Onderhandeling over samenwerking
Partnership negotiations: who risks what
C1 · Advanced · ≈ 28 min · setting: Arnhem, Zwolle
Negotiations are the hardest to follow by ear, because a polite “no” sounds like a “yes”. Daar kan ik in meegaan, Daar moet ik even over nadenken, In principe wel, maar … — three different answers, and only one of them is agreement. In this recording, a language school asks the municipality for money for a course for parents, and the municipality wants guarantees.
- Question 1: what does the school ask for and for how much?
- Question 2: what concerns the municipality?
- Question 3: what condition does Wouter set?
- Question 4: what did they finally agree on?
- Question 5: what happens if the group doesn't fill up?
Overleg — Taalcursus voor ouders op school
Negotiations: head of a language school and a municipal employee.
- Mila
- Wouter
- Mila
- Wouter
- Mila
- Wouter
- Mila
- Wouter
- Mila
- Wouter
- Mila
- Wouter
- Mila
- Wouter
- Mila
- Wouter
- Mila
- Wouter
Agreement, doubt, refusal
| Remark | This is… | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Het idee spreekt me aan. | polite sympathy | nothing is promised yet |
| In principe wel, maar niet zo. | a rejection of the form, not the substance | suggest another option |
| Dat is een goed punt. | acknowledgement of the argument | the argument is accepted, the amount is not yet |
| Daar kan ik in meegaan. | agreement | put it on record |
| Daar kan ik mee leven. | agreement without enthusiasm | put it on record |
| Dan moet ik nee zeggen. | refusal with explanation | look for a third option |
| onder voorbehoud van goedkeuring | agreement with reservation | someone else's “yes” is still needed |
| Remark | This is… | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Het idee spreekt me aan. | polite sympathy | nothing is promised yet |
| In principe wel, maar niet zo. | a rejection of the form, not the substance | suggest another option |
| Dat is een goed punt. | acknowledgement of the argument | the argument is accepted, the amount is not yet |
| Daar kan ik in meegaan. | agreement | put it on record |
| Daar kan ik mee leven. | agreement without enthusiasm | put it on record |
| Dan moet ik nee zeggen. | refusal with explanation | look for a third option |
| onder voorbehoud van goedkeuring | agreement with reservation | someone else's “yes” is still needed |
Eerlijk gezegd wil ik dat bij u laten — the most honest phrase in a conversation: the interlocutor directly states who they want to leave the risk with. After this, bargaining usually truly begins.
How the numbers moved
| Step | Proposal | Who conceded |
|---|---|---|
| start | two groups, 20 weeks, 18,000 | — |
| response | only 12,000 available | — |
| school's move | one group for 12,000, a second if successful | school |
| objection | second group will go into next year | — |
| school's move | second group shorter: 12 weeks | school |
| agreement | 12,000 + 5,000 = 17,000 in one year | municipality |
| risk | 70% fixed, 30% for participants, report every 8 weeks | both sides |
| Step | Proposal | Who conceded |
|---|---|---|
| start | two groups, 20 weeks, 18,000 | — |
| response | only 12,000 available | — |
| school's move | one group for 12,000, a second if successful | school |
| objection | second group will go into next year | — |
| school's move | second group shorter: 12 weeks | school |
| agreement | 12,000 + 5,000 = 17,000 in one year | municipality |
| risk | 70% fixed, 30% for participants, report every 8 weeks | both sides |
Negotiation words
het voorstel in het kort
proposal in brief
aanspreken
to appeal, to attract
beschikbaar hebben
to have at one's disposal
een handjevol
a handfulspreektaal
een kanttekening plaatsen
to add a note of caution
dat scheelt
that makes a big differencespreektaal
over het boekjaar heen lopen
to carry over to the next financial year
in meegaan
to go along with (a proposal)
het risico dragen
to bear the risk
het traject afmaken
to complete the course
vast / variabel
fixed / variable
de rapportagepl. rapportages
report
de aanwezigheid
attendance
onder voorbehoud van
subject to
op papier zetten
to put down in writing
| het voorstel in het kort | proposal in brief |
| aanspreken | to appeal, to attract |
| beschikbaar hebben | to have at one's disposal |
| een handjevol | a handfulspreektaal |
| een kanttekening plaatsen | to add a note of caution |
| dat scheelt | that makes a big differencespreektaal |
| over het boekjaar heen lopen | to carry over to the next financial year |
| in meegaan | to go along with (a proposal) |
| het risico dragen | to bear the risk |
| het traject afmaken | to complete the course |
| vast / variabel | fixed / variable |
| de rapportagepl. rapportages | report |
| de aanwezigheid | attendance |
| onder voorbehoud van | subject to |
| op papier zetten | to put down in writing |
1. What they agreed on
Luister en kies het juiste antwoord.
Listen and choose the correct answer.
- 1
Wat vraagt Mila in haar eerste voorstel?
- 2
Waarom is Wouter voorzichtig?
- 3
Welk verschil noemt Mila met dat eerdere project?
- 4
Waarop komen ze uit qua bedrag?
- 5
Waarom wijst Mila betalen per deelnemer af?
- 6
Welke verdeling spreken ze af?
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