Review by Meyne32 -- Compelling American Conversations
Posted: 14 May 2020, 04:48
[Following is a volunteer review of "Compelling American Conversations" by Eric H. Roth and Toni Aberson and Hal Bogotch.]
Language is a great vehicle for traveling the world, knowing oneself, and meeting other people. ESL learners have a vast range of options when it comes to finding textbooks online and on the shelves to guide them in learning English. Most ESL books that I encountered during college days consist of more than 500 pages of topics and discussions, examples, exercises, and practical application activities about the English language. And several academic books were lessons on grammar rules, definitions, processes and structures of writing, forms of narrative, and mostly linguistics in nature. Those are the books that I cannot finish by myself within the structured academic year.
This book, as the title suggests, Compelling American Conversations by Eric H. Roth, Toni Aberson, and Hal Bogotch has somewhat changed my tune over ESL textbooks. The book has accomplished what its authors sought-after which to help English language learners feel more comfortable in English and become more fluent in English by exploiting the 15 very relatable topics, everyday questions about things, essential vocabulary and powerful quotations, and proverbs.
I agree with Aberson and I quoted, “The key in a classroom is engagement and people become interested and excited when they’re learning about the daily stuff of life. When students are thinking and writing and talking about their real lives—food, jobs, family, homes, sports, movies—that’s when students learn the language.” As I am also a non-native English language learner, it can be annoying when professors wanted you “to discuss and to report” about the structure of language just to make you stand in front and make you speak. It’s a pain in the neck. He is a teacher and I would like to sit in his classroom knowing that my time would be spent not by discussing grammar, the pattern of English, and the likes but more on building confidence and practically speaking your minds out about casual and familiar topics.
The vocabulary included and defined in the chapters are all usable and applicable to everyday conversation especially for those who have been just beginning to study English. However, I think learners might a little bit be confused about some words which are in simple present form but made into simple past form or singular made into plural form (or the other way around) as used in sentences like the word “adopt” (sentence: English has adopted thousands of words – like taco, sushi, and czar – from other languages.) and “rival” (sentence: We are rivals on the tennis court, but we’re best friends at school.). Considering adding a postscript below the page it occurs would be a nice guide for ESL learners.
Besides that, I jived into its amazing quotations from famous people. A few touched my heart. The quotations are very inspirational and motivating. “Even if you do learn to speak correct English, whom are you going to speak it to?” This powerful quote is full of encouragement to not just study English but “use” it. However, a number of the quotations (though everyone may either agree or disagree) can only be explained by a non-native if and when he/she has similar or first-hand experience about the idea which the quotations are trying to explain. As an example, on p.45, “The most beautiful words in the English language are ‘not guilty,” by Maxim Gorky, a Russian novelist. One might ask, why? This quotation should be read beyond the lines and not literally. Maybe, even try researching the life of Maxim Gorky.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars for the well-arranged and organized lesson structure created by the authors and editors for making ESL activities very comprehensible for learners without grammatical error and punctuation issues. I would like my students to use this book inside and outside of my classroom.
Many ESL teachers and learners will consider using this book if their goal is to make the class enjoyable. However, this probably will not appeal to those who put more consideration on grammar and structures of the English language.
******
Compelling American Conversations
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Language is a great vehicle for traveling the world, knowing oneself, and meeting other people. ESL learners have a vast range of options when it comes to finding textbooks online and on the shelves to guide them in learning English. Most ESL books that I encountered during college days consist of more than 500 pages of topics and discussions, examples, exercises, and practical application activities about the English language. And several academic books were lessons on grammar rules, definitions, processes and structures of writing, forms of narrative, and mostly linguistics in nature. Those are the books that I cannot finish by myself within the structured academic year.
This book, as the title suggests, Compelling American Conversations by Eric H. Roth, Toni Aberson, and Hal Bogotch has somewhat changed my tune over ESL textbooks. The book has accomplished what its authors sought-after which to help English language learners feel more comfortable in English and become more fluent in English by exploiting the 15 very relatable topics, everyday questions about things, essential vocabulary and powerful quotations, and proverbs.
I agree with Aberson and I quoted, “The key in a classroom is engagement and people become interested and excited when they’re learning about the daily stuff of life. When students are thinking and writing and talking about their real lives—food, jobs, family, homes, sports, movies—that’s when students learn the language.” As I am also a non-native English language learner, it can be annoying when professors wanted you “to discuss and to report” about the structure of language just to make you stand in front and make you speak. It’s a pain in the neck. He is a teacher and I would like to sit in his classroom knowing that my time would be spent not by discussing grammar, the pattern of English, and the likes but more on building confidence and practically speaking your minds out about casual and familiar topics.
The vocabulary included and defined in the chapters are all usable and applicable to everyday conversation especially for those who have been just beginning to study English. However, I think learners might a little bit be confused about some words which are in simple present form but made into simple past form or singular made into plural form (or the other way around) as used in sentences like the word “adopt” (sentence: English has adopted thousands of words – like taco, sushi, and czar – from other languages.) and “rival” (sentence: We are rivals on the tennis court, but we’re best friends at school.). Considering adding a postscript below the page it occurs would be a nice guide for ESL learners.
Besides that, I jived into its amazing quotations from famous people. A few touched my heart. The quotations are very inspirational and motivating. “Even if you do learn to speak correct English, whom are you going to speak it to?” This powerful quote is full of encouragement to not just study English but “use” it. However, a number of the quotations (though everyone may either agree or disagree) can only be explained by a non-native if and when he/she has similar or first-hand experience about the idea which the quotations are trying to explain. As an example, on p.45, “The most beautiful words in the English language are ‘not guilty,” by Maxim Gorky, a Russian novelist. One might ask, why? This quotation should be read beyond the lines and not literally. Maybe, even try researching the life of Maxim Gorky.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars for the well-arranged and organized lesson structure created by the authors and editors for making ESL activities very comprehensible for learners without grammatical error and punctuation issues. I would like my students to use this book inside and outside of my classroom.
Many ESL teachers and learners will consider using this book if their goal is to make the class enjoyable. However, this probably will not appeal to those who put more consideration on grammar and structures of the English language.
******
Compelling American Conversations
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes