Compelling Conversations

Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics for ESL learners and teachers

Archive for category California

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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Teaching Themes Emerge at CATESOL: Use Technology To Meet Student Needs

Apr 19

Posted by Chimayo Press in CATESOL, California, Compelling Conversations, ESL worksheets, ESL/EFL teachers' resources, adult education, democratic classroom, democratic classrooms, educational philosophy, forms and worksheets, teaching tips | 5 Comments

Do ESL teachers want a more democratic classroom? Perhaps the workshop description discouraged English teachers, the title seemed too bold, or the other two dozen workshops held at the same time appeared more practical.

Techniques and Methods for a More Democratic Classroom
A more democratic classroom encourages student speech, features student created content, allows student choice of assignments, reflects student interests, and includes peer evaluations. Democratic classrooms create autotelic students where we learn by making good mistakes. Handouts.

For whatever reason, my CATESOL workshop on “Classroom Techniques and Practices for a More Democratic Classroom” only attracted around 20 ESL teachers – and a few left early after taking the 12-page handout of reproducible lessons. Yet the ESL teachers who stayed asked good questions, shared examples to support my thesis, and several expressed gratitude. Consider me basically satisfied.

Several other CATESOL presenters also lead workshops and shared materials and techniques to incorporate the internet, radio, and other authentic materials into ESL classrooms. While few other presenters used the word “democratic”, many other ESL professionals noted the need to be “student-centered” and include “critical thinking.” More and more English teachers, even the pseudo-Luddites, have become aware of teaching potential of 21st century technologies – and the ability to tailor instruction to individual student needs.

I still wonder, however, why the idea of a more democratic classroom where students hunt and gather their own source materials to develop their language skills seems strange to so many English teachers. To me, it seems absolutely natural to guide students toward becoming self-directed, or autotelic, learners. Here are three handouts that I shared at my CATESOL workshop on Friday toward that goal. Use or lose. You choose.

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————————————————————————————————————
This I Believe Homework Worksheet

Links: This I Believe

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4538138

Please select one radio segment, based on a personal essay, and read by writers. Find a story that resonates with you. Listen carefully. Take notes. Fill out the worksheet below. You will be asked to share your selection with classmates in both a small group and the entire class.

Student:
This I Believe Title:
Author/Reader:
Length:

Who is the author?

What’s the main idea?

Why did you choose this podcast?

Did you hear any new words or phrases?
1.
2.
3.

Who do you imagine is the audience for this podcast? Why?

What is your reaction? Why?

————————————————————————————————————
PRESENTATION
PEER REVIEW

TOPIC:

PEER:

GOOD TO SEE

POINTS TO WORK ON

BEST PART

WEAKEST PART

OBSERVATION TIPS

Please circle the appropriate overall rating 1-10 (10=BEST)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

————————————————————————————————————
Getting Job Interview Advice from YouTube!

Student Name:
Class:
Teacher:
School:
Date:

Please find an YouTube videoclip that helps people successfully interview for jobs – in English – that you would like to share with your classmates. Watch the video, take notes, and review it for your classmates.

Video title:
Web address:
Length:
Creator:

Please describe the video.

What interview tips did the video provide?

Where do you think the video was produced? Why?

How practical did you find the advice? Why?

What was the strongest part? Why?

What was the weakest part? Why?

Who do think is the target audience for this video?

Why did you choose this video?

How would you rate this video 1-5 stars? Why?

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Looking for An ESL Book to Improve Speaking Skills? SMDP Recommends Compelling Conversations!

Jan 23

Posted by Chimayo Press in California, Compelling Conversations, EL Civics, ESL, Santa Monica, Vocabulary, adult education, adult literacy, book reviews, immigration | 2 Comments

Santa Monica, California attracts artists, scholars, busboys, maids, actresses, models, sales people, mechanics, and film directors from around the world. Naturally, this upscale, coastal city provides many adult education classes, private language classes, and hosts English as a Second language workplace programs. The local newspaper, The Santa Monica Daily Press (SMDP), also covers immigration issues in great depth and publishes articles offering advice to new Americans and citizens.

Last week book editor SMDP Dane Robert Swanson wrote a very positive book review, in simple clear prose, directed at Santa Monica immigrants. Noting the importance of literally speaking English to achieve the American Dream, Swanson suggested immigrants practice their conversation skills and build their vocabulary using Compelling Conversations in their classrooms and in local cafes.
Naturally, I’m very pleased with this long, strong book review written in a simplied English style. As an ESL writing instructor, however, I wish the reviewer had used more transitions between paragraphs to add greater cohesion. English students can read more than simple sentences when collecting information on new books. Still, Swanson’s instincts to write short sentences is spot-on for local immigrants. Consider me grateful and pleased!

Here, without editing, is the entire July 16 book review.

Visit us online at smdp.com FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2009 9
Call us today at (310) 458-7737
B Y D A N E R O B E R T S W A N S O N
BOOKREVIEW
‘Compelling
Conversations’
Eric H. Roth and Toni Aberson
Chimayo Press

America is a great land of opportunity. I am sure we
all want to get ahead in this country. We want to find the
type of employment that is suited for us. We wish to
advance in the work world. We wish to make friends.

The best way to get ahead in the world is to speak the
mother tongue of the country you are living in. In this
case, we are talking about English. With so many
“English as a Second Language” courses being taught
there is no excuse for not learning. The problem is, what
book do you use to learn from?

Have you been looking for a good ESL manual? If you
have, I think this is one to consider. The topics cover:
Your Life, The Civic Life, along with the everyday aspects
as dating, enjoying money, handling stress.

The editors put it together in an easy to use form. You
have conversation starters such as, “How much time do
you spend each week in cars? Why?”

There is a section in each chapter for vocabulary
building. A section on common sayings is included, as
well. To increase the conversation we have such questions
as this: “Do you prefer to drive in the city or the
country? Flat or hills?”

Each chapter in the book concludes with quotations.
An example is this one by Woody Allen, “I have bad
reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by
two guys.”

This manual helps conversation by giving common
subjects to talk about. Since English is one of the confusing,
difficult and strange languages for a foreigner to
grasp and be comfortable conversing in, the compilers
pack in 45 chapters over 30 questions, 10 or more targeted
vocabulary words, some proverbs, and quotations
per chapter.

Each chapter focuses on a promising conversation
topic. They start with easy questions and continue on to
questions a bit more abstract. Each question is there to
allow the speaker to share his life experiences along with
his insights.

This manual will go best with the advanced ESL student
or even at coffee shop conversation clubs. It will
bring about authentic, not stilted communication, which
should be the purpose of an ESL course. It is easier for a
person to learn a language through conversation rather
than by a given list of vocabulary words. That is what
makes this a welcome addition to the material which can
be used for the immigrant who must learn English to
advance in the world.

Eric H. Roth has taught many ESL courses at Santa
Monica College, UCLA Extension, Cal State Long Beach’s
American Language Institute. Toni Aberson has taught
English and supervised teachers for over 35 years and
holds to the view that when you have a lively classroom
you have optimal learning going on.

This manual is available at Amazon.com. It can also be
purchased on the Web site: www.CompellingCoversations.com.
There is a substantial discount available for schools and bookstores.

DANE ROBERT SWANSON is the best looking book reviewer in Santa Monica and wishes to get feedback from you.
Smdp_review@yahoo.com.
——————————————

Thank you Dane, for the wonderful review.
“Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” French proverb

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Exploring Cities in ESL Classrooms

Nov 15

Posted by Chimayo Press in California, Compelling Conversations, Conversation lessons, EFL, EL Civics, ELL, ESL, ESL worksheets, English class, Los Angeles, academic matters, adult education, website | No Comments

Cities attract the young, the strong, the ambitious, and the hungry.

Millions move from countryside and across the globe to live in new cities every year. Cities provide jobs, culture, and education. Cities are exciting. Yet, sometimes danger also lurks in cities. Do you like living in cities? Which cities have you visited? Which cities you found most satisfying? Why?

Teaching English in Los Angeles and Santa Monica I’ve found that students, who come from across the globe, enjoy talking about cities. Some English students share stories about moving from rural areas and small towns to an international city; other students enjoy talking about their travel experiences. Discussions naturally touch on housing, employment, and lifestyle choices – or what education bureaucrats call “life skills”. English language learners – whether adult immigrants creating a new home or university students living abroad – can reflect on their experiences and share insights discussing urban life.

This month Exploring Cities, one of my favorite chapters, is highlighted as a free, reproducible chapter on the  Compelling Conversations website. Like the other 44 chapters, this chapter includes over 30 questions, five proverbs, a dozen quotations, and five classroom activities. Meeting new people, seeing new sights, and holding satisfying conversations are classic urban experiences. Why not bring those discussions and experiences into your English classroom too?

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CATESOL Conference Highlights Practical ESL Teaching Techniques

Sep 30

Posted by Eric Roth in CATESOL, California, Compelling Conversations, EL Civics, ESL, English class, Los Angeles, VESL, adult education, workplace communication skills | 6 Comments

Are you looking to share practical techniques with your fellow English teachers? What works in your ESL classroom? What tends to work in other ESL classrooms? Why?

The Los Angeles Regional CATESOL conference, titled “WWW. What Works and Why” at Biola University on October 25 features over 60 workshops and panel discussions. The annual event is expected to attract over 500 ESL professions from K-12 classes, adult education, IEP, and community college and university programs. CATESOL members receive a discount on the conference fee.

Do you live in Southern California? Do you have plans for October 25th yet? Visit
http://www.lacatesol2008.org/ if you are interested. This regional conference is larger than many state conferences and reflects the importance of studying English to immigrants in Los Angeles – especially during economically difficult times.

By the way, I will be giving a 45-minute presentation titled “Techniques for a More Democratic Classroom” and a joint presentation titled “Creating Win-Win Workplace English Programs That Work for Both Employers and Employees.”

In my solo presentation, I will review classroom practices like tailoring assignments for individual students, effective peer evaluations, and organizing students to create classroom materials. Some exercises come from Compelling Conversations, but most exercises are practices that I’ve developed over time in both writing and speaking courses.

The second presentation, with Troy Parr, comes out of a series of vocational ESL workshops that we designed for an important union for healthcare workers, the SEIU, in Los Angeles. (The director of their workplace educational programs read Compelling Conversations., and contacted me. I brought in Troy, who wrote his thesis on best practices in workplace ESL programs.) We emphasize the importance of creating practical, participant specific exercises that both introduce new workplace vocabulary and provide many opportunities to speak, write, and reflect on workplace issues – in English. These workshop exercise such as rewriting forms, writing memos, and giving presentations on safety tips also help students develop their language skills for beyond their immediate job.

Naturally, I hope you can make the LA Regional CATESOL conference. See you there?

For more information:

http://www.lacatesol2008.org/

http://catesol.org

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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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California Immigrants are Learning English – and Want to Learn More!

Sep 25

Posted by Eric Roth in California, Citizenship, EL Civics, ELL, ESL, English class, academic matters, adult education, educational philosophy, immigration, language debate, language politics, public education | 1 Comment

Do American immigrants want to learn English? Are the children of Spanish-speaking adult immigrants learning English? What are the recent trends in California and Los Angeles?

A recently released Census Bureau report, based on the 2007 Census information, shows that – shock, shock – immigrants overwhelmingly want to improve their English skills. It also shows that a slight majority (51%) of immigrants in Los Angeles claim that they can speak English fluently – an increase from just a few years ago. The study also notes that 88% of immigrant children claim to speak English – and want to learn more.

Yesterday’s Los Angeles Times editorial “Speak English? Yes, more immigrants do “ provides a solid introduction to the heated debate over language and immigration in California. The editorial also argues that immigration reform should include a provision to keep families united so the American children of illegal immigrant parents are not separated from their parents. Finally, the editorial concludes that both the United States and the English language continue to evolve and Americans should embrace change.

The fine editorial, however, could and should have called for both expanding and improving the quality of public education programs so immigrants – including adult immigrants – can learn English quicker. A better Census report also would have included the legal status of immigrants and gone beyond self-reported data by immigrants with evolving language skills.

The editorial’s strong, humane conclusion is worth repeating verbatim:
“American culture grows and adapts as new immigrants redefine it over the generations, and the same can be said of the English language. We should embrace that evolution, not hold it at bay with false and alarmist arguments about the threat to American values.”

Los Angeles Times, September 24, 2008 editorial

Doesn’t that sound sane and civilized?

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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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How many languages did you hear today?

Sep 14

Posted by Eric Roth in California, conversation starters, favorite quotations | No Comments

Sometimes living in Los Angeles feels fantastic. Beauty – in many forms – pervades. You look around, and you smile. The sun shines, the scene looks great, and many languages fill the day.

I visited the Huntington Gardens, a beautiful oasis near California Institute of Technology, yesterday to catch a large photography exhibit documenting 150 years of Los Angeles history. Inevitably, I fell in love with the city again – and gained a new appreciation for how cars, film, oil, and immigration have created this global city of dreams and demons.  The show, “This Side of Paradise: Body and Landscape in LA Photographs”, starred evocative photographs by numerous great photographers and attracted a fine crowd.

While moving through the city or going to tourist sites, I often ask myself a simple question. “How many languages did you hear today?” It’s a way to nudge me to pay more attention to sounds, along with the sights, around me. It also reminds me that I’ve traveled quite some distant from Crawfordsville, Indiana where I went to college or even Indianapolis, Indiana where I mostly grew up. This simpe question is also a lively conversation starter in cosmopolitian areas.

Los Angeles is both a great American city and an international magnet for artists, seekers, immigrants, and students. Yesterday I heard Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Italian, German, Hebrew – and lots of English.  Many other languages were also spoken, but I didn’t have the pleasure of hearing them.  Art, photography,  gardens, and culture brought all these people to share a common experience in multiple tongues.

“As one went to Europe to see the living past, so one must visit Southern California to see the future,” wrote Alison Lurie, an American novelist.  Her words still ring true. And living here provides still more possibilities!

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School boards, education problems, and a new $350 million dollar high school!

Sep 6

Posted by Eric Roth in California, ESL, academic matters, adult education, conversation starters, educational philosophy, public education, resources | No Comments

Teaching remains an art, and excellence remains rare – especially in a bureaucratic age. The ancient Socratic methods and modern enlightenment ideals have increasingly fallen out of favor in American public schools – from elementary and middle school to high school and adult school.

The gap between the desires and needs of our students and the bureaucratic mandates of our local educational authorities grows wider with each day. For instance, my local school board just opened a new high school in Los Angeles that cost a mere $350 million dollars. That comes out to almost $200,000 per enrolled student – just for the building! The principal also boasted that the new building, Roybal Learning Center,  was “graffiti-free”. Wow! Can you imagine that?

How did this happen?

“God made the idiot for practice. Then he made school boards.”
Mark Twain (1835-1910), American novelist and humorist

Unfortunately, Twain’s quip remains as relevant in the 21st century urban America as 19th century rural America.

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