Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics- An Engaging ESL Textbook for Advanced Students

This innovative English as a second language textbook (ESL) helps advanced English language learners develop conversation skills and improve fluency by sharing experiences, reflecting on their lives, and discussing proverbs and quotations. The ELT book includes 45 thematic chapters, over 1400 questions, 500 vocabulary words, 250 proverbs and American idioms, and 500 quotations. Designed for both adult education and intensive English language students, the conversations deepen critical thinking skills and speaking skills essential to success in community college and university programs. Compelling Conversations has been used in classrooms in over 50 countries, recommended by English Teaching Professional magazine, and enjoyed by thousands of English students.

English language learners, of course, face many more barriers to have a satisfying conversation in English. First, English remains a confusing, difficult, and strange language. It’s very easy to feel uncomfortable when speaking a new language – whether a second or fourth.  English students in my advanced speaking skills courses often ask questions like:

• How do start a conversation?
• What questions do I ask?
• How can I keep a real conversation going?
• How do I share agreement – or disagreement – in a polite way?
• How can I share my experiences in clear manner with appropriate vocabulary?
• How I can have better, more engaging conversations?

Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics addresses these issues for both native and non-native speakers. The focus remains on learning by doing and making “good mistakes”. (Good mistakes, by the way, are natural mistakes that help us learn so we can make different and better “good mistakes” next time.)

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