Praise for Compelling
Conversations – Vietnam

“Add a sprinkle of communicative language teaching (CLT) tasks, a tablespoon of interactive speech, two cups of jigsaw activities. Voila! A wonderful ESL textbook is conjured! With the plethora of conversational and real-world topics that direct English language learners toward language accuracy, fluency, and proficiency, the authors help students grasp both English language idiosyncrasies as well as acculturate them to the American culture. The pre-tasks, tasks, and follow-ups establish a warm learning climate in the classroom where students can improve their receptive listening skills and produce appropriate spoken and written answers, creating an invigorating and dynamic atmosphere. As a result, students collaborate with each other and engage in active learning. Furthermore, the wide range of content-based vocabulary words expand students’ lexical structure in everyday situations. Think of this speaking skills textbook as a TED for ESL pedagogy that works effectively in both English as a foreign language (EFL) and a secondary language (ESL) context. It is a must-read for all English language instructors working with Vietnamese learners of English.”

Annie Tran, Faculty
University of California, Irvine

“I have taught ESL conversation classes for all levels in the United States and Vietnam, and Compelling Conversations is one of my favorite resources. As a collection of interesting and thoughtful conversation starters, it never fails to help me engage students in meaningful conversational interaction.”

Nathan Crandall, Lecturer
USC Language Academy

“Compelling Conversations is an unexpected treasure. I have been teaching ESL in Vietnam for a few years, and this is the first textbook that is not Euro-centric. The perfect mix of east meets west, it provides lively, thought provoking topics with vocabulary and proverbs that my Vietnamese students can relate to and connect with.”

Emily Borden, English teacher/tutor
Hanoi, Vietnam

“Compelling Conversations is the first book I turn to when teaching an advanced level ESL class. It has become integral to my lesson planning as a way to foster meaningful conversations and improve my student’s vocabulary. The proverbs and quotes included with each lesson let every student think critically and I’ve heard some amazing insights coming from all types of students.”

David Robinson, English Teacher
Los Angeles High School