Functioneringsgesprek
Annual performance review
B2 · Upper intermediate · ≈ 22 min · setting: Eindhoven
This is a difficult genre to understand by ear: the speakers are polite, but every phrase contains an evaluation. Dat waardeer ik — praise. Daar zou ik juist iets over willen zeggen — criticism. Don't listen to the words, but to the degree of certainty: that's the real content.
- Question 1: What is Mila happy about this year?
- Question 2: What criticism does the manager express, and how gently is it phrased?
- Question 3: What does Mila ask for, and what does Hanneke reply?
- Question 4: What two agreements are recorded at the end?
Gesprek — Jaarlijks functioneringsgesprek
November, manager's office. The conversation lasts twenty minutes; you hear the middle part.
- Hanneketeamleider
- Mila
- Hanneketeamleider
- Mila
- Hanneketeamleider
- Mila
- Hanneketeamleider
- Mila
- Hanneketeamleider
- Mila
- Hanneketeamleider
- Mila
- Hanneketeamleider
- Mila
- Hanneketeamleider
How criticism sounds
| Phrase | Literally | Actually |
|---|---|---|
| Daar zou ik juist iets over willen zeggen | I would like to say something about that | criticism is coming now |
| Ik zie dat je moeilijk om hulp vraagt | I see that you find it difficult | this needs to change |
| jij loopt leeg | you are depleting yourself | a direct warning about burnout |
| Wat als je … weggeeft? | what if you delegate | a suggestion that is expected to be accepted |
| Daar sta ik positief tegenover | I'm in favour of it | agree in principle, but there's a condition |
| Dat lijkt me realistisch | looks realistic | yes, agreed |
| Phrase | Literally | Actually |
|---|---|---|
| Daar zou ik juist iets over willen zeggen | I would like to say something about that | criticism is coming now |
| Ik zie dat je moeilijk om hulp vraagt | I see that you find it difficult | this needs to change |
| jij loopt leeg | you are depleting yourself | a direct warning about burnout |
| Wat als je … weggeeft? | what if you delegate | a suggestion that is expected to be accepted |
| Daar sta ik positief tegenover | I'm in favour of it | agree in principle, but there's a condition |
| Dat lijkt me realistisch | looks realistic | yes, agreed |
The phrase ik zou … willen is a polite way of making a request. You can recognise it by zou and by the intonation, which falls at the end of the sentence.
What is recorded
Words from the conversation
stroef lopen
to not run smoothly, to be a struggle
waarderen
to appreciate
leeglopen
to burn out, to get exhausted
om hulp vragen
to ask for help
weggeven
to hand over (a task)
vastleggen
to record
het verslag
report (of a meeting)
positief tegenover staan
to be in favour of
het kwartaal
quarter
realistisch
realistic
| stroef lopen | to not run smoothly, to be a struggle |
| waarderen | to appreciate |
| leeglopen | to burn out, to get exhausted |
| om hulp vragen | to ask for help |
| weggeven | to hand over (a task) |
| vastleggen | to record |
| het verslag | report (of a meeting) |
| positief tegenover staan | to be in favour of |
| het kwartaal | quarter |
| realistisch | realistic |
1. What you heard
Luister en kies het juiste antwoord.
Listen and choose the correct answer.
- 1
Waar is Mila tevreden over?
- 2
Welke kritiek geeft Hanneke?
- 3
Welk argument gebruikt Hanneke daarbij?
- 4
Wat vraagt Mila zelf?
- 5
Waarom kan de opleiding niet dit jaar?
- 6
Wanneer wordt gecontroleerd of het delegeren lukt?
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