusing to avoid giving a direct answer
"The minister obfuscated the real reasons for the policy by flooding reporters with statistics."
Tap to flip back
rapprochement
/ˌræprɔːʃˈmɒŋ/
Advanced
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Definition
A reduction in tension and reestablishment of friendly relations between opposing parties
"After years of hostility, rapprochement seemed possible once both leaders agreed to meet."
Tap to flip back
to prevaricate
/prɪˈværɪkeɪt/
Advanced
Tap to see definition →
Definition
To speak or act evasively; to avoid giving a direct or honest answer
"When pressed about the agreement, the spokesperson began to prevaricate about the exact terms."
Tap to flip back

✏️ Fill in the Blank

Type the missing word to complete each sentence.

The mediator used calm language ___ between the two parties.
The ambassador claimed ___ when questioned about the controversial statement.
Both governments engaged in ___ before the actual peace talks began.
After years of hostility, ___ seemed possible once both leaders agreed to meet.
When pressed about the agreement, the spokesperson began ___ about the exact terms.

✅ Check Your Understanding

Quick Check
3 questions · no login needed

1. According to the lesson, what is the key difference between the weak and diplomatic responses to 'Your report is full of errors'?

2. Which of the following strategies is explicitly recommended in the lesson as a way to soften disagreement?

3. Based on the lesson, what does 'reframing' mean in diplomatic language?

🧠 Practice Quizzes

Test Your Knowledge: Diplomatic Language in Conflict
5 questions · 10 min
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