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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Aptly-Named Resource Apr 06, 2008
In my experience, adult learners tend to be wary of spending any more of their precious time on grammar lessons. Instead they want a chance to use what they already know to express themselves, and to learn more about other cultures. "Compelling Conversations: Questions & Quotations on Timeless Topics" provides just such opportunities, in an engaging and teacher-friendly format. The 45 chapters are arranged by topic to address universally relevant themes such as "Your Life" and "Modern Times". Each chapter takes a semi-structured approach by providing open-ended questions, targeted vocabulary, proverbs, and quotations. There are no rigid lesson plans here, only springboards to lively personal and inter-cultural exchange. From my own background in classrooms on three continents I can say that this rich collection of material would be an ideal addition to the toolkit of any teacher still inspired by the notion of free speech.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
A gold mine of resources Nov 12, 2007
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.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Not Just For ESL Education Sep 29, 2007
Compelling Conversations is an effective tool for teaching conversational English to ESL students. However, it's combination of topic prompts to promote conversation and intriquing quotations to inspire thought make it a great tool for any composition instructor.
Having trouble coming up with a good prompt for your college comp. class free-write assignment? Compelling Conversations will provide you with seemingly endless choices.
I strongly recommend this book for any instructor interested in promoting conversation in and out of the classroom, and for any student interested in improving their English language conversational skills.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 A valuable tool indeed ! Jul 18, 2007
Advanced students who are in need of authentic conversation practice will benefit well from using this book. The content is varied, authentic, and relevant. The questions under each topic create a stable, thorough framework for personal sharing. The result is that students get meaningful practice and experience a really supportive atmosphere. I often use the book as a 'warm-up' tool to get students engaged in speaking, and it compliments the dryer ESL texts by having more depth.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
The recipe for making anyone a great conversationalist! Jul 11, 2007
If I had to sum up what I loved about "Compelling Conversations" in one sentence, I would say that it contains the recipe for making anyone a great conversationalist!
In addition to 45 well-selected topics perfectly suited for casual or in-depth conversations, the authors provide excellent resources and guidelines that make a conversation run smoothly in an engaging, informative and thought provoking manner.
Each chapter consists of a list of questions - from specific to more abstract - , as well proverbs, sayings and quotations on a given subject. There is plenty of material appropriate for different levels of proficiency: from intermediate to advanced. I would even say that native speakers of English with somewhat limited social skills could benefit greatly by using this book.
"Compelling Conversations" encourages the reader to examine many different ways of thinking and teaches respect and genuine interest in other people's models of the world. It teaches active listening skills and offers gentle conversation reminders, such as be kind, explore, be open, be supportive, that help the reader set a positive intention for each interaction.
I am glad to have found a book that combines great content, conversational skills and psychology of empowerment.
Natasha Cooper, author of ESL how-to books "Scripts for Winning Jobs" and "The Telephone for Business and Daily Life".
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