HOI Topics is a three-level reading discussion series written for inquisitive, mature students of English language learners. Each chapter contains several high-interest readings on a specific controversial and thought-provoking topic.
Hot Topics 1
Hot topics are guaranteed to motivate readers, improve their thinking, and motivate conversation while developing vocab and English reading skills. The debate topics explored in the book all have more than one side to them, thus encouraging controversial and classroom discussion.
Each level of Hot Topics consists of 14 chapters. The readings in Hot Topus are crafted to present students with challenging reading material including some vocabulary that one might not expect to find in a low-level text.
The reason for this is twofold. First, it is almost impossible to deal with these “hot” topics in a meaningful way without more sophisticated vocabulary.
Second, and more importantly, it is ineffective to teach reading strategies using materials that provide no challenge. In the same way that one would not use a hammer to push in a thumbtack, readers do not need reading strategies when the meaning of a text is evident. Reading strategies are best learned when one has to employ them to aid comprehension.
Each chapter in the book is composed of two parts. Part I will contain two short readings on a topic. These readings are preceded by activities that help students make guesses about the genre, level, and content of the material, activating student schemata or bases of knowledge before reading the text. The readings are followed by extensive exercises that help students thoroughly analyze the content and the structure of the readings.
Part II consists of a single, more challenging reading. Although more difficult, the readings in Part II have direct topical and lexical connection to the readings in Part 1.
Research shows that the amount of background knowledge one has on a subject directly affects reading comprehension.
Therefore, these readings will move the students to an even higher reading level by building on the concepts, information, and vocabulary that they have acquired in Part 1.
Complete comprehension of th e text will not be expected, however. For some students this will prove a diffi cult task in itself However, learning to cope with a less than full understanding is an important reading strategy- probably on e of th e most useful ones that nonnative readers will learn.
PDF-24.1MB
Audio CD1-55MB
Audio CD2-43.4MB
Videos-61.4MB
