Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29100 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-02
• Released on: 2007-03-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 164 pages

Review
IWOSC member and USC professor ERIC ROTH has just published his book, "Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics." The innovative book, designed for non-native English speakers with a sophisticated worldview and still evolving language skills, includes 45 thematic chapters, 1,350 questions, and over 500 quotations and proverbs. Alta catalog, the nation's largest distributor of English as a Second Language materials, has picked up the book. Easy English Times, a monthly newspaper for adult education students, will also be running a monthly column with book excerpts for the next year. Toni Aberson, the book's co-author, has known Roth since before he was born. Roth calls his co-author, an English teacher for over 35 years, "mom. -- Independent Writers of Southern California Newsletter (IWOSC) May 2007 newsletter

This outstanding resource (Compelling Conversations) allows teachers to confidently walk into an advanced ESL classroom with self-contained, engaging conversation lessons. The 45 thematic chapters allow you to both evoke student experience with long lists of practical and savvy questions. The inclusion of global proverbs and classic quotations also provides larger cultural contexts to inspire deeper conversations - or writing assignments. Students should also appreciate the generous amount of authentic language. I wish I would have had that book in my old adult/university classes. A great book for adult education teachers, university instructors, and private tutors!" -- Eric Busch, director/founder, Eslhq.com August 2007

From the Back Cover
"A wonderful source of materials triggering authentic (not stilted) communication."
Dr. Sharon Myers
American Language Institute
University of Southern California

"Immigrants need to feel comfortable speaking English, but too often students learn everything except conversation in ESL classrooms. "Compelling Conversations" allows students to learn by speaking. It's a wonderful addition to our curriculum."
Zigmund Vays
President
Community Enhancement Services College

"COMPELLING CONVERSATIONS is tremedously useful and interesting. I use it almost everyday in my ESL class. I prefer to use COMPELLING CONVERSATIONS because my advanced students enjoy the variety of choices they have with the the number of questions in each chapter."
Ronit Farzam,
MA Lingquistics
ESL Instructor

"I just wanted to let you know that I loved using your book, COMPELLING CONVERSATIONS for my adult ESL student. The proverbs and quotations were a wonderful source of additonal conversation and writing."
Regina Pabo
ESL teacher with more than 20 years of experience teaching students from kindergarten to college.

"I wish I had writtten this book! It will provide students with hours of conversation practice."
Nina Ito
Coordinator
American Language Institute
California State University, Long Beach

Customer Reviews

Fantastic Book!
These conversation starters are not just for ESL students but for anyone who is a bit shy or has trouble speaking around people. The questions are engaging and interesting and draws people into a variety of diverse subjects ranging from "Does your dog have a personality?" to "Have you ever had to hire/fire someone or work for a crazy boss?" The book also has may jokes, quotes and proverbs that often bring common day improper english into the mix. A must have book!

A gold mine of resources
I first tried this fantastic textbook with a high intermediate student that I tutor. I was amazed from the start at how naturally the conversation flowed. We were only halfway through the first set of questions when she decided to buy her own copy. Each of the 45 chapters includes a vocabulary section and list of around 12 to 15 classic quotations, along with between thirty and forty questions. The chapters can be used in any order, but I recommend starting with chapter one as it orients the students to the textbook and shows them how to get the most out of subsequent chapters. Either in the classroom or one on one, it's accessible to intermediate students and challenges advanced students. The quotations, from Socrates to Shaw and from Picasso to Pete Rose, are all identified by name, when they lived, and what they did. This book is truly a treasure.

Where was this book when I needed it?
As a longtime ESL student and medical professional, I wish I had this book when I was preparing for the "English Proficiency Exam" in London.
It goes beyond the boring dialogs of most ESL books and provides great current conversations that fit our crazy modern times.
For instances:
"Are sex, love and marriage linked in your mind?"
"What does your partner do that annoys you?"
"Will your partner love you with wrinkles?"
These are good questions!
I also like the proverbs:"If it's torn it can't be worn." (Persian)
Excellent book, great learning tool, absolutely at the top of the list in its category!