Project: Interac-TIC - PID2023-148075OB-I00, funded by MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, EU
B2 Speaking interaction in tandem
Making a formal request at work
Formal Discussions
Start!
Welcome!
This activity will take between 30 and 40 minutes and consists of four tasks: - Warm-up task - Task 1 - Task 2 - Reflection task When you're ready, click on the arrow!
Image by Nick K from Pixabay
Before you start...
You may find the expressions on the right useful for making requests and disagreeing politely. Also, remember to:
- Say your name.
- Speak in English throughout.
- Record from the start.
- You won't be able to go back to previous slides, so remember to take notes if needed.
When you're ready, click on the arrow!
5-10 minutes
Warm-up task
An employee at a small company wants to request a day off from the team leader next week. Task objective:
- Look at the expressions on the right and discuss whether they are appropriate or not for this context. For those which are not, think of a more polite and professional alternative.
- Take turns reading the expressions aloud to your partner before discussing each one.
When you finish the task, click on the arrow!
Follow-up
Were you able to identify which expressions are appropriate and which are not? We suggest a possible alternative for the less appropriate ones:
❌ Hey, I wanna talk about something - Too informal. Alternative: I was wondering if we could meet briefly. ❌ I'm just not a fan of early mornings, and the day before I’m going to a concert - Not a professional justification. Alternative: It’s a private issue, but I can assure you it won’t affect my duties. ❌ I have the right to take a day off for personal reasons - Carries a confrontational tone. Alternative: I’d like to request a day off next week for personal reasons.
When you're ready, click on the arrow!
15-20 minutes
Formal discussions
You and your partner both work at GeniusTech, a small, London-based start-up company. The team is made up of 10 people and is known for being dynamic and collaborative. Despite the informal culture of a start-up, professional communication is still expected, especially when making requests to a team leader (e.g., asking for a day off). You and your partner will take on different roles to complete formal discussion tasks 1 and 2. Decide who is Student A and Student B and click the corresponding button to begin!
Student A
Student B
Student A - Task 1
You are an employee at GeniusTech and your partner is the leader of your team. You want to ask the team leader about the possibility of teleworking three days a week. For this, you will need to have a formal discussion. To complete this task:
- Read the information on the right silently and take it into account.
- Talk together with your partner about whether your request can be accepted — and if so, under what conditions.
When you finish the task, click on the arrow!
Student B - Task 1
You are a team leader at GeniusTech and your partner is a member of your team. Your partner is going to request a change in their working conditions. To complete this task:
- Read the information on the right silently and take it into account.
- Talk to your partner to find out if your request can be accepted, and if so, on what terms.
When you finish the task, click on the arrow!
Follow-up
There is no single solution to this task!
- During the conversation, did you use any of the expressions for making requests and disagreeing politely suggested at the beginning of this activity?
- Did you use any other expressions that are not in the table? Which ones?
- Now that you are not under pressure, can you think of anything else you did not say before?
When you’re ready, click on the arrow!
Follow-up
There is no single solution to this task!
- During the conversation, did you use any of the expressions for making requests and disagreeing politely suggested at the beginning of this activity?
- Did you use any other expressions that are not in the table? Which ones?
- Now that you are not under pressure, can you think of anything else you did not say before?
When you’re ready, click on the arrow!
Student A - Task 2
You are a team leader at GeniusTech and your partner is a member of your team. Your partner is going to make a request about their professional development. To complete this task:
- Read the information on the right silently and take it into account.
- Talk to your partner to decide whether you can accept the request, and if so, on what terms.
When you finish the task, click on the arrow!
Student B - Task 2
You are an employee at GeniusTech and your partner is the leader of your team. You want to do a Master's degree, and you want to ask the team leader if the company can finance the course and allow you to study during some working hours. To complete this task:
- Read the information on the right silently and take it into account.
- Talk to your partner to decide whether this request can be accepted, and if so, on what terms.
When you finish the task, click on the arrow!
Follow-up
There is no single solution to this task!
- During the conversation, did you use any of the expressions for making requests and disagreeing politely suggested at the beginning of this activity?
- Now that you are not under pressure, can you think of anything else you did not say before?
When you’re ready, click on the arrow!
Let's reflect on the task!
Now, it’s time to reflect on how you felt during the conversation. You can do this task in the language you feel most comfortable with. The questions on the right can help guide your reflection. Once you've finished the task, click on the arrow!
Good job!
You have now completed this activity. You can watch the recorded video to see what you were able to do during the task and mark it in the self-reflection table.
Interac-TIC project
Project: Interac-TIC - PID2023-148075OB-I00, funded by MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, EU
Making a formal request at work
Interactic
Created on December 18, 2025
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Transcript
Project: Interac-TIC - PID2023-148075OB-I00, funded by MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, EU
B2 Speaking interaction in tandem
Making a formal request at work
Formal Discussions
Start!
Welcome!
This activity will take between 30 and 40 minutes and consists of four tasks: - Warm-up task - Task 1 - Task 2 - Reflection task When you're ready, click on the arrow!
Image by Nick K from Pixabay
Before you start...
You may find the expressions on the right useful for making requests and disagreeing politely. Also, remember to:
- Say your name.
- Speak in English throughout.
- Record from the start.
- You won't be able to go back to previous slides, so remember to take notes if needed.
When you're ready, click on the arrow!5-10 minutes
Warm-up task
An employee at a small company wants to request a day off from the team leader next week. Task objective:
- Look at the expressions on the right and discuss whether they are appropriate or not for this context. For those which are not, think of a more polite and professional alternative.
- Take turns reading the expressions aloud to your partner before discussing each one.
When you finish the task, click on the arrow!Follow-up
Were you able to identify which expressions are appropriate and which are not? We suggest a possible alternative for the less appropriate ones:
❌ Hey, I wanna talk about something - Too informal. Alternative: I was wondering if we could meet briefly. ❌ I'm just not a fan of early mornings, and the day before I’m going to a concert - Not a professional justification. Alternative: It’s a private issue, but I can assure you it won’t affect my duties. ❌ I have the right to take a day off for personal reasons - Carries a confrontational tone. Alternative: I’d like to request a day off next week for personal reasons.
When you're ready, click on the arrow!
15-20 minutes
Formal discussions
You and your partner both work at GeniusTech, a small, London-based start-up company. The team is made up of 10 people and is known for being dynamic and collaborative. Despite the informal culture of a start-up, professional communication is still expected, especially when making requests to a team leader (e.g., asking for a day off). You and your partner will take on different roles to complete formal discussion tasks 1 and 2. Decide who is Student A and Student B and click the corresponding button to begin!
Student A
Student B
Student A - Task 1
You are an employee at GeniusTech and your partner is the leader of your team. You want to ask the team leader about the possibility of teleworking three days a week. For this, you will need to have a formal discussion. To complete this task:
- Talk together with your partner about whether your request can be accepted — and if so, under what conditions.
When you finish the task, click on the arrow!Student B - Task 1
You are a team leader at GeniusTech and your partner is a member of your team. Your partner is going to request a change in their working conditions. To complete this task:
- Talk to your partner to find out if your request can be accepted, and if so, on what terms.
When you finish the task, click on the arrow!Follow-up
There is no single solution to this task!
- Now that you are not under pressure, can you think of anything else you did not say before?
When you’re ready, click on the arrow!Follow-up
There is no single solution to this task!
- Now that you are not under pressure, can you think of anything else you did not say before?
When you’re ready, click on the arrow!Student A - Task 2
You are a team leader at GeniusTech and your partner is a member of your team. Your partner is going to make a request about their professional development. To complete this task:
- Talk to your partner to decide whether you can accept the request, and if so, on what terms.
When you finish the task, click on the arrow!Student B - Task 2
You are an employee at GeniusTech and your partner is the leader of your team. You want to do a Master's degree, and you want to ask the team leader if the company can finance the course and allow you to study during some working hours. To complete this task:
- Talk to your partner to decide whether this request can be accepted, and if so, on what terms.
When you finish the task, click on the arrow!Follow-up
There is no single solution to this task!
- Now that you are not under pressure, can you think of anything else you did not say before?
When you’re ready, click on the arrow!Let's reflect on the task!
Now, it’s time to reflect on how you felt during the conversation. You can do this task in the language you feel most comfortable with. The questions on the right can help guide your reflection. Once you've finished the task, click on the arrow!
Good job!
You have now completed this activity. You can watch the recorded video to see what you were able to do during the task and mark it in the self-reflection table.
Interac-TIC project
Project: Interac-TIC - PID2023-148075OB-I00, funded by MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, EU