Compelling American Conversations : Questions and Quotations for Intermediate American English Language Learners

Do you grammar English? What a silly question! Do you speak English? That's a better question. Conversation skills matter.

That's why Compelling American Conversations: Questions and Quotations for Intermediate American English Language Learners emphasizes speaking skills first and lets English students learn by doing. This flexible ESL textbook helps American immigrants and international students develop their fluency skills and academic vocabulary through conversation exercises and natural questions. Each chapter includes two sets of conversation questions, vocabulary review, short writing exercises, paraphrasing exercises with proverbs, a discussion activity around pithy quotations, and an online “Search and Share” activity. Focusing on both daily experiences and American culture through proverbs, quotations, and speaking exercises, this engaging ESL textbook helps intermediate English language learners explore their lives, learn common American sayings and expressions, and develop vital discussion skills.

The 15 topical chapters include: Opening Moves; Going Beyond Hello; Making and Breaking Habits; Studying English; Being Yourself; Choosing and Keeping Friends; Playing and Watching Sports; Talking About American Television; Celebrating American Holidays; Being Stylish; Handling Stress; Practicing Job Interviews; Valuing Money and Finding Bargains; Exploring American Cities and Seeing Our World With Photographs. The “Resources and Notes” appendix includes supplemental worksheets. English teachers, English tutors, and ESL students find this additional material helpful. Designed primarily for community college ESL and adult education students, this flexible ESL textbook can be used by high school English language learners (ELL) and intensive English programs (IEP).

Compelling American Conversations, is the third title in the fluency-focused Compelling Conversations series. American immigrants, adult refugees, and future Americans by choice will find the book exceptionally helpful in understanding their new home. This textbook helps readers become more competent and confident speakers of American English. "For English teachers who wish to help their students improve their communication skills, Compelling American Conversations is a gold mine," writes Carl Hart, author of The Ultimate Phrasal Verb Book. "Compelling American Conversations fills an important gap in adult ESL where speaking skills often receive too little attention," adds Luis Coloma, an adult education specialist. "Students want to speak more English in their classes and learn how to have real conversations with their American neighbors and co-workers. Compelling American Conversations not only gives adult ESL students many chances to discuss their lives in their English classroom, but it helps immigrants create quality conversations in English outside of school too." Lisa Horvath, English teacher and EFL author, concludes "Compelling American Conversations: Questions and Quotations for Intermediate American English Language Learners is ideal for students preparing for life in the USA or for older students already living in the USA... With this book students develop essential listening skills and the ability to converse about relevant topics." (TESOL MWIS 2019 newsletter).

The authors, Eric H. Roth and Toni Aberson, have decades of experience teaching English to high school and university students. Roth currently teaches graduate students at the University of Southern California. Toni Aberson volunteers as an English tutor in her retirement. Hal Bogotch, who also contributed to the popular ESL textbook, tutors adult students in Los Angeles and supervises literacy tutors for the Los Angeles Public Library. Easy English Times, an adult education newspaper, has used edited materials from Compelling American Conversations in Conversation Lessons column for years.