Compelling Conversations:

Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics
for ESL learners and teachers

“Colors fade, temples crumble, empires fall, but wise words endure.”
- Edward Thorndike (1874-1949), American psychologist

INTRODUCTION

Do your students speak enough English?

Help your ESL students create meaningful - and memorable - conversations.

Ask more. Know more. Share more.

That's the philosophy behind Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics. English language learners want to share experiences and insights on contemporary topics - and expand their practical and academic vocabulary. Quotations and proverbs, from differing points of view, also encourage discussions, model excellent communication, and develop critical thinking skills. Students hold longer discussions, learn about their classmates, and gain practical experience. Let's create better, deeper, and more enjoyable conversations - even in English!

You can create compelling conversations by asking simple, yet deep, questions like:

What brings you here?
How did you hear about this class (party/event/movie)?
What do you like to do online?
Where were you born? How many miles do you think that is from here?
Where are you in your family's birth order?
What makes you smile?
What have you been reading recently?
Can you recommend any movies to see or rent?
What's the most beautiful place you've seen?
What qualities make a good leader?
Which issues are important to you in this election?

Who chose your name? Why?
What music inspires you?
Where are you coming from?
Where are you going?
Where do you feel most comfortable? Why?
How do you release stress?
What do you appreciate about living here?
What did you learn at your last job?
What do you do to stay healthy?
What TV shows would you recommend to a visitor to your country? Why?
Have your habits changed in the last year?
How would your friends describe you?
What would you add?

"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 both authors' considerable professional experience, and would be a notable addition to any English teacher's bookshelf. "

- Hall Houston
Luzhu, Taiwan
English Teaching Professional Jan. '09 pg. 44

"Travel is the best way we have of rescuing the humanity of places, and saving them from abstraction and ideology."

- Pico Iyer (1957- ), travel writer

Compelling Conversations Is

Excerpted monthly in Easy English Times
Used by University of Southern California Conversation Club
Listed in Spring ESL catalog and the Delta Adult Education catalog.
Available for easy download and use as a PDF for $20
Reproducible PDFs allow you to pick and choose lessons for easy classroom assignments

"Learning colors a man more than the deepest dye."

- Chinese Proverb

"Only the educated are free."

- Epictetus (55-135), stoic Greek philosopher

Four Ways to Get Compelling Conversations

This valuable resource provides hundreds of hours of compelling material for ESL conversation classes, private English tutors, international students, business professionals, EFL classrooms, and conversation clubs!

Join the conversation, use the book, express yourself, and speak with your students and conversation partners in English for hours.

Compelling Conversations:

includes 45 chapters on a wide variety of conversation topics
asks over 1350 questions encouraging ESL students to reflect and share
features over 500 memorable quotations from ancient sages to modern writers
introduces over 200 proverbs from around the world
highlights 450 practical vocabulary words for ESL students
can supplement other textbooks in EFL/ELL classrooms
prepares English language learners for the conversation section of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC)
generates authentic discourse for English language tutors
makes English language tutoring easy with self contained lessons
provides enough material for an estimated 180 hours of class time
ends each chapter with an "on your own" exercise for homework or self-study
allows adult students to develop meaningful conversations in English
deepens critical thinking skills for academic success and personal satisfaction
encourages ESL students to share experiences and insights
reduces ESL teacher stress with excellent ready made lessons
created by the faculty advisor for the University of Southern California Conversation Partners Program.
engages students and creates compelling conversations

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

- Dr. Sharon Myers
University of Southern California
American Language Institute

“This book is excellent! Both teachers and students love it. “

- Marina Goldshteyn, director of CES Adult Education Center

"I just wanted you to know that I loved using your book, Compelling Conversations."

- Regina Pabo, ESL community college teacher and tutor

"Second of all, your book is a masterpiece, congratulations. My students are more than delighted with the topics, the quotations and everything about your book."

- Fernando Beconi, English Teacher

Download instructions:

1. Purchase Compelling Conversations through Paypal.
2. Paypal will redirect you, after you pay, to the Compelling Conversations thank you page.
3. Click on the "Download Compelling Conversations" link.
4. Download Compelling Conversations to your computer.

Some security filters, unfortunately, prevent Paypal from redirecting consumers back to the Compelling Conversations thank you page. If that happens, please send an email with your PayPal receipt to me at: eric@compellingconversations.com. I will send you a PDF as soon as I read your email - and I'm addicted to checking my email.

$20.00

Four Themed Sections are each available as downloadable PDF

Your Life English students love to talk about these 13 contemporary topics in class and in daily life.	Free Time These 11 timeless topics on pastimes and pleasures bring together college students, senior citizens, and working professionals.
Modern Times Ten topics that English language learners and working adults face in the 21st century.	Civic Life Our rapidly changing world requires civic awareness and citizen participation, especially on these 11 topics.

"America needs new immigrants to love and cherish it."

- Eric Hoffer (1902-1983), American writer

"English saved my life."

- Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), English novelist born in Poland