Review by Waraich_631 -- Compelling American Conversations

[Waraich_631]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Compelling American Conversations" by Eric H. Roth and Toni Aberson and Hal Bogotch.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Learning any new language can be a both interesting and an intimidating experience. The biggest positive of the book Compelling American Conversations by Eric H. Roth and Toni Aberson and Hal Bogotch is that it makes sure that the interest of the reader is sustained throughout the reading of the text. It does this commendably through the use of carefully crafted topics and initiating conversations around those meaningfully.

What I liked the most in this book is the easy flow of information, it doesn't overwhelm the prospective learner with the technical jargon associated with American English but rather sticks to what it aims to help at; topics of our normal conversations. The topics discussed are fully apt to what a common person comes across in his/her daily life. Apart from the conversation starters, it talks about American sports, television, holidays, job interviews, cities, etc. These are precisely the topics around which our day to day conversations revolve. In this way the book also gives a peek into the American culture to the reader apart from improving the conversation skills in American English.

Every chapter begins with a series of well-framed questions relevant to the topic being discussed. The chapter then lists words with their corresponding meanings and an example sentence to help improve vocabulary. The use of quotations and proverbs in each section falls nicely into place with the topic under discussion. In fact, many of the quotations and proverbs are so interesting and thought-provoking that one would want to remember them for a lifetime. The book implores the reader to use American English to discuss their own ideas and to express their opinions on a vast array of subjects. In fact, this is also one of the high points of this book. It doesn't treat reader as a passive entity but rather involves him/her throughout the book. The authors drive home the point that we can truly learn and be conversant in the language being learned only when we start sharing our own views and takes on various topics in our own words.

The list of valuable resources at the end of the book is also useful and would help any learner to gather more knowledge and proficiency in the language.While this book is an interesting and informative read for anyone who loves the whole experience of language learning, it can be especially beneficial for new immigrants in the United States in helping them get more comfortable with the conversation skills in American English.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 for being relevant to the topic and being exceptionally well-edited. It offers something for every reader to learn and grow.

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Compelling American Conversations
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[Erin Painter Baker]

This is not what I thought the book was going to be about, from the title. (The subtitle probably would have clued me in a little bit.) This does sound like an interesting book for people who might know English but are not native speakers and are coming to live in the US. It would help them fit in in their new environment more quickly.

[Waraich_631]

This is not what I thought the book was going to be about, from the title. (The subtitle probably would have clued me in a little bit.) This does sound like an interesting book for people who might know English but are not native speakers and are coming to live in the US. It would help them fit in in their new environment more quickly.

yes, you are spot on in your analysis that it can help new immigrants learn the basics of American culture and life in a subtle way. The book doesn't delve deep to inundate you with information but acts more at a surface level to get you comfortable with the basics of both American English and Conversation topics.

[bookreviewmi1111]

I like the way the book makes people discuss about idioms. This textbook is a good one for English learners. Thanks for your review.