Review by Raju Chacko -- Compelling American Conversations
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Raju Chacko
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Review by Raju Chacko -- Compelling American Conversations
[Following is a volunteer review of "Compelling American Conversations" by Eric H. Roth and Toni Aberson and Hal Bogotch.]
4 out of 4 stars
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I picked up Compelling American Conversations by Eric H. Roth and Toni Aberson and Hal Bogotch for review because it eminently applies to me, a native of India, to whom English is a second language (ESL). Besides being a refresher, I thought it would be fun to review the book as it would help me keep abreast of the latest developments in the field.
I have been speaking English for as long as I can remember. I even think in this language, so to me, it's my main or primary language. My proficiency in English has been considerably above average in my country, so for a long time, I considered myself as belonging to the elite class of good English speakers in India. I am an Information Technology (IT) professional, and it is only when I stayed for brief periods in the UK (1996) and the USA (1999) and lived/closely interacted with native English speakers that I began to realize my deficiencies in the language—pronunciation, effective words to use in a specific context, outdated words in my vocabulary, the typical difficulties one faces in transitioning from British to American English, etc. to name a few. It was a sobering experience and ever since I've kept a watch on my English to avoid making humiliating mistakes. This book is one more in that series of continuous English learning resources that I've read. And assuredly, I found it useful.
This book has been thoughtfully conceived and developed with meticulous care. The authors have done the commendable job of coming down to the level of the student in preparing lessons so that the lessons are highly accommodative of their difficulties/challenges in learning English. The result is a friendly book that's well-paced and easy to learn from, that does not overwhelm the student, yet teaches what matters in a simplified, step-by-step manner. Another point to note is that it is the fruit of years of refinement/enrichment based on comments, suggestions, and feedback received from teachers and students in the field, so it is tried and proven and by consequence, assuredly worth investing in.
What I liked most about the book is that while it's simple, it's highly effective, too. Exercises in the book contain questions that prompt the reader to speak out on various interesting aspects of their own lives like habits, daily activities, qualities, etc. I suppose all people love to speak about themselves, so this strategy results in automatically attracting students to the book and getting them deeply involved besides making the learning experience enjoyable. It also includes fun and excitement: some in the exercises and some in the proverbs and quotes it contains. One quote that made me laugh is “Fatherhood is helping your children learn English as a foreign language” by Bill Cosby (Chapter 4, p. 40). Text is spaced wide enough for easy readability. Last but not least, the Microsoft Word version of this book provided is compatible with versions of Word as early as 2002. There's nothing that I disliked about it.
Compelling American Conversations is part of the “Compelling Conversations” series of books. The English Teaching Professional magazine (website: etprofessional[dot]com) recommends it to ESL/EFL students. This underscores its worthiness and affirms my views (above). It appears professionally edited and there are just two errors that I noticed in it. Going a step further, the errors are minor. Therefore, I give the book a full 4 out of 4 stars rating. I give the green light to ESL/EFL students and teachers worldwide to buy it if they need a book of this kind. You'll also find it very useful if you are a non-US student preparing for English language/aptitude tests like TOEFL, SAT, and ACT. However, remember that you need to start early for success—it won't help if you are near the deadline—this book isn't a substitute for a crash course! New immigrants to the USA may also find it helpful. Finally, without me saying it, this is a plain English language learner's book, so there's nothing in it to attract readers of other book genres, and they will do well to give it a miss.
******
Compelling American Conversations
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
I picked up Compelling American Conversations by Eric H. Roth and Toni Aberson and Hal Bogotch for review because it eminently applies to me, a native of India, to whom English is a second language (ESL). Besides being a refresher, I thought it would be fun to review the book as it would help me keep abreast of the latest developments in the field.
I have been speaking English for as long as I can remember. I even think in this language, so to me, it's my main or primary language. My proficiency in English has been considerably above average in my country, so for a long time, I considered myself as belonging to the elite class of good English speakers in India. I am an Information Technology (IT) professional, and it is only when I stayed for brief periods in the UK (1996) and the USA (1999) and lived/closely interacted with native English speakers that I began to realize my deficiencies in the language—pronunciation, effective words to use in a specific context, outdated words in my vocabulary, the typical difficulties one faces in transitioning from British to American English, etc. to name a few. It was a sobering experience and ever since I've kept a watch on my English to avoid making humiliating mistakes. This book is one more in that series of continuous English learning resources that I've read. And assuredly, I found it useful.
This book has been thoughtfully conceived and developed with meticulous care. The authors have done the commendable job of coming down to the level of the student in preparing lessons so that the lessons are highly accommodative of their difficulties/challenges in learning English. The result is a friendly book that's well-paced and easy to learn from, that does not overwhelm the student, yet teaches what matters in a simplified, step-by-step manner. Another point to note is that it is the fruit of years of refinement/enrichment based on comments, suggestions, and feedback received from teachers and students in the field, so it is tried and proven and by consequence, assuredly worth investing in.
What I liked most about the book is that while it's simple, it's highly effective, too. Exercises in the book contain questions that prompt the reader to speak out on various interesting aspects of their own lives like habits, daily activities, qualities, etc. I suppose all people love to speak about themselves, so this strategy results in automatically attracting students to the book and getting them deeply involved besides making the learning experience enjoyable. It also includes fun and excitement: some in the exercises and some in the proverbs and quotes it contains. One quote that made me laugh is “Fatherhood is helping your children learn English as a foreign language” by Bill Cosby (Chapter 4, p. 40). Text is spaced wide enough for easy readability. Last but not least, the Microsoft Word version of this book provided is compatible with versions of Word as early as 2002. There's nothing that I disliked about it.
Compelling American Conversations is part of the “Compelling Conversations” series of books. The English Teaching Professional magazine (website: etprofessional[dot]com) recommends it to ESL/EFL students. This underscores its worthiness and affirms my views (above). It appears professionally edited and there are just two errors that I noticed in it. Going a step further, the errors are minor. Therefore, I give the book a full 4 out of 4 stars rating. I give the green light to ESL/EFL students and teachers worldwide to buy it if they need a book of this kind. You'll also find it very useful if you are a non-US student preparing for English language/aptitude tests like TOEFL, SAT, and ACT. However, remember that you need to start early for success—it won't help if you are near the deadline—this book isn't a substitute for a crash course! New immigrants to the USA may also find it helpful. Finally, without me saying it, this is a plain English language learner's book, so there's nothing in it to attract readers of other book genres, and they will do well to give it a miss.
******
Compelling American Conversations
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
The highest purpose of art is to inspire. What else can you do? What else can you do for anyone but inspire them? -Bob Dylan
Latest Review: The Biblical Clock by Daniel Friedmann and Dania Sheldon
