Praise for Compelling Conversations

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

– Dr. Sharon Myers, University of Southern California

“Compelling Conversations topics are timely, meaningful, and presented in such a way as to stimulate immediate class participation.”

– Marc Yablonka, ESL Instructor, LAUSD Adult Education

“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!”

-Natasha Cooper, author of Scripts for Winning Jobs and The Telephone for Business and Daily Life.

“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.”

– Dr. David Petersen, New Zealand

“Compelling Conversations is a masterpiece…My students are more than delighted with the topics, the quotations and everything about your book.”

– Fernando Beconi, English Teacher, Peru

“I find Compelling Conversations to be a great help for conversation lessons. It’s full of questions/tips/quotes that help students discuss together on all kinds of different topics.”

– Siano Luigi , Milan Italy

“Compelling Conversations is masterful in the way it not only teaches one to speak clearly, but more importantly to listen. Engagement through the use of quotations and proverbs is brilliant.”

– Bernie Combs, American High School Teacher

“The era of photocopied vocabulary lists read by rote is thankfully over, thanks to textbooks like Compelling Conversations.  With delightful international proverbs and real-world questions about their own experiences, students practice in class and gain the confidence required to enter the nuanced, fun and engaging depths of the English language.”

– Denise Morrissey, Los Angeles, CA

“Immigrants need to feel comfortable speaking English, but too often students learn everything except conversation in ESL classrooms. Compelling Conversations allows students to learn by speaking.”

– Zigmund Vays, President, Community Enhancement Services College

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

- Marina Goldshteyn, Director, CES College

“I wish I had written this book! It will provide students with hours of conversation practice.”

– Nina Ito, California State University and co-author of The Great Big BINGO Book: Bingo Games for ESL Learners.

“An excellent resource full of more than just conversation starters, but whole conversation threads and ideas to get English learners into real life discussions.”

– Mad Dog, author of If It’s Such a Small World Then Why Have I Been Sitting on this Airplane for Twelve Hours?, San Francisco, CA

"Overall, just one of the best texts that I've used, and will continue using to facilitate speaking and listening practice, learning vocabulary in context and examining American English culture as seen through the use of quotes and idioms."

- Kristina, ESL instructor, Northern California

“In my private tutoring groups Compelling Conversations produces lively group discussions that exercise the students’ linguistic and cultural muscles.”

– Michael Cannon ESL Instructor, University of Southern California

“These conversation starters are not just for ESL students but for anyone who is a bit shy or has trouble speaking around people. The questions are engaging and interesting and draws people into a variety of diverse subjects. The book also has many jokes, quotes and proverbs that often bring common day English into the mix. A must have book!”

– Susan Specter, Artist and EFL tutor

“The students I tutor are well-educated adults, rich in culture and experiences. This book allows them to produce natural conversations using what is most intimate to them: their lives and their culture.”

– Patricia Schulze, ESL Tutor

“Compelling Conversations is tremendously useful and interesting. I use it almost everyday in my ESL class. I prefer to use Compelling Conversations because my advanced students enjoy the variety of choices they have with the number of questions in each chapter.”

– Ronit Farzam, ESL Instructor