Compelling Conversations

Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics for ESL learners and teachers

Posts Tagged teaching ESL

CATESOL Accepts Presentation on Informational Interviews

Jan 19

Posted by Eric Roth in CATESOL, California, ESL, English curriculum, Speaking Skills, VESL, adult education, workplace English, workplace communication skills | No Comments

How can English teachers help adult, college, and university students expand their network of professional contacts while improving their interview skills? What practical speaking exercise includes both off-campus interviews and classroom presentations? How can ESL teachers add informational interviews to their oral skills curriculum? What are informational interviews, anyway? What makes them vital to adult English language learners in 2010?

Thanks to the selection committee of CATESOL 2010 State Conference, I will have a chance to share my answers with fellow California educators in late April. “Informational Interviews: A Practical, Illuminating Speaking Assignment” will demonstrate the importance and relevance of this unusual assignment for a wide range of ESL students. Although officially listed for college/university instructors, the long assignment can be adapted for high school, IEP, vocational, and Business English classes. CATESOL includes California teachers of English to speakers of other languages from all levels of education and many public and private institutions.

Naturally, I look forward to sharing the good news about information interviews, a common practice in the United States where individuals interview working professionals about potential occupations. My presentation will cover the several building block assignments that are used to prepare students to find a professional to interview, conduct a successful interview, and give a compelling trip report in class. Each step covers vital vocational and speaking skills.

Hopefully, this small professional presentation will encourage more ESL teachers to assign informational interviews and help their ESL students find satisfying jobs. Given the relatively grim outlook for jobs in California, the definition of “satisfying” might be more flexible than in the past. Informational interviews, therefore, allow job seekers to meet working professionals in their field, collect detailed information on working conditions and professional practices, and expand their network of valuable industry contacts. Sometimes informational interviews also lead to job leads, internships, and even jobs. Practical and popular, this assignment consistently engages students and provides surprising insights.

More later on informational interviews.

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Redefining Success – and Staying Optimistic

Jul 26

Posted by Eric Roth in ESL | 4 Comments

Sometimes we have to redefine success in our English language classrooms. Sometimes we disappoint ourselves, sometimes our ESL students disappoint us – and sometimes school administrators disappoint us. ESL and EFL teachers, often underpaid and overworked, have to deal with high expectations, numerous classroom frustrations, and stay focused on improving student skills.

Working with mixed levels and often difficult situations this summer, I’ve found myself falling back on a classic Winston Churchill quote. “Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”

Sometimes redefining success just means cultivating resilience, seeing new possibilities, and staying optimistic that tomorrow we will learn more and do better as teachers and students. Sometimes.

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Worksheet – or Cheat Sheet – for English Teachers to Observe Conversations and Lead Class Discussions

Mar 2

Posted by Chimayo Press in Conversation Tips, Conversation lessons, EFL, ELL, ESL, ESL worksheets, ESL/EFL teachers' resources, Speaking Skills, Teaching matters, adult education, forms and worksheets, language schools, resources, teaching tips, worksheets and charts | 4 Comments

What do you do while students are having conversations or talking in pairs? Do you have a “formula” for taking notes? Do you focus more on fluency or accuracy?

Many English teachers, especially novice ESL instructors, talk more than ideal – and allow their English students to talk too little. Ironically, many ESL instructors make this “good mistake” because they are so dedicated. What, after all, are they supposed to do while students exchange ideas and practice their speaking skills?

When I taught an advanced ESL conversation class to immigrants and international students from many different countries at Santa Monica Community College, I developed a little routine.

First, I introduced conversation topics with a quotation or proverb and briefly introduce the day’s topic. Then I distribute worksheets (which became chapters in Compelling Conversations) with 30 or so questions, 10 or 12 key vocabulary words, and a few selected quotations or proverbs. Then students would be paired up to interview each other and share experiences for 20-30 minutes.

What did I do? I simply circled around the room, briefly joining in conversations, taking notes, and indirectly correcting students by modeling a better way to ask or respond to questions. I also jotted down key comments and “good mistakes” – both grammar and pronunciation – that I would later share with the entire class. Further, I focused on the content of student comments so fluency and meaning was more important than accuracy. Ideas and perceptions mattered more than perfect grammar.

These notes, however, helped me guide the classroom discussion because it closely echoed their previous conversations. It also lead to dynamic discussions because several perspectives were acknowledged and considered.

Taking notes also gave me a chance to emphasize certain sound groups or related word forms. While the students were talking to each other, I was playing reporter and taking notes.

Here is a reproducible worksheet that captures that process of monitoring conversations and leading discussions. Use or lose.

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Compelling Conversation Classroom Worksheet for Teachers

Topic: Pages: Date:
# of participants: # of groups: Room:

Opening Quote:

Opening comments to class:

Starting time for conversations:

Conversation content:
- What did you hear the students say? Summarize.

Follow-up class discussion questions:

Review Vocabulary:

Pronunciation tips:

Grammar issues:

Other comments/observations:

———————————————————

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English Teaching Professional Strongly Recommends Compelling Conversations!

Jan 29

Posted by Chimayo Press in Compelling Conversations, EFL, ESL, English class, Speaking Skills, academic matters, adult education, book reviews, favorite quotations, self-publishing | 14 Comments

Consider my global soul satisfied this morning!

English Teaching Professional, a glossy magazine for ESL teachers and language school directors, gave a glowing review and strong recommendation to Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics. “In sum, Compelling Conversations is a recommended resource for teachers who want to make their conversation classes more learner-centered,” wrote reviewer Hall Houston. “It should be especially appealing to those who who to escape the confines of the Presentation-Practice-Production approach and do without a formal grammatical or functional syllabus. It reflects the authors’ considerable professional experience, and would be a notable addition to any English teacher’s bookshelf.” The review also features a large copy of the book cover. Wow!

Houston also writes, “In my own teaching, I have found questions and quotations to be highly effective in promoting student discussion.” The review continues. “Questions are useful in that they require a response from the listener. Asking them also helps students master the tricky rules of the interrogative.”

“Quotations are brilliant flashes of wit expressed in the shortest space possible, often just a sentence or two,” observes Houston. “The authors have compiled a formidable collection of quotations by famous people from Napoleon and Aristotle to Tom Cruise and Sylvester Stallone. Some will have the students roaring with laughter ‘My movies were the kind they show in prisons and airplanes because nobody can leave.’ – Burt Reynolds), while others require careful introspection (‘Love is not just looking at each other; it’s looking in the same direction.’ – Antoine de Saint Exupery).”

The reviewer goes on. “The authors also add some wise proverbs here and there. My two favourites were ‘Recite “patience” three times and it will spare you a murder’ and ‘When money talks, truth keeps silent’, which are from Korea and Russia.” Houston, by the way, is the author of the outstanding ESL textbook The Creative Classroom: Teaching Languages Outside the Book. Coming from Houston, these words are especially pleasing.

My co-author Toni Aberson also appreciates that Houston, an English teacher working in Luzhu, Taiwan wrote the review in a British magazine with British spellings about an English textbook published in the United States. This international element adds a special delight to a long, three column review. “I just love it!”, exclaimed Aberson. We certainly live in a wonderful time to be English teachers.

While I my copy of English Teaching Professional two days ago, the January 2009 issue has been out for at least a week. The review appears on p.44 in Issue 60. Subscribers can access the full review at http://www.ETProfessional.com.

This positive book review might help explain the recent surge of class set orders. It also helps explain the sudden collection of emails and calls from Vietnam, Russia, Italy, and Canada in the last week about Compelling Conversations and possible collaborations. The appreciation of fellow ESL professionals gives me additional confidence, joy, and popularity. Sweet!

Let’s enjoy our 21st century lives!

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How democratic is your ESL classroom?

Oct 27

Posted by Chimayo Press in CATESOL, Compelling Conversations, Teaching matters, academic matters, adult education, conversation starters, democratic classroom, teaching tips | 1 Comment

Who gets to speak in class? Whose ideas count? Who chooses the assignments? How do students receive feedback? Do students have a chance to conference with their instructors? Can YouTube be a valuable source for homework assignment? Do you want your students to become self-directed – or autotelic – in their studies?

Here’s a quick checklist that ESL teachers that I created for a recent CATESOL workshop called “Techniques for a More Democratic Classroom”. My core assumption remains that giving students more opportunities to literally speak, write, and share their insights leads to a more engaging, dynamic, and valuable classroom experience.  I will write more on this topic in a few days, but here are some questions to consider.

  1. Who do you currently teach? How would you describe the students?
  1. What are some of their personal interests?
  1. How can student interests be better incorporated into the curriculum?
  1. Which assignments do students currently choose? Which seems most successful? Why?
  2. What are some benefits of greater student participation?
  3. What are some risks of greater student participation?
  4. Do you want to increase the number of choices students make?
  5. What critical language skills can be taught by tapping into their interests?
  6. How can you tweak current material to better individualize instruction?
  7. What internet resources can you use to augment the current curriculum?
  8. Which exercises or activities do you find most successful in your classroom?
  9. What decisions do you keep as your prerogative as the instructor?
  10. Will your students become self-directed learners?
  11. How can you encourage that possibility?
  12. How can you create a more democratic classroom?
  13. What are some obstacles to a more democratic classroom?
  14. How does technology encourage a more democratic classroom?

“Education is a kind of continuing dialogue and a dialogue assumes, in the nature of the case, different points of view.”   Robert Hutchins (1899-1977), former President of University of Chicago and educational philosopher

Do you agree? Disagree? Why? Feel free to let me know.

I’ll post an article in a few days outlining some of my thoughts and sharing some materials.

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Compelling Conversations Moves Up Amazon Ratings

Sep 27

Posted by Eric Roth in California, Compelling Conversations, EFL, ELL, ESL, English class, IEP, academic matters, adult education, self-publishing, website | 1 Comment

Amazon lists over 5 million books on its website – and continues to overlook many fine self-published books. Naturally, as a self-publisher, Amazon represents an important outlet for my ESL conversation textbook, Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics. Besides, numbers add precision and ratings can become addictive.

Today Amazon has Compelling Conversations listed at 6,198! That’s my highest overall rating yet – and far better than my usual top 35,000 rating. The book is also rated #3 in the category “adult and continuing education”. Consider me satisfied and surprised.

For a small self-published author, selling a book around the world – and collecting favorable reviews from customers in Australia, Japan, and Spain is a simple pleasure. Amazon’s customer reviews have certainly helped promote the unusual conversation book aimed at sophisticated adults who want to bring their insights, wit and humor into more and deeper English language conversations. Besides my website, www.CompellingConversations.com that offers free sample chapters, Amazon remains my principal promotional tool. So the Amazon ratings and category rankings provide a way to measure success.

Of course, I remain curious about Compelling Conversations finding more success in adult education ESL programs than the flexible private language programs, university programs, and conversation clubs. Private schools, focusing on student desires and needs, usually provide smaller classes with more speaking opportunities. Further, the academic vocabulary appeals more to university bound or university trained adults. Compelling Conversations usually ranks higher in categories like “English as a Second Language”, “English as a Foreign Language”, “Teaching Methods”, “TOEIC”, and even “Quotes” than “Adult and Continuing Education.”

The popularity of Compelling Conversations also reflects an increasing awareness that adult education students want and need more speaking opportunities. Adult education programs, sometimes narrowly focused on a so-called life skills curriculum and preparing students for fill-in the blank mandated tests, offer few conversation classes. Why? Mostly because of the funding structure which doesn’t encourage specialized language classes. The large class sizes also limit the chances to speak – even in intermediate and advanced classes. Creative, dedicated adult education teachers have to make exceptional efforts to provide students with speaking skills – and many do so. Compelling Conversations helps busy adult education teachers supplement life skills lessons with energetic conversation activities.

Amazon updates their numbers every hour, and no doubt Compelling Conversations

will soon return to its usual ranking. Reaching the top 10,000 on Amazon may not sound like much to people who reduce all experiences to dollar signs. I made more money teaching Thursday than on my exceptionally successful Friday, but it provides a sense of being appreciated. Yet I’m counting this milestone as a personal victory, counting my blessings, and smiling.

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Who ranks English language programs and ESL schools?

Sep 20

Posted by Eric Roth in California, ELL, ESL, English class, IEP, academic matters, adult education, conversation starters, language schools, resources | 3 Comments

How would you choose an English language school? What if you lived in Korea, Spain, China, Brazil, Turkey, or Vietnam? What factors would influence your decision? How would you find out the school’s reputation? Who ranks ESL programs? What is their criteria?

Hundreds of thousands of students travel thousands of miles each semester to attend ESL schools. These intensive English language programs, often affiliated at universities, provide an opportunity to study English, live abroad, and prepare for the all-important TOEFL test. Given the importance of English to the business, scientific, and political events, the ability to read, write, and speak English often seems mandatory to ambitious 21st century students.

Yet, like any consumer product, the quality of the schools widely varies. How would a student make a rational choice?

This question emerged as I spoke with several dozen international students this week about their resumes, educational backgrounds, and training in English. While this elite group of mostly graduate students had succeeded in the academic game, several shared stories of unpleasant experiences at language schools. Sometimes students found a huge gap between their expectations and their actual American classroom experiences.

The apparent randomness of significant decisions often surprises me. Normally, I consult friends and established rankings as part of a decision making process. Yet a single thin piece of information, or casual conversation, can easily alter plans. Still I remember systematically searching through numerous guidebooks while selecting my college.

Where can students looking for a quality English language programs abroad find this sort of information? Does TESOL have some list of approved or sanctioned schools? Does somebody else – perhaps even local governments – track the effectiveness of schools? Further, what is their criteria? Where can individuals – students, teachers, parents – get that simple, yet vital bit of information? Is any of this information available in English, instead of the first language?

I would suspect, especially for international students of considerable income, that there would have to be somebody who attempts to grade, evaluate, and rank ESL schools. If I was going to travel to the United States, Australia, or the United Kingdom, I would certainly want to know the quality of the program and teachers. Even I was just going to a local English school or attending a public adult education center, I would still check on the school’s reputation. Of course, recruiters provide some information too – often with a twist. Given the potential investment in money and time, I assume that guides must exist – and probably not in English.

The best English language source that I have found, so far, is a site called http://www.eslreview.org . It rates schools on a scale of 1-5 on teaching, location, housing services, price-quality relationship, and overall satisfaction. You can find basic information and read student reviews. You can also browse through the course catalog and contact the schools. This website review is a starting point, but not much more. The listings look like they could easily be gamed. They also don’t list school accreditations, average TOEFL scores, or hire staff to inspect the schools. Further, the list doesn’t include some prominent IEP schools in California. So it’s a valuable starting point to compare ESL schools, but it is hardly a Petersen’s Guide to IEP programs.

Does anybody know a better resource in English?

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Playing and Watching Sports

Aug 19

Posted by Eric Roth in Compelling Conversations, Conversation lessons, EFL, ELL, ESL, English class, adult education, teaching tips | No Comments

Have you been watching the Olympics? What has surprised you the most? Why? Who has inspired you? How?

The Olympics reminds us of heroism, sacrifice, excellence, and beauty. It can also spark many conversations.

Although I have not had the pleasure of teaching a conversation class recently, talking about sports always sparked many enjoyable exchanges – even among non-sports fans. This lesson, an except from Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics for Advanced ESL students, remains a favorite.

Feel free to use it in your English classes. Let the conversations begin!

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PLAYING AND WATCHING SPORTS

“The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility.”

Michael Jordan (1963-  ) NBA superstar

Chatting: Talking about sports can be a great ice-breaker. Just do it!

1. Did you play any sports as a child? Which ones? Which was your favorite?

2. Do you play any sports now? Which ones? Which is your favorite? Why?

3. Do girls and women play sports in your native country? If so, which ones?

4. What is the most popular sport in your native country?

5. What equipment or uniform is needed for this sport?

6. How is the game scored? How is a tie decided? What is considered a high score?

7. How long is a game? Are there referees? How do fans usually behave?

8. Which athlete is best known in your homeland? Which sport does he or she play? What do people admire about this athlete?

9. Does your native country participate in the Olympics? In which sports are your countrymen most competitive?

10. What are some team sports? Which do you play?

11. What are some individual sports that you know? Which do you play?

12. Do you prefer to play team sports or individual sports? Why?

13. Which is your favorite sport to watch? Do watch any annual televised sporting event?   Have you ever gone to a sporting event? How did the fans behave?

14. Are you a fan of any special team? What do you like about them?

15. What is their nickname e.g. Chicago Bulls, New England Patriots?

16. What does their nickname hope to convey about the team?

17. Does your favorite team have a main rival? Why? Is there a team mascot?

18. Which American athletes are well known in your native land? Which ones?

19. What are some of the ways that athletes train for competition?

20. What do you think is the difference between a game and a sport? Is chess a sport? Is weight lifting a sport? Is golf a sport? Is politics a sport?

21. Who is your favorite athlete? Why do you especially admire this athlete?

22. Do you buy a certain brand of shoes or clothes because of an athlete’s endorsement? If so, which brand? Which athlete?

23. Can you name some sports that involve animals?

24. Is there any sport that you don’t play now, but that you’d like to learn?

25. Do you think any sport rules should be changed? Why?

26. If you could, would you outlaw any sports? Why?

27. Are there any sports which are legal in your homeland, but illegal in the United States? Why? Do you think these sports should be legal?

28. What are the differences between the way athletes are treated in your native country and the way athletes are treated in the U.S.? Which ways do you think are preferable?

29. Are there any disadvantages to playing sports? Examples?

30. What are some advantages to playing sports? How do you feel while playing?

31. If you could play against any athlete in any sport, what sport would you choose?

32. If you could go back in time and attend any sporting event, which would you pick? Why?

33. What makes a great athlete? Who do you think is the greatest athlete of our time? Why?


Vocabulary: Do you know all these words? Can you add 4 more words to this list?

athlete score mascot equipment     competition          referee          nickname rival

endorse endorsement fan brand

Idioms: Try to guess the meanings of these idioms with your partner.
She’s a team player. She knows the game plan.

The biology test was a slamdunk.
The price you’re asking is in the ballpark.
When I caught Bob’s finger in the car door, he was a good sport about it.
You dropped the ball.

Quotations: Which quotations do you like? Can you add one more?

  1. “Sports do not build character. They reveal it.”

Heywood Hale Broun (1888-1939), American sports journalist

  1. “If you don’t try to win, you might as well hold the Olympics in somebody’s backyard.” Jesse Owns (1913-1980), American with 4 Gold Olympic medals

  1. “Sports is the toy department of human life.”

Howard Cosell (1918-1995), sportscaster

  1. “Sports is like a war without the killing.” Ted Turner (1938-  ), founder of CNN

  1. “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Yogi Berra (1925-  ), American baseball coach

  1. “Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball.”    Jacques Barzun (1907-  ), American historian

  1. “The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be.”

Bruce Lee (1940-1973), film star

  1. “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” Mark Twain (1835-1910), humorist

  1. “Aggressive fighting for the right is the noblest sport in the world.”
    Theodore Roosevelt (1859-1919), U.S. President, sportsman

  1. “…no boy from a rich family ever made the big leagues.”

Joe Dimaggio (1914-  ), American baseball player

  1. “Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.”

Jesse Owns (1913-1980), 4 time Gold medalist in 1936 Olympic Games

  1. “Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the ‘me’ for the ‘we.’” Phil Jackson (1945- ), L.A. Lakers’ coach

  1. “How can you think and hit at the same time?”

Yogi Berra (1925-), baseball player and coach

14. “There is no “I” in team, but there is in win.”

Michael Jordan (1963-  ) NBA superstar

EXTENSION: Find a picture of an athlete, professional or amateur, playing your favorite sport. Cut it out, bring it to class, and describe the picture and its context.

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Gratitude is heaven itself

Jul 19

Posted by Eric Roth in California, Compelling Conversations, Teaching matters, Vocabulary, favorite quotations, teaching tips | No Comments

A bright college student asked a simple vocabulary question that threw me this week. “What is the opposite of jealous“?

What is the opposite of jealous? Generous? Selfless? Confident? I found myself discussing various possibilities with students adding in situations. The simple vocabulary building exercise (create 25 pairs of opposite adjectives) took a more philosophical turn. We had a lively, if a bit wandering, class discussion. I apologized for my memory lapse, urged them to check a dictionary, and promised to get back to students with a better answer.

In the teacher’s room, a fellow teacher noted “The world jealousy includes the word lousy.” We shared a laugh. That’s a good answer. How did he instantly come up with that? Why couldn’t I do that?

I felt discontent, dissatisfied, and displeased with my weak classroom answers. Perhaps the opposite of “jealous” is content, satisfied, and pleased.

Stress comes naturally when driving in Los Angeles, and my commute back home fit the pattern. Many words popped into my head that captured negative feelings, including jealous. Could I be jealous of bus riders? Really? I started to visualize a bus ride home from UCLA, sitting – no, probably standing up, for 40 minutes next to exhausted strangers. Memories of less pleasant commutes on subway rides in New York from 20 years ago returned. No, I didn’t envy or feel jealous of the bus riders.

I eventually arrived home. Boomer, my dog, barked to announce my arrival and licked my face as I entered the front door. He’s great. “Dogs are our link to paradise,” wrote Milan Kundera. Absolutely.

Gratitude. That’s the opposite of jealousy. Gratitude. Why didn’t I think of that in class? Next time.

“Gratitude is heaven itself.” Who said that? Blake? Yeah, William Blake. The great poet-painter-mystic man. Remember that quote the next time an English student asks, “what is the opposite of jealous?”

Teaching English, especially to bright international college students, helps keep me focused and clear. This week I learned the opposite of jealousy and rediscovered a favorite quotation. Consider me satisfied, content, and grateful.

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