About the store
Eric teaches undergraduate students and international graduate students the pleasures and perils of speaking and writing English at the University of Southern California. He holds the title of master lecturer and advises the American Language Institute's Conversation Group program.
A former inner city high school teacher, adult education instructor and community college lecturer, Eric currently teaches at an elite private university in Southern California. He is also the co-author of 'Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics' (Chimayo Press), an innovative conversation textbook for intermediate and advanced English language learners. The critically-acclaimed, fluency-focused ESL/EFL book has been used in over 50 countries. It has also led to a series of special versions: 'Compelling Conversations - Vietnam' (2012), 'Compelling American Conversations' (2012), and 'Compelling Conversations - Japan' (2015). In 2017, he co-authored a second edition of 'Compelling Conversations - Vietnam: Speaking Activities for Vietnamese Learners of English' with Teresa Nguyen. His most recent book, 'Creating Compelling Conversations: Reproducible Search and Share Activities for English Teachers' (2019), provides over 80 communicative activities.
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Compelling Conversations- An Advanced ESL Textbook
Do your students speak enough English?
English Language Learners, whether in adult school, high school, IEP, or college class, want to literally speak English and have deep, satisfying conversations - in English.
This innovative ESL/EFL textbook written by Eric Roth and Toni Aberson, encourages students to learn by doing, to share their experiences, to learn about classmates, and to develop conversational fluency.
"Ask more. Know more. Share more."
That's the philosophy behind Compelling Conv
9th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Compelling Conversations - ESL/EFL Advanced Students - Being Yourself
Ask more. Know more. Share more. Speak more. That's the educational philosophy behind Compelling Conversations, written by Eric Roth and Toni Aberson. In this chapter, "Being Yourself," students have the opportunity to describe themselves. Each chapter in Compelling Conversations includes relevant quotations, proverbs and vocabulary. This lesson and the others in Compelling Conversations is for intermediate and advanced students. Can be used for conversation classes, supplemental material, or
9th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Compelling American Conversations Chapter 14: Exploring American Cities
CREATE MORE CONFIDENT ENGLISH SPEAKERS! Focusing on daily experiences in American culture, Compelling American Conversations helps intermediate English language learners (ELLs) explore their lives, learn common American sayings and expressions, and develop vital discussion skills. While primarily designed for American immigrants and international community college/adult ESL students, this flexible textbook is also useful to high school ELLs and intensive English programs. FEATURES Curious about
11th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Compelling American Conversations 3 Chapter Bundle: Chapters 2, 5, and 6
CREATE MORE CONFIDENT ENGLISH SPEAKERS! Focusing on daily experiences in American culture, Compelling American Conversations helps intermediate English language learners (ELLs) explore their lives, learn common American sayings and expressions, and develop vital discussion skills. While primarily designed for American immigrants and international community college/adult ESL students, this flexible textbook is also useful to high school ELLs and intensive English programs. FEATURES This three cha
11th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Compelling American Conversations Chapter 7: Playing and Watching Sports
CREATE MORE CONFIDENT ENGLISH SPEAKERS! Focusing on daily experiences in American culture, Compelling American Conversations helps intermediate English language learners (ELLs) explore their lives, learn common American sayings and expressions, and develop vital discussion skills. While primarily designed for American immigrants and international community college/adult ESL students, this flexible textbook is also useful to high school ELLs and intensive English programs. FEATURES Are you a big
11th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Compelling American Conversations Chapter 1: Opening Moves
CREATE MORE CONFIDENT ENGLISH SPEAKERS! Focusing on daily experiences in American culture, Compelling American Conversations helps intermediate English language learners (ELLs) explore their lives, learn common American sayings and expressions, and develop vital discussion skills. While primarily designed for American immigrants and international community college/adult ESL students, this flexible textbook is also useful to high school ELLs and intensive English programs. FEATURES How do you beg
11th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
It's a Breeze Unit 1: Let's Get Started
Let's learn the ropes of English - idiom by idiom!
One of seven thematic categories, Let's Get Started is a unit's worth of short English lessons featured in It’s A Breeze: 42 Lively English Lessons on American Idioms.
Each concise, self-contained chapter within the unit explores a single genre-specific American idiom. Provided with clear definitions, sample sentences, short readings, comprehension checks, and more, students will find speaking English less difficult and more fun – even “a bre
10th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Vocabulary
Compelling American Conversations Chapter 13: Valuing Money
CREATE MORE CONFIDENT ENGLISH SPEAKERS!
Focusing on daily experiences in American culture, Compelling American Conversations helps intermediate English language learners (ELLs) explore their lives, learn common American sayings and expressions, and develop vital discussion skills.
While primarily designed for American immigrants and international community college/adult ESL students, this flexible textbook is also useful to high school ELLs and intensive English programs.
FEATURES
How do you
11th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Compelling American Conversations 3 Chapter Bundle: Chapters 11, 12, and 13
CREATE MORE CONFIDENT ENGLISH SPEAKERS!
Focusing on daily experiences in American culture, Compelling American Conversations helps intermediate English language learners (ELLs) explore their lives, learn common American sayings and expressions, and develop vital discussion skills.
While primarily designed for American immigrants and international community college/adult ESL students, this flexible textbook is also useful to high school ELLs and intensive English programs.
FEATURES
This three
11th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
It's a Breeze Unit 7: Where Are You?
Let's learn the ropes of English - idiom by idiom!
One of seven thematic categories, Where Are You is a unit's worth of short English lessons featured in It’s A Breeze: 42 Lively English Lessons on American Idioms.
Each concise, self-contained chapter within the unit explores a single genre-specific American idiom. Provided with clear definitions, sample sentences, short readings, comprehension checks, and more, students will find speaking English less difficult and more fun – even “a breeze.
10th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Vocabulary
It's a Breeze Unit 6: How's the Weather?
Let's learn the ropes of English - idiom by idiom!
One of seven thematic categories, How's the Weather is a unit's worth of short English lessons featured in It’s A Breeze: 42 Lively English Lessons on American Idioms.
Each concise, self-contained chapter within the unit explores a single genre-specific American idiom. Provided with clear definitions, sample sentences, short readings, comprehension checks, and more, students will find speaking English less difficult and more fun – even “a bre
10th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Vocabulary
It's a Breeze Unit 5: Colorful Language
Let's learn the ropes of English - idiom by idiom!
One of seven thematic categories, Colorful Language is a unit's worth of short English lessons featured in It’s A Breeze: 42 Lively English Lessons on American Idioms.
Each concise, self-contained chapter within the unit explores a single genre-specific American idiom. Provided with clear definitions, sample sentences, short readings, comprehension checks, and more, students will find speaking English less difficult and more fun – even “a bre
10th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Vocabulary
It's a Breeze Unit 4: Animal Instinct
Let's learn the ropes of English - idiom by idiom!
One of seven thematic categories, Animal Instinct is a unit's worth of short English lessons featured in It’s A Breeze: 42 Lively English Lessons on American Idioms.
Each concise, self-contained chapter within the unit explores a single genre-specific American idiom. Provided with clear definitions, sample sentences, short readings, comprehension checks, and more, students will find speaking English less difficult and more fun – even “a breez
10th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Vocabulary
It's a Breeze Unit 3: Body Language
Let's learn the ropes of English - idiom by idiom!
One of seven thematic categories, Body Language is a unit's worth of short English lessons featured in It’s A Breeze: 42 Lively English Lessons on American Idioms.
Each concise, self-contained chapter within the unit explores a single genre-specific American idiom. Provided with clear definitions, sample sentences, short readings, comprehension checks, and more, students will find speaking English less difficult and more fun – even “a breeze.
10th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Vocabulary
It's a Breeze Unit 2: Fun with Food
Let's learn the ropes of English - idiom by idiom!
One of seven thematic categories, Fun with Food, is a unit's worth of short English lessons featured in It’s A Breeze: 42 Lively English Lessons on American Idioms.
Each concise, self-contained chapter within the unit explores a single genre-specific American idiom. Provided with clear definitions, sample sentences, short readings, comprehension checks, and more, students will find speaking English less difficult and more fun – even “a breeze
10th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Vocabulary
Compelling American Conversations Chapter 15: Seeing Our World With Photographs
CREATE MORE CONFIDENT ENGLISH SPEAKERS!
Focusing on daily experiences in American culture, Compelling American Conversations helps intermediate English language learners (ELLs) explore their lives, learn common American sayings and expressions, and develop vital discussion skills.
While primarily designed for American immigrants and international community college/adult ESL students, this flexible textbook is also useful to high school ELLs and intensive English programs.
FEATURES
What photo
11th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Compelling American Conversations Chapter 8: Talking About American TV
CREATE MORE CONFIDENT ENGLISH SPEAKERS!
Focusing on daily experiences in American culture, Compelling American Conversations helps intermediate English language learners (ELLs) explore their lives, learn common American sayings and expressions, and develop vital discussion skills.
While primarily designed for American immigrants and international community college/adult ESL students, this flexible textbook is also useful to high school ELLs and intensive English programs.
FEATURES
What's you
11th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Compelling American Conversations Chapter 5: Being Yourself
CREATE MORE CONFIDENT ENGLISH SPEAKERS!
Focusing on daily experiences in American culture, Compelling American Conversations helps intermediate English language learners (ELLs) explore their lives, learn common American sayings and expressions, and develop vital discussion skills.
While primarily designed for American immigrants and international community college/adult ESL students, this flexible textbook is also useful to high school ELLs and intensive English programs.
FEATURES
How would
11th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Compelling American Conversations Chapter 12: Practicing Interviews
CREATE MORE CONFIDENT ENGLISH SPEAKERS!
Focusing on daily experiences in American culture, Compelling American Conversations helps intermediate English language learners (ELLs) explore their lives, learn common American sayings and expressions, and develop vital discussion skills.
While primarily designed for American immigrants and international community college/adult ESL students, this flexible textbook is also useful to high school ELLs and intensive English programs.
FEATURES
Anxious ab
11th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Compelling American Conversations Chapter 11: Handling Stress
CREATE MORE CONFIDENT ENGLISH SPEAKERS!
Focusing on daily experiences in American culture, Compelling American Conversations helps intermediate English language learners (ELLs) explore their lives, learn common American sayings and expressions, and develop vital discussion skills.
While primarily designed for American immigrants and international community college/adult ESL students, this flexible textbook is also useful to high school ELLs and intensive English programs.
FEATURES
How do you
11th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
Showing 1-20 of 44 results
About the store
Experience
Eric teaches undergraduate students and international graduate students the pleasures and perils of speaking and writing English at the University of Southern California. He holds the title of master lecturer and advises the American Language Institute's Conversation Group program.
A former inner city high school teacher, adult education instructor and community college lecturer, Eric currently teaches at an elite private university in Southern California. He is also the co-author of 'Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics' (Chimayo Press), an innovative conversation textbook for intermediate and advanced English language learners. The critically-acclaimed, fluency-focused ESL/EFL book has been used in over 50 countries. It has also led to a series of special versions: 'Compelling Conversations - Vietnam' (2012), 'Compelling American Conversations' (2012), and 'Compelling Conversations - Japan' (2015). In 2017, he co-authored a second edition of 'Compelling Conversations - Vietnam: Speaking Activities for Vietnamese Learners of English' with Teresa Nguyen. His most recent book, 'Creating Compelling Conversations: Reproducible Search and Share Activities for English Teachers' (2019), provides over 80 communicative activities.
Teaching style
Ask more. Know more. Share more. Create compelling conversations.
This pithy statement captures my core teaching philosophy. English students want to share experiences and insights on contemporary topics - and expand their practical and academic vocabulary. Quotations and proverbs, from differing points of view, also encourage discussions, model excellent communication, and develop critical thinking skills. Students hold longer discussions, learn about their classmates, and gain practical experience. Let's create better, deeper, and more enjoyable conversations and stronger, more nuanced writings - even in English!
I also believe in "good mistakes". We learn, as the proverb goes, to walk and dance by stumbling.
Awards & shining teacher moments
USC Teaching with Technology 2013, 2012
http://compellingconversations.com/bios.php
My own education history
B.A. - Wabash College
M.A. - New School
Ryan Adult Education Credential/ESL - UCLA
TESOL presenter 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021,
CATESOL State Conferences 2003, 2005, 2006-23
TESOL Conventions 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012,2015-2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
ELTSummit presenter 2020, 2021 (keynote), 2022 (plenary), 2023 (panel), 2025 (presenter)
JALT CALL 2024
Visit www.compellingconversations.com for more information, including presentations, articles, and more sample chapters.
Additional biographical information
Eric has written for over 25 publications as a journalist and freelance writer.
He is also a co-founder of Chimayo Press, an independent micro-publisher of books designed to spread enlightenment values and elevate global conversations.
Visit www.compellingconversations.com or www.ChimayoPress.com for more information.
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