Now in a fourth edition, Contemporary Topics expands on its highly respected approach to developing academic listening and study skills. Organized around realistic college lectures, the text guides learners through carefully sequenced activities in skills such as note-taking, focusing attention, intensive listening, and vocabulary building. It also helps students evaluate their interests and explore possible career paths. New to This EditionNew subject areas, presented as one-on-one academic lectures, emphasize professional applications such as software engineering, multimedia design, information technology, urban planning, and social psychology. Learning Outcomes listed at the outset of each unit let students know the goals of each unit and what their learning experience will be. New audio interviews with topic experts provide context for the upcoming unit lecture. Bottom-up listening and pronunciation exercises emphasize important principles and improve real-time perception. An oral
