Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics- An Engaging ESL Textbook for Advanced Students

I find this book to be a great help for conversation lessons. it's full of questions/tips/quotes that help students to discuss together, in group or individually on all kinds of different topics.

Many advanced ESL students, while relatively proficient in reading and writing, are lost when it comes to engaging in in-depth conversations in which they must go beyond pleasantries and use their newly-acquired language to express ideas, recount experiences, and support their opinions. Compelling Conversations gives teachers the tools to help students do just that, providing an easy-to-use, straightforward framework that nudges students into authentic, and, as the title suggests "compelling" conversations. After using this book consistently, students not only will be more fluid and confident in their ability to converse on a more-than-superficial level, they also will have gained an awareness of how their peers view the world.

An excellent resource full of more than just conversation starters, but whole conversation threads and ideas to get English learners into real life discussions. The quotations are a great way to get a class discussion going. I wish I had something like this when I spent time in France and Indonesia and was learning the languages.

This book is a much-needed tool for ESL instructors. If you have the opportunity to use this text in your classroom, you won't be sorry! 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. This text offers students and teachers alike the opportunity to truly connect through language, conversation skills should be taught in ESL class as outlined by Roth.
- Denise M.

I was soon to be a new facilitator for an adult Conversation Class, and wanted curricular resources. I bought this and another book. I'm sorry I did. I found all the lesson plans I could ever want on line. Doing a search for ESL Adult Conversation gave me creative ideas to carry me through the full eight week program.