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Empowering English learners worldwide through meaningful conversations, books, and teaching experience.

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Our Compelling Conversations Authors and Contributors

Eric H. Roth - University Professor, Prolific Author, Education Consultant

Eric H. Roth is a USC Master Lecturer, prolific author, and international ELT speaker whose career has been shaped by one core question: how can English learners gain the confidence, vocabulary, and conversational agility to say what they actually mean – in English?

In 2006, Roth co-authored Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics, the first title in a fluency-focused ELT textbook series designed to help English learners speak with greater competency, flexibility, and confidence. The accessible advanced ESL conversation book grew from his popular Santa Monica College English conversation courses. Working with Toni Aberson, the 45 self-contained thematic lessons were developed through long conversations, providing teachers with ready-to-use materials for two-hour conversation classes focused on authentic student-led discussions.

Over the next decade, the Compelling Conversations series expanded providing specialized resources for diverse classrooms.  Roth and Aberson continued their collaboration on Compelling American Conversations: Questions and Quotations for Intermediate American English Language Learners (2012). Recognizing the specific needs of regional learners, Roth co-authored Compelling Conversations – Japan: Questions and Quotations for High-Intermediate Japanese English Language Learners(2015) with two experienced English teachers who had recently returned from Japan.

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Likewise, Roth and Dr. Teresa X. Nguyen co-authored Compelling Conversations- Vietnam: Speaking Exercises for Vietnamese Learners of English (2017), turning a previous EFL textbook into a niche ESL textbook. Further supporting busy educators, Roth and Nguyen also wrote Creating Compelling Conversations: Reproducible Search and Share Activities for English Teachers (2019), offering quality supplement materials for highly-motivated students.

Roth’s professional path demonstrates a deep commitment to curriculum leadership and international education. He taught writing to University of Southern California (USC) engineering students in Madrid, Spain in 2007 and Paris, France in 2008. The following summer, Roth directed the APU International High School program in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. USC promoted him to Master Lecturer in 2013, recognizing his sustained contributions to English language education and intercultural communication. From 2015 to 2017, he served on the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant national selection committee. Roth has served as a faculty advisor to USC Fulbright ETA applicants since 2012.

As an ELT speaker, Roth has become a frequent and grounded voice at CATESOL conferences, TESOL conventions, and ELTSummits. He offers candid, classroom-based insights, as demonstrated by his plenary keynote for the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in 2023. Titled “Chalkboards to Chatbots: Exploring Edtech Tools for English Teachers and Sharing Some Emerging Best Practices”, the address reviewed the profound changes in teaching English over the last 25 years. It also offered the audience of 200 experienced DLI English teachers some practical strategies for using generative AI while working with international military officers and pilots from American allies.

During the COVID crisis, Roth was a plenary speaker at the 2020 Virtual ELT Summit. Roth gave the opening presentation at the 2021 ELT Summit on hedging and boosting language in academic writing. Roth encouraged anxious English teachers to consider the positive possibilities of generative AI in a December 2023 DIESOL podcast. “Let’s not rush to worst case assumptions and apocalyptic conclusions,” said Roth. “We don’t know what happens next, and our choices do matter.”

Working with students to develop and deepen their academic writing and public speaking skills in English, Roth has taught numerous courses at the University of Southern California (USC) since 2003.  His educational foundation – a B.A. in philosophy from Wabash College and an M.A. in Media Studies from The New School University – helps explain his approach, which integrates ideas, language, persuasion, and communication studies. He has also served as an educational consultant and led numerous teacher training workshops, sharing his practical expertise with educators.

Before focusing on English language education, his work as an education reporter, political journalist, and a Congressional aide, sharpened his awareness of how language can shape perceptions, experiences, and public policies. This real-world experience informs his teaching, making him an effective and popular teacher for international students, adult learners, and ambitious professionals who need English to be a precise tool for academic achievement and professional success. His career also includes directing the CES Adult Education Center (1996 to 1999), where he helped thousands of adult learners, primarily refugees from the former Soviet Union and the Islamic Republic of Iran, build their new lives and become American citizens.

Roth’s teaching career reaches back to 1992, with classroom experiences across high school, community college, adult education, and university classrooms. This large range – in levels, incomes, and interests – gives his work a practical, classroom-tested quality focusing on clear communication and explicit expectations. Another life lesson? Audience, context, and purpose always matter.

Today Roth continues to champion English teaching that is communicative, humane, and useful. His work emphasizes that fluency in English opens many doors and creates new possibilities. Authentic speaking skills mean creating better conversations, asking sharper questions, and moving more comfortably in a wider circle of social situations. So far, Roth has traveled to over 40 countries and his books have inspired English learners in over 60 countries.

Favorite quote:

“Be curious, not judgmental.”

  • Walt Whitman (1819-1892), American poet

Interview

Insights from Conversations with Experts.

Nguyen, T., & Roth, E. (2016, December). Teresa Nguyen and Eric Roth. Invited interviewee at In Focus Titan TV CSUF, Fullerton, California.

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Some reasons for the significant gap between SLA researchers and EFL Textbooks and ESL Classrooms

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KATIE CHATS with Author/Professor (USC) ERIC H. ROTH about his new language book, "COMPELLING CONVERSATIONS - AN ENGAGING ESL TEXTBOOK FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS." 03/12

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The Language of Opportunity Profile of Eric H. Roth in Wabash College Magazine

Link to full profile

- View Eric's presentation to visiting graduate students in global public health from the University of Southern Denmark: A Reflective Introduction to American Culture

Our Compelling Conversations Authors and Contributors

Toni Aberson - Teacher, Poet, Gardner, and Painter

After 35 years of teaching English and supervising English teachers, Toni Aberson (M.A. English; M.A. Psychology and Religion) believes that a lively classroom is the optimal learning environment.

“If people are thinking, sharing, and laughing, then they’re learning,” notes Aberson. “The mere fact that those adults are in an English classroom attests to their courage and their determination to learn.”

“Adult English students bring a wealth of interesting experiences with them,” continues Aberson. “They bring the world into the classroom. The challenge for English teachers is to put students at ease and encourage them to practice English. What better way than to ask students about their lives? I love teaching English.”

Aberson wrote It’s a Breeze: 42 Lively ESL Lessons on American Idioms (2012). This collection of 42 short English lessons focuses on specific American idioms and common phrases. The thematic chapters are organized into seven categories: Let’s Get Started, Fun with Food, Body Language, Animal Wisdom, Colorful Language, How’s the Weather?, and Where Are You?. Each concise self-contained chapter explores a single American idiom with clear definitions, sample sentences, short readings, comprehension checks, vocabulary lists, writing activities, and conversation questions for adult students.

“The key in a classroom is engagement,” Aberson says, “and English students become interested and excited when they’re learning about the daily stuff of life. When they are thinking and writing and talking about their real lives—food, jobs, family, homes, sports, movies—that’s when they learn the language. Learning English is not easy. It can be a real challenge, but it can also be fun and stimulating. That’s what I’m aiming for—the real life and the fun that stimulates ESL students so they want to learn more. They want to jump in.”

P.S. Eric Roth calls Toni “Mom.”

Toni in the garden

TONI ABERSON – Obituary

Toni Aberson, beloved mother, English teacher, sea mystic, word maven, gardener, poet, and nana, died January 25th at home. Born December 17, 1937, she was the daughter of Roy (Uriah) Aberson, a teacher, coach, and civil rights activist, and Doris Aberson, a dancer, bohemian and avid reader in Indianapolis. Deeply shaped by her growing up in a cross-cultural and multigenerational family, Toni traveled between Indiana where she lived with gardeners and teachers, and her New York Jewish family and summers at Rockaway Beach. Her two grandmothers Louise Stark and Esther “Bubbe” Aberson also nurtured her as a curious child.

An outstanding student, Toni attended Western College on an academic scholarship. She transferred to Butler University for her senior year to be closer to her parents. A year later, Toni moved to New York City seeking a more cosmopolitan atmosphere. She met Dani Roth, a world traveler, and they soon married. In the following years, Toni gave birth to Eric, enjoyed strolls in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and earned a Master’s degree in English from Brooklyn College.

She returned to Indianapolis in the mid-1960s, where Toni gave birth to Maya and taught art, while living near family. Toni divorced Dani in 1968. She married David Hammer, an English teacher, in 1969, and together they parented a blended family. Their youngest child Ben was born in 1976. Toni and David lived together as spouses for two decades and remained close even after their divorce, until David’s death in 2014.

Toni inspired students as a passionate teacher of elementary through university students. She taught English, Literature and Journalism at Manual High School (in Indianapolis) for 26 years, where she also served as department Chair. She especially enjoyed piloting popular courses on World Religions and Bible as Literature and mentoring students.

Toni actively participated in the civil rights, environmental, and peace movements, and sustained those lifelong kinships and values. Later in life, she was Religious Education Director and a teacher for the Unitarian Universalists. In addition, she taught English to adult Russian refugees and Thai Buddhist monks. She co-authored ESL textbooks Compelling Conversations and Compelling American Conversations (Chimayo Press) which are read in over 60 countries. Further, Toni wrote a book on American idioms called It’s a Breeze and wrote a mystery.

And although a gifted teacher, writer and artist, Toni saw mothering as her greatest joy and life work. “After four decades of being a mother, I have no advice. I do, however, have many stories,”  she shared in a 2000 guest sermon at her Unitarian Universalist church in Wilmington, North Carolina.

She moved to the Wilmington area upon retirement, inspired that here the Ocean and Rivers meet. She also loved body surfing in the warm ocean water. During her later years,  Toni also lived in Redondo Beach, California and Pau, France, with different ones of her children.  Toni exuded vitality. A creative force, she reflected deeply, loved traveling, and chose ethics, stability and peace.  She was sustained by relationships, including a close circle of friends across thousands of miles.

Toni remained resilient in the face of adversity across her life, including in her final year staving off the ravages of an aggressive late-stage cancer. She saw Moments, a collection of her curated poems, published in 2022.

Toni spent her last week in home hospice, seeing and living her values of family, spiritual life and a unique combination of inner strength and exceptional generosity. She will be deeply missed and always remembered by generations of relatives, students, and friends.

Toni will live on in her three children Eric H. Roth, a professor at USC and her co-author of the Compelling Conversations books; Maya E. Roth, a professor at Georgetown University and mother to Yul; and Ben Hammer, a financial analyst and father to Li.  Other close relatives include her nephew Isaac, honorary sister Lesly Reiss, and extended family, including her in-laws (children’s spouses Laurie A Selik, Bill Talcott and Yi-Hsuan Hammer).

A celebration of life service will be held on Tuesday, January 31st at 2:00 at the Wilmington Unitarian Universalist church at 4313 Lake Avenue, Wilmington, NC 28403.

Our Compelling Conversations Authors and Contributors

Dr. Teresa X. Nguyen - English Professor, TEDx speaker, and Author

Dr. Teresa X. Nguyen serves as a department chair, professor, author, two-time TEDx speaker, and scholar-practitioner with over 20 years of experience in English Language Teaching. She brings expertise in curriculum development, language program leadership, faculty mentoring, and multilingual learner success in higher education. She combines classroom teaching, materials writing, and digital content creation to help English learners move from transactional to transformative communication.

Nguyen currently serves as Department Chair and full-time faculty in English as a Second Language and English Language Learning at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California, where she has more than 15 years of teaching experience. Her students have ranged from elementary school children to graduate students and adult immigrants, and she has taught learners from over 25 countries in China, Vietnam, and the United States. Trained as a linguist with an M.A. in Linguistics and a B.A. in English Literature, she brings both scholarly grounding and lived classroom experience to her popular English classes.

As an author with Chimayo Press, Nguyen co‑wrote *Compelling Conversations – Vietnam: Speaking Exercises for Vietnamese Learners of English*, a communicative textbook that grew out of a decade of teaching Vietnamese learners both in Southeast Asia and Southern California. The book integrates conversation starters, interview tasks, quotations, pronunciation work, academic vocabulary, and digital tools such as Quizlet and Kahoot to foster more autonomous, confident learners. 

Nguyen later co-authored *Creating Compelling Conversations: Reproducible “Search and Share” Activities for English Teachers*, extending her focus on adaptable, high-engagement speaking activities. 

A two‑time TEDx speaker, Nguyen’s talks focus on mindset, courage, and joyful persistence in language learning. In a 2023 TEDx talk on resetting our mindset toward mistakes, she shared research‑informed strategies and personal stories from learning Vietnamese to help learners reframe errors as essential steps toward growth. Her 2024 TEDx talk, “Three Steps to Finding Joy in Learning English,” delivered at FPT University in Ho Chi Minh City, introduces the Engage–Immerse–Sustain framework to help learners transform routine study into meaningful practice.

Beyond the classroom and stage, Nguyen also created ESL Garage and related online projects, bilingual English–Vietnamese channels designed for learners who may lack time, money, or access to formal classes. Her content emphasizes low‑risk, high‑return learning experiences that blend technology, empathy, and clear scaffolding so that busy adults, refugees, and international students can build confidence in English one conversation at a time.

Her contributions to education have earned honors including the JEDI Award, Faculty Excellence Award, and Equity Champion Award. Nguyen earned her doctorate degree in Global Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California in 2026. Guided by a commitment to equity, innovation, and learner-centered practice, she advances the ELT profession through teaching, leadership, scholarship, and service. 

Links 

Resetting Our Mindset and Approach to Language Learning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V-rpWssx3I

3 Steps to Finding Joy in Learning English | Teresa X. Nguyen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4jNbPRQRtc

Meet Our Faculty | Golden West College https://www.goldenwestcollege.edu/esl/meet-our-faculty/index.html

Teresa Xuan Nguyen – Chimayo Press https://chimayopress.com/authors/teresa-xuan-nguyen/

Dr. Teresa X. Nguyen – Educator, Collector of Stories … – LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresaxn

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“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” 

  • Proverbs 29:18

King James Version (KJV) 

Our Compelling Conversations Authors and Contributors

Laurie A. Selik - Fundraiser, Author, and Publisher

When I tell friends and acquaintances that I’m a fundraiser, they often reply: I could never ask for money.  And that’s when I explain that I often don’t ask for donations. Instead, I build authentic relationships with people expressing interest in The Music Center’s programming (my current career home) and from that point the conversation about donations flows naturally.

After many conversations over coffee, sharing experiences of the highs and lows in fundraising with my co-author, Janet Levine, we realized that many fundraising professionals also have this fear of “the ask.” And so do their board of directors. That’s when we decided to write Compelling Conversations for Fundraisers – to provide insights and sample conversations on how to genuinely cultivate new donors and keep relationships fresh with recurring partners.

Compelling Conversations for Fundraisers provides lessons I learned in my 26 years of fundraising success with three of extraordinary institutions in Los Angeles: The Music Center, one of the nation’s largest and most progressive performing arts institutions, The Colburn School, a renowned music conservatory, and Marketplace, public radio’s business program. During each tenure, I led my team in cultivating relationships with our foundation, corporate and government partners. We don’t submit applications blindly, but seek connections with program officers, executive directors and their staff. And some of these professional contacts have become friends.

“If not now, when?”

– Hillel (60 B.C.E- 10 C.E.), Jewish philosopher

Our Compelling Conversations Authors and Contributors

Brent Warner - English Professor, Edtech Guru, Author, and Podcaster

Brent G Warner is an award-winning professor, podcaster, and author whose work sits at the intersection of language learning, educational technology, and teacher professional development. Based in Southern California, he teaches English as a Second Language at Irvine Valley College, where he focuses on helping multilingual learners use technology to communicate more clearly and confidently in academic and real-world contexts.Over two decades in the field, he has worked with students and educators from around the world, consistently emphasizing practical, human-centered uses of technology rather than tools for their own sake.

Warner is the co-host of The DIESOL Podcast, which explores innovation and educational technology in ESOL, and The HigherEdTech Podcast, which looks at tech integration in college and university teaching. As a podcast producer and host, he creates accessible conversations that help teachers rethink classroom practice, experiment with emerging tools, and design more engaging learning experiences for their students. He frequently presents at conferences, consults with institutions, and leads workshops that support educators in making thoughtful, sustainable shifts toward more tech-rich instruction.

His first book with Chimayo Press, *Compelling Conversations – Japan: Essential Speaking Activities for Japanese English Language Learners*, grew out of his long-standing commitment to helping learners build confidence through authentic, meaningful conversation. Designed for intermediate and advanced students, the book provides adaptable speaking activities that invite Japanese learners of English to explore their own ideas, share personal stories, and develop greater fluency in a low-pressure environment. The project reflects Warner’s broader belief that technology and materials should serve as catalysts for real communication, not replacements for it.

Beyond Chimayo Press, Warner is the author of *EdTech for Multilingual Learners: 48 Fun and Flexible Activities for Inclusive Classrooms*, which offers classroom-tested ideas to help teachers integrate technology in ways that center students’ voices and identities. He also writes regularly for TESOL International and other professional outlets, sharing concrete strategies for integrating digital tools into ESOL and higher education classrooms.

Whether he is podcasting, writing, or teaching, Brent W. Warner’s work consistently aims to make learning more engaging, equitable, and conversation-driven for teachers and students alike.

Sources
[1] Brent Warner – ASCD
[2] Brent Warner | TESOL | International Association
[3] About – Brent G Warner
[4] Edtech for Multilingual Learners: 48 Fun and Flexible Activities for …
[5] Brent Warner – Irvine Valley College | LinkedIn x
[6] Interview Brent Warner – YouTube
[7] Publications – Brent G Warner
[8] Brent G Warner – Teacher, Education Explorer, Podcaster, Presenter
[9] Interview with Brent Warner – Tech, ELT Toolkit, and More! – YouTube

Our Compelling Conversations Authors and Contributors

Mark Treston - Education Consultant, Linguist, and Novelist

Mark Treston has over 25 years of teaching and management experience, and specializes in teaching English, linguistics, and world history. He is also the author of “Gailee” and “North Korean Memoirs,” both outstanding historical novels based on real events, and a co-author of the Compelling American Conversations: Teacher’s Guide.

An experienced entrepreneur and education consultant, Mark cofounded two colleges and assisted countless others through the complicated world of compliance. Mark serves as a consultant for publishing firms and higher education institutes. Mark speaks several languages (English, Hebrew, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, and Arabic) and enjoys travelling as much as he likes writing about his travels. Mark also serves on the board of two colleges and volunteers as an educational consultant for non-profit learning centers. Mark lives in Houston, Texas with his wife and two boys.

Professional Photographer

Our Compelling Conversations Authors and Contributors

Shiggy Ichinomya (spell check) - Photographer, Teacher, and Linguist

Hi, I’m Shiggy Ichinomiya. With that last name, you’d think I’m a Samurai, and with that first name, you’d think I’m Scooby Doo’s best friend, Shaggy!!

I do love dogs, pit bulls in particular. My pit bulls were named Indy (she got her “Indypendance” from the pound on July 4th, Independence Day) and Cali-blu, and I also had two cats named Star and Mikan (an orange tabby). My dad, Shigemitsu, is Japanese, and my mum, Marianne (RIP), was from Germany. My sister is American, and I was born in Kobe, Japan, so I’m literally “Made in Japan.”

After graduating with an English Literature degree from Boston University, I became an ESL teacher in Kobe, Japan, where I taught students ranging from those at the prestigious Shinwa Girls High School to C-suite executives at Kawasaki Heavy Industries, as well as “cram schools” and Hyogo Prefecture government employees.

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During my first two years in Japan, I was also a full-time student, not ESL, but JSL, Japanese as a Second Language. Most people know ESL, but fewer think about learning other languages. I was determined to pass the highest level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. At night, I would sit in my ofuro, a Japanese-style bathtub, go under water holding my breath, and would not come up until I could recite what was going to be on the text the next day. Please don’t try this at home. Guess what? I passed.In order to pass, whereas English language learners only need to learn 26 letters of the alphabet, imagine having to learn over 1,945 Japanese kanji characters, plus hiragana and katakana, just to read a newspaper. Twenty-six versus 1,945. No pressure. I was ferocious, driven, and when asked, “How badly do you want it?” my answer was EXTREMELY.

One of my part-time jobs was at the Kobe Horse Riding Club in Rokko, where I, yes, cleaned out horse stalls. Gotta start somewhere. From the bottom. No pun intended. It turns out that’s a great way to learn Japanese, so if you’re learning a language, try getting a part-time job or doing volunteer work. I also worked at the Hard Rock Café as one of their original grand opening bartenders in Nagoya.

In the last three years of my wonderful ten-year stay in Japan, I had my own TV show on Kansai TV (had the highest ratings in a time slot,)  and worked as a live on-air personality alongside David Specter, probably the most famous “gaikokujin” foreigner in Japan, on ABC TV Japan. I was also an on-air DJ for e-radio on FM Shiga and worked as a voice-over actor for companies such as Sony PlayStation. My dad even heard my voice on Japan Airlines (JAL) while flying from Chicago to Tokyo, which was incredibly special.

Returning to the United States, I  met Eric Roth, the author of “Compelling Conversations” – a book that I used to teach conversation in Japan. I suggested that we write a book together for Japanese English Language learners. So we did.  So I co-authored Compelling Conversations -Japan: Questions and Quotations for High Intermediate English Language Learners  with Eric Roth, a master lecturer and professor at USC! It also features several of my photographs! Compelling Conversations: Japan.

Eric and I still meet for breakfast, where our conversations range from the eclectic and zany Venice Beach life to controversial political topics, from the mundane to the profound. Always lively. Always compelling.

By the way, what’s your favorite word? I have asked this simple, revealing question to dozens of people. I created a series on my YouTube channel where I ask people, mostly celebrities, what their favorite word is and why. Responses ranged from “prestidigitation” from Academy Award winner Kathy Bates to “yes” from supermodel Cindy Crawford. Check out my YouTube channel link below.

≈

Today, I’m behind the camera, creating clients’ visions as a photographer and cinematographer/DP (Director of Photography) in Los Angeles. A short film I worked on as a camera operator was even Oscar-qualified.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that everything I was doing centered around one thing: communication. Whether it was helping a student find the right word, watching a CEO shape their message, or seeing how a single word could reveal something deeper about a person, I became fascinated with how we express ourselves and connect with others. That curiosity ultimately led me behind the camera.

As a filmmaker and photographer, I now help individuals and organizations communicate visually. I work with educators, students, corporate leaders, and live events, capturing interviews and moments that resonate. I am often brought in to handle both video and photography, allowing clients to walk away with a complete set of assets they can use across multiple platforms, while continuing to push toward creating commercial ad work and, one day, taking home one of those iconic gold statues weighing in at 8.5 lbs (3.85 kg) that they call Oscar.

Speed and adaptability are central to my approach. In fast-paced environments, there is no second take on real moments. I take pride in moving quickly, thinking on my feet, and delivering polished, meaningful content while making people feel comfortable on camera so they can be themselves.

I have competed in two Ironman triathlons, consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon, traveled to over 25 countries, and loved visiting Egypt, Myanmar, Israel, and Jamaica. I also lived just outside of London, England for seven years and climbed Mt. Fuji twice, including once with Ken Noguchi, a well-known Japanese alpinist and environmental activist, as part of a cleanup effort. I also admire ultra-long-distance runner and former Navy SEAL David Goggins. In a world that can sometimes feel soft, he ends his messages with “Stay Hard,” and I agree. Do hard things.

Looking back, the through line from Kobe to Los Angeles is clear. It has always been about helping people share their voice, whether through words or images. Language opened the door for me, and storytelling has kept that door wide open. And that’s my story!

Here’s my professional photographer website: www.GoShiggyGo.com
Here’s my cinematographer website: www.ThreeTwoOneGoMedia.com

If you’d like to connect, please say “hi” or “konnichiwa” on Instagram: www.instagram.com/goshiggygo
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@GSGPICS

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
Provers 29.18

Adult Literacy Coordinator

Our Compelling Conversations Authors and Contributors

Hal Bogotch - English Teacher and American Poet

Hal Bogotch recently had the pleasure of observing ongoing Conversation classes, a program he launched nearly a decade ago as Literacy Coordinator for the western area of the Los Angeles Public Library.  Hal, a native New Yorker and UC Berkeley graduate, is virtually retired from teaching and academia, in general.

Hal co-authored Compelling American Conversations: Questions and Quotations for Intermediate American English Language Learners to help American immigrants and refugees improve their speaking skills. Hal also helped edit the second edition of “It’s A Breeze: 42 Lively English Lessons on American Idioms by Toni Aberson, a fellow author of the Compelling Conversations series. Hal taught English language learners at UCLA Extension, Santa Monica-Malibu School District, Los Angeles Unified School District, and Venice Public Library.

 

Hal’s commitment to his writing is best described as fiery and fierce.  His poems can be found in BlazeVox, Beyond Words, 45th Parallel, Rattle, The Sierra Nevada Review, The Lucid Stone, New Press Literary Quarterly, and several anthologies by Moonstone Arts Press.

Hal & his bilingual wife/esposa live in Santa Monica. (Kid’s at a college near Black Mountain, NC.)

Favorite quote:

 “The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.“ 

—Muriel Rukeyser (1913-1980), American poet and biographer

Blog:  https://hal123pov.wordpress.com

Our Compelling Conversations Authors and Contributors

Janet Levine - Development Specialist and Non-Profit Consultant, Author, Non-Profit Consultant, and Fundraiser

Janet Levine has worked in the nonprofit and educational sectors since 1988, beginning her career at the University of Southern California. Just prior to starting her company – Janet Levine Consulting she was VP of University Advancement at California State University – Dominguez Hills. Other positions included Dean for External Relations at Pasadena City College, Executive Director of the Foundation at El Camino College and development positions at the American Film Institute, the University of Oregon and the Reason Foundation.

In addition to consulting for a wide variety of nonprofit and educational organizations, Levine regularly teaches courses in non-profit management, fundraising and grant development, both face-to-face and online. In her for-profit life, she was a magazine editor and writer, insurance broker, and owner of a graphic arts company. She has an MBA from the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University.

Our Compelling Conversations Authors and Contributors

Tuanni - Educator, Consultant, Recruiter

Tuanni B. Vasconcelos currently works for Chimayo Press as a curriculum developer, marketing specialist, and research assistant.

In 2013, Vasconcelos graduated in Business Administration in the Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Sao Paulo (PUC-SP), in Brazil. She worked in finance for five years in companies such as the Stock Exchange of Sao Paulo and international companies such as Dassault Systemes. Soon Vasconelos discovered her love for teaching and ran a small language school in Brazil from 2014 to 2016, teaching English and Portuguese as a second language to students at a variety of levels including elementary, secondary, university, and professional/executive. Wanting to become an expert language teacher, Vasconcelos obtained a Masters of Arts in Teaching English from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California in 2017. She has been teaching languages (English, Portuguese) for over four years to international students from all over the world in South and North America. Vasconcelos speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish, and a bit of French.

A member of the California Association of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CATESOL) and the University of Southern California Teaching English as a Second or Other Language Club (USC TESOL Club), Vasconcelos co-writes blog posts for Chimayo Press and edits and creates ESL/EFL teaching materials. Currently, she is co-writing Compelling Conversations -Brazil: Speaking Exercises for Portuguese English Language Learners. Vanconcelos looks forward to sharing her first ELT book for adult students. She plans to keep creating materials and teaching English in her new home, Los Angeles, to friendly students from across the globe.

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