The Diplomacy Ladder: guided B2+ practice

The real-world purpose of this module

The Diplomacy Ladder is organised around a workplace decision, not a list of phrases. The first lesson addresses this need: Can rewrite a blunt statement at three politeness settings and pick the right setting for a context, including the do-not-soften cases (safety, deadlines, legal). The final task checks this combined result: Quiz at 80 percent plus the speaking scenario. Practise with invented but realistic details, then adapt the language to your own authority, channel and relationship.

Level: B2+. This module contains 5 connected lessons. Follow the order when the topic is new, or use the lesson map to repair one specific gap.

The lesson map

What useful practice looks like

• The Diplomacy Ladder: Eight Ways to Soften (and When Not To): Can rewrite a blunt statement at three politeness settings and pick the right setting for a context, including the do-not-soften cases (safety, deadlines, legal).
• Feedback: Giving It and Taking It: Can give correction without accusation and receive criticism without collapse or defensiveness.
• Refusing, Escalating and Delivering Bad News: Can refuse a senior's request, escalate an issue and deliver bad news, each with the appropriate register.

Use true information where possible. A sentence about your own routine, work or plans is easier to remember than a sentence copied from a model.

A study routine for The Diplomacy Ladder

1. Read the outcome for The Diplomacy Ladder: Eight Ways to Soften (and When Not To) before the examples.
2. Say or write one model, then change at least two details.
3. Complete the quiz before opening its answer panels.
4. Use the module checkpoint to produce Checkpoint: Same Message, Four Audiences independently.
5. Return only to the lesson that matches the error you found.

Start or continue the module

Your progress is saved on this device only.

1. 1The Diplomacy Ladder: Eight Ways to Soften (and When Not To)21 min, Not complete
2. 2Feedback: Giving It and Taking It22 min, Not complete
3. 3Refusing, Escalating and Delivering Bad News20 min, Not complete
4. 4Reading the Room Across Cultures21 min, Not complete
5. 5Checkpoint: Same Message, Four Audiences22 min, Not complete

How to know you are ready to continue

Do not judge readiness by reading speed. You are ready when you can complete the checkpoint task with a clear message, understandable language and no copied answer. A small number of errors is normal at B2+; errors should not hide your meaning.

If the checkpoint is difficult, repeat the lesson whose outcome matches the problem. That is faster than restarting the whole module.