Compelling Conversations: for Advanced students

PRAISE FOR COMPELLING CONVERSATIONS:

QUESTIONS & QUOTATIONS

ON TIMELESS TOPICS

…wonderful

“A wonderful source of materials triggering authentic (not stilted) communication.”

— Dr. Sharon Myers, Lecturer American Language Institute University of Southern California

…highly effective

“In my own teaching, I have found questions and quotations to be highly effective in promoting student discussion. Questions are useful in that they require a response from the listener. Asking them also helps students master the tricky rules of the interrogative. Quotations are brilliant flashes of wit expressed in the shortest space possible, often just a sentence or two. The authors have compiled a formidable collection of quotations by famous people.

“The authors also add some wise proverbs here and there. My two favourites were ‘Recite patience three times and it will spare you a murder’ and ‘When money talks, truth keeps silent,’ which are from Korea and Russia.

“In sum, Compelling Conversations is a recommended resource for teachers who want to make their conversation classes more learner-centered. It should be especially appealing to those who wish to escape the confines of the Presentation-Practice-Production approach and do without a formal grammatical or functional syllabus. It reflects the authors’ considerable professional experience, and would be a notable addition to any English teacher’s bookshelf.”

—Hall Houston, English Teaching Professional magazine (January 2009)

…allows students to learn by speaking

“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, Founder/President, Community Enhancement Services College

…hours of conversation practice

“I wish I had written this book! It will provide students with hours of conversation practice.”

—Nina Ito, Coordinator, American Language Institute, California State University, Long Beach and co-author of The Great Big BINGO Book: Bingo Games for ESL Learner

…authentic language

“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 evoke student experiences 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 had this 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)

Perfect for conversation clubs, private tutors, and conversation courses!