Brian Branca

ESL Conversation Rocket Brian Branca

ESL Conversation Rocket helps students build a solid foundation for conversational English using grammar skills. This book was written by a teacher specifically for beginners and low-level learners. Throughout the book, students use their understanding of simple grammar points, as well as their personal life experiences, to have real, authentic conversations in English. The problem with many other ESL conversation books is that there is no scaffolding. Students are expected to just "talk." Now, imagine teaching a child to ride a bike without training wheels; the experience would be frustrating and painful. Herein lies the key to effective English conversation instruction: scaffolding! Just as children need training wheels to ride a bike, students need scaffolding to master conversation. Each unit of ESL Conversation Rocket is scaffolded using a simple and easily accessible grammar skill as a starting point. From there, students utilize an understanding of this grammar skill to build competence in conversation. Each unit is equipped with six student-centered exercises which gradually build in difficulty. The units culminate in "Real Life Conversation," where the training wheels are taken off and students have a chance to practice real, everyday conversation.