Preface -- To the Teacher -- To the Student

Chapter 1 GETTING ACQUAINTED Vocabulary Exercises: A Childhood in Singapore -- A Stranger in Rome -- Making a New Friend Conversation Exercises: Getting Acquainted -- A Bus Ride -- Telling about Your Life -- Planning a Weekend -- What Would You Do?

Chapter 2 HOLIDAYS Vocabulary Exercises: A Happy Season -- Getting Ready for Christmas -- American Holidays Conversation Exercises: Greeting Cards -- A Holiday in Your Country -- Holiday Traditions around the World -- A Holiday Gift -- Plan a Festival

Chapter 3 HOME Vocabulary Exercises: A New Tenant -- Against the House Rules -- Where Americans Live Conversation Exercises: Calling a Repairperson -- Shopping for a Home -- Buying Furnishings for a New Home -- Making House Rules -- Living in the City

Chapter 4 FOOD Vocabulary Exercises: A Picnic Lunch -- A Nutritious Meal -- American Eating Habits Conversation Exercises: American Table Manners -- Table Manners in Your Country -- What to Eat or Drink? -- Uncomfortable Situations -- Planning a Dinner

Chapter 5 SPORTS Vocabulary Exercises: The Soccer Game -- A Champion's Memories -- Some Favorite Sports in the United States Conversation Exercises: What's Wrong Here? -- Sports in Your Country -- Sports Values -- Name the Sport -- A Sports Event in Your Country

Chapter 6 DATING AND MARRIAGE Vocabulary Exercises: A Nice Couple -- A Lovely Bride -- Marriage in the United States Conversation Exercises: What Should These Couples Do? -- A Dating Service -- Getting Ready for Marriage -- Marriage around the World -- Wedding Traditions

Chapter 7 FAMILY Vocabulary Exercises: Grandmother's Ring -- A Hard-Working Mother -- Changes in the American Family Conversation Exercises: Who's Responsible? -- An Interesting Ancestor -- Taking Care of a Young Relative -- An Heirloom -- Disagreeing with Family Members

Chapter 8 TRAVEL Vocabulary Exercises: A Trip to Europe -- A Helpful Desk Clerk -- A Misunderstanding at Customs Conversation Exercises: An Interesting City to Visit -- Finding a Traveling Companion -- Planning a Vacation -- A Useful Phrase Book -- Some Travel Problems

Chapter 9 ENTERTAINMENT Vocabulary Exercises: A Bad Decision -- A Popular Series -- The Life of an Actor Conversation Exercises: T.V. in Other Countries -- Making a Movie -- Entertainment around the World -- Writing a TV Commercial -- When the Lights Went Out (A Play)

Chapter 10 THE WORLD Vocabulary Exercises: Please Make a Contribution -- A Frightening Situation -- Some Problems That We Share Conversation Exercises: Who Would You Be? -- What's Happening in 2030? -- A House in the Country -- Designing an Ideal Country -- Wishes for the World

"The most difficult aspect of teaching a conversation class is, almost certainly, motivating the students to speak. Too often, conversation classes fail because they rely on texts that emphasize topics in which students are not interested. Similarly, conversation books may frustrate students by asking them to discuss issues about which they are uninformed. Frequently, too, the exercises in conversation texts are so sketchily presented that the teacher lacks the time to do all the at-home preparation required to teach them successfully. To sidestep the first of these drawbacks, a major goal in Adventures in Conversation has been to design exercises that are interesting. Much of the material, therefore, tends to the personal, the immediate, or the intriguing. In one instance, for example, students are asked to tell about an heirloom that they have received or may one day receive. Elsewhere, they are given the task of compiling a "book" of useful phrases for travellers. On still another occasion, their task is to write and act out a TV commercial.
To further ensure that the text will be interesting, a great diversity of conversation exercises have been included, for it was felt that variety in this area would be more inspiring than a predictable slate of activities. A second objective of this text has been to provide students discussion topics that they know something about. Hence, in some instances, they are asked to share their values, tastes and preferences. In other cases, they may be asked to tell students from other cultures about their own. In summary, a great effort has been made to write a conversation text that will be stimulating, readily comprehensible to the students, and easy for the teacher to use. It is hoped that the latter will find Adventures a valuable aid in conducting that most challenging of all ESL courses to teach: the conversation class." (Preface, p. ix)