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Sample Chapter : Questions & Quotations For Intermediate American English Language Learners

This document provides discussion questions and activities about habits for English language learners. It includes questions for students to ask each other about their daily routines and habits. Vocabulary words related to habits are defined, such as bargain, curious, exchange, and routine. Proverbs about habits are presented and students are asked to explain the meanings. The document concludes with additional questions and quotations about habits for students to discuss.

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30 views9 pages

Sample Chapter : Questions & Quotations For Intermediate American English Language Learners

This document provides discussion questions and activities about habits for English language learners. It includes questions for students to ask each other about their daily routines and habits. Vocabulary words related to habits are defined, such as bargain, curious, exchange, and routine. Proverbs about habits are presented and students are asked to explain the meanings. The document concludes with additional questions and quotations about habits for students to discuss.

Uploaded by

cdjrhs
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

SAMPLE CHAPTER*

COMPELLING AMERICAN CONVERSATIONS


Questions & Quotations
for Intermediate American English Language Learners

Written, Compiled, and Edited by


Eric H. Roth and Toni Aberson
with Hal Bogotch

*reproducible for classroom use


3
.....................................................

making and breaking habits

SHARING STORIES

How well do you know your own habits? Share something about your habits and find out more
about your partner’s habits in a friendly exchange.

1. How many hours of sleep do you usually get? Is that enough sleep for you?
2. What time do you usually wake up in the morning? Do you get up with the sun?
3. Describe your morning routine. Are you usually in a hurry?
4. What did you eat for breakfast today? Did you drink water, juice, milk, coffee, or tea?
5. How do you get to school? Do you walk, take a bus, drive a car, or ride a bicycle, scooter, or
skateboard?
6. Can you describe a usual summer afternoon for you? A typical winter afternoon?
7. What tasks do you put off because you don’t feel like doing them?
8. Do you often wait until the last minute to do things? Which things? Why?
9. What’s your daily schedule like? Busy? Slow? Jammed?
10. What machines or electronic devices do you use every day?
11. Where do you and your family usually buy groceries? Do you go to supermarkets, smaller
grocery stores, or farmers’ markets? Why?
12. At the checkout counter, do you usually ask for paper or plastic bags? How often do you bring
cloth or canvas bags?

Compelling American Conversations 2


EXPANDING VOCABULARY

Please circle the words that you know. Read the other definitions below.

bargain curious exchange habit


lifestyle oversleep routine schedule

bargain, noun: an item offered for sale at less than the usual price; an agreement between a
buyer and a seller.
bargain, verb: to try to buy a desired object by asking the seller to lower the price.

I like to shop for bargains in the markets and I often bargain with sellers at yard sales.

curious, adjective: having an active desire to learn about things.

I am curious about your college.

exchange, noun: something given in return for money or something else of value; a
conversation.

Wynona exchanged a blue sweater for a red one after a short verbal exchange with the friendly
saleswoman.

habit, noun: a repeated action developed over time; routine.

Grace developed healthy habits, such as eating right and exercising regularly.

lifestyle, noun: the way a person leads his or her life.

The college lifestyle fit Carlos: he ate three meals a day, studied hard at the library, slept six hours
every night, and smiled every day.

oversleep, verb: to sleep late; to fail to wake up on time.

Jake oversleeps when he stays up too late the night before.

routine, noun: repeated activities.

Leah’s morning routine included making coffee and taking a shower.

schedule, noun: a series of events organized by date and time.

My schedule for Friday is full. Can we meet next week?

schedule, verb: to make an appointment.


I will schedule you to see the doctor next Tuesday at 3:00 pm.

3 [Link]
ASKING QUESTIONS

A. Select five vocabulary words in this chapter and write a question for each word. Remember
to start your question with a question word (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How, Is, Are,
Do, Did, Does, etc.). You will also want to end each question with a question mark (?).
Underline each vocabulary word.

✎ Example: Are you curious about the new basketball practice sessions?

1. ......................................................................................................................................................
2. ......................................................................................................................................................
3. ......................................................................................................................................................
4. ......................................................................................................................................................
5. ......................................................................................................................................................

B. Take turns asking and answering questions with your partner.

PARAPHRASING PROVERBS

A. What do the following proverbs and sayings mean? Discuss them with your partner. Circle
your favorite.

✦ Old habits die hard. —American


✦ Doing nothing is doing ill. —Vietnamese
✦ Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you. —Spanish
✦ Good luck beats early rising. —Irish
✦ Habits are first cobwebs, then cables. —Spanish
✦ Time and tide wait for no one. —English
✦ Don’t put it in my ear; put it in my hand. —Russian
✦ To change and change for the better are two different things. —German
✦ Cream rises to the top. —American

B. Can you add two more proverbs related to the topic?

✦ ................................................................................................................................................
✦ ................................................................................................................................................

Compelling American Conversations 4


THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES…

1. What is your favorite time of day? Why?


2. Do you usually look for bargains when shopping?
3. What are your TV viewing habits? Do you always watch certain shows? Which ones?
4. How often do you use a computer? When do you check your e-mail?
5. What are some people’s good or healthy habits?
6. What are some bad or unhealthy habits that people have?
7. Do you consider smoking cigarettes a bad habit? Why or why not?
8. What are some of your healthy habits? Which one is your favorite?
9. What are a few of your unhealthy habits? Which one do you want to break?
10. Do you feel that you usually make good use of your time? Why or why not?
11. Are you sometimes lazy? When?
12. Do you feel that things in your life are getting better or worse? Why?
13. How do your habits compare with those of your parents? Your friends?
14. Have your daily habits changed in the last few years? How?
15. Would you like to have been born around 1900? 2100? Why or why not?

DISCUSSING QUOTATIONS

Take turns reading these quotations out loud (or aloud) and discuss them with your partner. Mark
your answers. Explain your responses.

1. “Men’s natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them.”


—Confucius (551–479 BCE), legendary Chinese philosopher
! ! !  Agree  Disagree
Why? ...............................................................................................................................

2. “Nothing is in reality either pleasant or unpleasant by nature; but all things become so
through habit.”
—Epictetus (55–135), Greek philosopher
! ! !  Agree  Disagree
Why? ...............................................................................................................................

3. “The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.”
—Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709–1784), English writer
! ! !  Agree  Disagree
Why? ...............................................................................................................................

5 [Link]
4. “Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits.”
—Mark Twain (1835–1910), American novelist
! ! !  Agree  Disagree
Why? ...............................................................................................................................

5. “Ninety-nine percent of all failures come from people who have the habit of making
excuses.”
—George Washington Carver (1864–1943), African-American scientist and inventor
! ! !  Agree  Disagree
Why? ...............................................................................................................................

6. “Life never becomes a habit to me. It’s always a marvel.”


—Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923), New Zealand writer
! ! !  Agree  Disagree
Why? ...............................................................................................................................

7. “The unfortunate thing about this world is that good habits are so much easier to give up
than bad ones.”
—W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965), English novelist
! ! !  Agree  Disagree
Why? ...............................................................................................................................

8. “Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little, falls into lazy habits of
thinking.”
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955), American Nobel Prize-winning scientist
! ! !  Agree  Disagree
Why? ...............................................................................................................................

9. “Curious things, habits. People themselves never knew they had them.”
—Agatha Christie (1890–1976), British novelist and playwright
! ! !  Agree  Disagree

Why? ...............................................................................................................................

10. “For many, negative thinking is a habit, which over time becomes an addiction.”
—Peter McWilliams (1949–2000), American self-help author
! ! !  Agree  Disagree
Why? ...............................................................................................................................

“We are what we repeatedly do.


Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
—Aristotle (384–322 BCE), Greek philosopher

Compelling American Conversations 6


SEARCH and SHARE

How Do You Spend Your Time?

Student Name: ......................................................................... Date: ...........................................


Class: ........................................................................................ Teacher: ......................................

Enter the amount of time you spend on each of the following activities on a typical weekday.
Use your best estimate or guess for each category.

hours / minutes

sleeping _____ : _____

eating and drinking _____ : _____

housework/cleaning up _____ : _____



attending classes _____ : _____

working at a job _____ : _____

commuting/driving _____ : _____



playing sports and exercising _____ : _____

watching TV _____ : _____

attending religious services/praying _____ : _____

socializing and relaxing _____ : _____

For any of the above activities, would you say that you spend more or less time on it, compared to
other students in your class?

To compare your results to those of the average Americans by groups, visit the following website:
[Link]
[Link]

“All the treasures of the earth cannot bring back one lost moment.”
—French proverb

7 [Link]
“Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man ON YOUR OWN
healthy, wealthy and wise.”
—Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), Write your schedule for one day.
American author and Founding Father Remember to include meals and
meetings. Share your schedule with
your conversation partner.

CHAPTER 3 NOTES
7 am ..................................................
.....................................................................................
8 am ..................................................
.....................................................................................
..................................................................................... 9 am ..................................................
.....................................................................................
..................................................................................... 10 am ................................................

.....................................................................................
11am .................................................
.....................................................................................
..................................................................................... Noon ................................................
.....................................................................................
1 pm ..................................................
.....................................................................................
..................................................................................... 2 pm ..................................................
.....................................................................................
..................................................................................... 3 pm ..................................................
.....................................................................................
4 pm ..................................................
.....................................................................................
..................................................................................... 5 pm ..................................................
.....................................................................................
..................................................................................... 6 pm ..................................................

.....................................................................................
7 pm ..................................................
.....................................................................................
..................................................................................... 8 pm ..................................................
.....................................................................................
..................................................................................... 9 pm ..................................................

..................................................................................... 10 pm ................................................
.....................................................................................
..................................................................................... 11 pm ................................................
.....................................................................................

REMEMBER... Work hard ... Reflect ... Choose wisely

Compelling American Conversations 8


Praise for Compelling American Conversations:
Questions and Quotations for
Intermediate American English Language Learners

“How can so much learning be in just one book? “Compelling American Conversations is a
Compelling American Conversations is all great textbook for teaching conversational
that an ESL teacher or student needs to use in their American English to ESL learners. It teaches the
course.  With clear, easy to follow directions, students topic by topic how to start a conversation
students learn necessary details about American with small talk leading up to a more serious
English and culture, practice critical thinking, discussion using relevant vocabulary and global
expand vocabulary and idioms, as they converse in idioms within the context of American culture. It
real, natural adult English. Included in the “Search also focuses on teaching the students how to ask
and Share” component are marvelous lessons on questions as well as answering them. This is
using the Internet.  An extra bonus is that any of something that they will all need in the real world.
the conversations, quotes,  etc. can be used as I highly recommend it as either a main textbook
writing prompts. The book is fun and stimulating or as supplementary material for any ESL
and, fortunately, very accessible for the inter- instructor to use with intermediate to advanced
mediate learner.”   level students who want to improve their oral
  skills.”
~ Planaria Price
Author, Life in the USA and Realistically Speaking ~ Eva Owen
EFL/ESL Instructor

“Compelling American Conversations is a


great book for students to improve their conver- “Simply a FANTASTIC book! A must-have
sational skills. The exercises also help to improve the resource for all English teachers and students
"on-the-spot" thinking skills students need to alike!”
become fluent English speakers. I recommend this
book as a study aid for those who wish to improve ~ JJ Polk
their IELTS speaking score.” Author, English in Global Contexts

~ James Hutzell
Lecturer, USC Language Academy “Compelling American Conversations is an
essential English conversation book. The carefully
chosen vocabulary words aid students without
“Conversational English proficiency can only be overwhelming them, and the way the questions
acquired by engaging in authentic English integrate with students' background knowledge
conversations. The academic approach used all helps them feel confident in exploring new topics
too frequently in conventional ESL classrooms of conversation. I love the use of proverbs and
consistently fails at helping English learners quotations to engage English learners and to get
become fluent English speakers. Compelling them talking. Whether you're running a school or
American Conversations fills the gap left by teaching private lessons, this should be the first
inadequate curricula by offering engaging topics book you grab to get your students talking.” 
and prompts that become the starting point for
thoughtful and meaningful conversations. I highly ~ Brent G. Warner
recommend it.” Author, How to Pass the TOEFL iBT Test

~ Nathan D. Crandall, M.A.


Founder, The Fluency Coach
[Link]

9 [Link]

Common questions

Powered by AI

The proverbs illustrate cognitive biases such as the status quo bias and the tendency to underestimate the strength of habit. For instance, Epictetus' quote 'Nothing is in reality either pleasant or unpleasant by nature; but all things become so through habit' reflects the cognitive principle of habituation where repeated exposure alters perception . Additionally, Samuel Johnson's observation that 'The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken' highlights the psychological challenge of changing habitual behavior, demonstrating how once unnoticeable habits can gain dominance, illustrating the incremental nature of habit formation.

The quotes present divergent philosophical perspectives on human behavior. Confucius' statement, 'Men’s natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them,' suggests a focus on environmental and behavioral factors over intrinsic differences . Conversely, Epictetus emphasizes subjective perception, implying that habits shape personal reality and outlook through repeated behaviors . These perspectives highlight varying emphasis in philosophical thought on whether habits are primarily culturally or perceptually driven, illustrating complex interactions between behavior, perception, and societal norms.

Cultural sayings about habit reflect underlying values, such as persistence and caution. For example, the American saying 'Old habits die hard' indicates a recognition of the persistence of habitual behavior, suggesting a pragmatic view towards change and the importance of ongoing effort . The Vietnamese proverb 'Doing nothing is doing ill' reflects a cultural emphasis on productivity and action . The differences in these sayings highlight how various cultures perceive and react to the power of habits, often emphasizing reform or the challenges of breaking ingrained behaviors.

Comparing cultural proverbs reveals insights into universal human challenges with changing behavior and the importance placed on perseverance and caution. For example, the Spanish proverb 'Habits are first cobwebs, then cables' highlights the challenge of changing deeply ingrained behaviors, emphasizing the importance of early intervention . Meanwhile, the German saying 'To change and change for the better are two different things' suggests cultural recognition of the complexities involved in beneficial behavior modification, underscoring the nuanced understanding that not all change is inherently positive. These insights suggest a shared human experience regarding the difficulty of changing habits and the need for thoughtful consideration during the process.

Curiosity can significantly shape an individual's lifestyle by driving them to explore new activities and experiences, potentially forming new habits. It fosters a lifestyle that values learning and discovery, as seen in the example where curiosity about college can lead to developing habits centered around education and social interaction . However, excessive curiosity might lead to a scattered lifestyle, where consistent habits are difficult to maintain due to frequent changes in focus and activity.

"Compelling American Conversations" serves as a robust tool in the ESL classroom by encouraging practical language use through engaging topics and vocabulary tied to real-life contexts, such as habit formation. It provides structured inquiries that facilitate discussion about daily routines and habits, aiding students in learning context-specific vocabulary and idioms . The conversational scenarios require students to consider their own habits and describe them, providing opportunities for self-reflection and critical vocabulary application, which is crucial for language acquisition within the context of understanding and developing personal habits.

Understanding lifestyles and routines helps ESL learners by providing them with relevant vocabulary and thematic contexts for discussion, enhancing their ability to express daily activities in English. Discussing such topics promotes practical language use and aids learners in drawing parallels between their routines and those experienced in different cultures, thus broadening their cultural understanding and conversational skills . By engaging in habitual dialogues about personal routines, learners reinforce language patterns and contextual usage, which are crucial for fluency and language proficiency.

The book incorporates critical thinking through reflective and open-ended questions that challenge learners to analyze and synthesize information about everyday habits and cultural sayings. This approach is important for language proficiency as it encourages deeper cognitive engagement, enhancing comprehension and expression beyond rote memorization . By confronting and discussing abstract concepts and personal behaviors, students foster cognitive flexibility and improve their ability to articulate complex ideas and opinions in English, crucial aspects of attaining advanced language skills.

The phrase suggests that habits form quietly and gradually, initially going unnoticed due to their subtle integration into daily behavior. Over time, these behaviors become entrenched and part of one's routine, making them difficult to alter or break, much like strong chains . This highlights the insidious nature of habits where the incremental buildup goes unnoticed until it is challenging to disrupt, echoing psychological principles of behavior reinforcement and the importance of timely intervention for habit change.

The concept of 'habit as cobwebs then cables' relates to the gradual strengthening of neural pathways involved in habitual behavior. Initially, habits are weak and can be easily altered, akin to cobwebs. Over time, as the behavior is repeated, these pathways become stronger, resembling cables, making habits more resistant to change . This illustrates the mechanism behind behavior change methods, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, which addresses entrenched habits through incremental changes and reinforcement to either weaken existing pathways or form new ones.

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