Contemporary Topics 1: Academic Listening and Note-taking Skills

Who are some of the key figures in the history of abstract art? Can video games be good for children? What are some ethical approaches to decision-making?

You’ll find the answers to these and other questions in Contemporary Topics 1 , which features college lectures from several academic disciplines, including art history, media studies, and psychology. Contemporary Topics 1 prepares students for the challenge of college lectures with practice in a wide range of listening, speaking and note-taking skills and strategies. The lectures (available on CD and DVD) were filmed in realistic academic setting before live student audiences.

DVD Features

• Realistic college lectures from a range of academic disciplines (also on audio CDs)
• Student discussions of the lectures (also on audio CDs)
• Instructors’ Presentation Points
• Coaching Tips that guide students as they take notes
• Subtitles for lectures and student discussions

Course Features

• Corpus-based vocabulary drawn from the Academic Word List
• Practical listening and note-taking strategies
• Note-review practice that allows students to analyze their note-taking skills and consolidate their understanding of the lecture
• Academic research and speaking tasks: presentation, discussions, and role plays
• A Teacher’s Pack for busy instructors with:
  • Suggested bonus activities
  • Teaching notes
  • Answer keys
  • Audioscripts
  • Simulated TOEFLR Listening Test for each unit

See also:

Contemporary Topics Introductory (High Beginner)

Contemporary Topics 2 (High Intermediate)

Contemporary Topics 3 (Advanced)