Teaching Matters: The Art of Teaching “Unplugged”
May 4, 2026
compellingconversations-admin
“The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.” – Thomas Berger (1924-2014), American novelist What is teaching “unplugged?” How does…
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Teaching Matters: Observing and Leading Class Discussions
May 4, 2026
compellingconversations-admin
“The true spirit of conversation consists in building on another man’s observation, not overturning it.” —Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton (1803–1873), British novelist/politician What do you do while…
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Teaching Matters: Avoiding Good Mistakes in Using Infographics
May 19, 2018
compellingconversations-admin
Correlation is not causation but it sure is a hint – Edward Tufte (1942-), American Statistician and Professor We live in an age of big…
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The Value of Playback: Recording Student Presentations and Making Good Mistakes in Real-time
March 27, 2018
compellingconversations-admin
“Don’t sweat the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff.” – Dr. Richard Carlson (1956-), bestselling American author and psychologist Creating a classroom atmosphere of…
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Worksheet: Express Opinions and Improve Critical Thinking with Consumer Product Reviews
December 26, 2017
compellingconversations-admin
“A man’s most valuable trait is a judicious sense of what not to believe.” — Euripides (485-406 B.C.E.), ancient Greek playwright Why use consumer product…
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Review: Balancing Fluency and Accuracy Activities in the Classroom
July 20, 2017
compellingconversations-admin
“Everything becomes a little different as soon as it is spoken out loud.” —Hermann Hesse (1877-1962), German novelist and 1946 Nobel Prize winner What’s the…
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Now available: Listen to Compelling Conversations Vietnam on ESL Garage!
June 20, 2017
compellingconversations-admin
“One of the secrets to life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks.” —Jack Penn (1909-1996), South African plastic surgeon, sculptor…
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The Importance of the Academic Word List
January 14, 2017
compellingconversations-admin
“One forgets words as one forgets names. One’s vocabulary needs constant fertilizing or it will die.” – Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966), British author and journalist …
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Making Introductions, Part 2: Small Talk
November 4, 2016
Eric
“A conversation can be easy. Just ask a question and then listen.” -Robert Bly (1926-), American poet and author Previously on the blog, we discussed…
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Making Introductions, Part 1: Shaking Hands
October 27, 2016
Eric
“From small beginnings come great things.” – American proverb First impressions matter. The gateway to many compelling conversations remains the greeting. As the proverb says,…
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