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Parent-Teacher Conference

A parent meets with a teacher to discuss a student's academic progress, behavior, or any concerns.

Dialogue

Listen and follow along with the conversation

1
Sarah (Female)
Hi Mr. David, thanks for meeting with me today. I'm here to discuss Emily's progress.
2
David (Male)
Hello Sarah, it's good to see you. Emily is a bright student, and overall, she's doing quite well in class.
3
Sarah (Female)
That's great to hear! I was a bit concerned about her math grades recently. Has anything changed?
4
David (Male)
Yes, actually. We've moved into more complex problem-solving. Emily sometimes rushes through her work, which leads to small errors. She just needs to take a bit more time to review.
5
Sarah (Female)
I see. We can work on that at home. Is there anything else I should be aware of?
6
David (Male)
Not particularly. Her participation in class is excellent, and she's always willing to help her classmates. Just the pacing in math.
7
Sarah (Female)
Okay, thank you for the feedback. We'll encourage her to slow down and double-check her math homework.
8
David (Male)
That sounds like a good plan. I'm confident she'll improve quickly with that focus.
9
Sarah (Female)
Thanks again for your time, Mr. David. It was very helpful.
10
David (Male)
You're welcome, Sarah. Have a good day.

Vocabulary

Essential words and phrases from the dialogue

progress

Progress means the improvement or development in learning or work. In this dialogue, it's used to talk about a student's academic advancement, like 'Emily's progress' in school.

concerned

Concerned means worried or interested in something. Here, the parent says 'I was a bit concerned about her math grades,' showing worry about a child's performance.

grades

Grades are the scores or marks given for school work. It's common in educational talks, like discussing 'her math grades recently' to mean recent test results.

rushed

Rushed means done too quickly without care. In the dialogue, 'rushes through her work' explains why the student makes errors, a useful word for describing hasty actions.

review

Review means to check or look over something again. The teacher suggests 'take a bit more time to review' to avoid mistakes, helpful for study advice.

participation

Participation means taking part in activities. 'Her participation in class is excellent' praises involvement, often used in school feedback.

feedback

Feedback means comments or advice on performance. The parent thanks for 'the feedback,' a polite way to acknowledge helpful information in meetings.

encourage

Encourage means to motivate or support someone. 'We'll encourage her to slow down' shows how parents can help, useful in family education discussions.

Key Sentences

Important phrases to remember and practice

I'm here to discuss Emily's progress.

This sentence introduces the purpose of the meeting politely. It's useful for starting conversations about someone's development. The structure uses 'to discuss' for infinitive purpose, common in formal talks.

That's great to hear!

This is a positive response to good news. It's practical for showing relief or happiness in discussions. No complex grammar; it's an idiomatic expression for everyday English.

I was a bit concerned about her math grades recently.

This expresses mild worry about a specific issue. Useful in parent-teacher meetings to raise concerns without being too direct. 'A bit' softens the concern, and 'recently' adds time context.

She just needs to take a bit more time to review.

This gives simple advice on improvement. It's helpful for suggesting study habits. The structure 'needs to' + infinitive shows necessity, a key pattern for recommendations.

Is there anything else I should be aware of?

This asks for additional information politely. Great for open-ended questions in meetings. 'Be aware of' means to know about, useful in professional or educational contexts.

Thank you for the feedback.

A standard way to end a discussion gratefully. It's polite and common in feedback situations. Simple present tense for thanks, easy to use in many scenarios.

We'll encourage her to slow down and double-check her math homework.

This shows agreement and a plan to act. Useful for responding to advice. 'Encourage someone to do something' is a common pattern, and 'double-check' means verify twice.

I'm confident she'll improve quickly with that focus.

This expresses positive expectation. Practical for encouraging words in education. 'I'm confident' states belief, and 'with that focus' explains the condition for success.