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Learning Strategies

For the Teacher

The following learning strategies activities are intended to help students become effective
learners of English. These strategies may be used as a way to prepare students for the
corresponding activities in the Student’s Book. However, since they are intended to teach
students to become effective learners, they may also be applied to other Student’s Book
activities.
 
The strategies included in Top Notch Fundamentals are:
• Vocabulary building
- associating new and old words
- auditory representation
- categorizing
- personalization
- using words in real-life contexts
 
• Reading
- inference
- noting details
- predicting
- recalling main ideas
- scanning
- summarizing information
- taking notes
- using context to understand meaning
- using prior knowledge
 
• Listening
- focusing attention
- predicting
- preparing to listen
 
• Conversation
- active participation
- clarifying information
- declining and giving excuses
- grouping numbers
- showing sympathy
 
• Grammar
- contextualizing new language
 
The following are the suggested points in the units when students can do each activity:
 
UNIT 1
Auditory representation
- After Exercise 1, Vocabulary, on page 6

Top Notch Fundamentals, Third Edition For the Teacher

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UNIT 2
Personalization
- After Exercise 1, Vocabulary, on page 12
 
Clarifying information
- After Exercise 2, Rhythm and Intonation, on page 15
 
Grouping numbers
- After Exercise 2, Rhythm and Intonation, on page 17
 
 
 
UNIT 3
Personalization
- After Exercise 1, Vocabulary, on page 20
 
Scanning
- Before Exercise 1, Reading, on page 26
 
 
 
UNIT 4
Focusing attention
- Before Exercise 4, Listening Comprehension, on page 30
 
Recalling main ideas
- Before Exercise 1, Reading, on page 34
 
 
 
UNIT 5
Focusing attention
- Before Exercise 2, Listening Comprehension, on page 38
 
Personalization
- After Exercise 5, Pair Work, on page 40
 
Contextualizing new language
- After Exercise 7, Grammar Practice, on page 41
 
Scanning
- Before Exercise 1, Reading, on page 42
 
 
 
UNIT 6
Using words in real-life contexts
- After Exercise 2, Pair Work, on page 46
 
Inference
- Before Exercise 1, Reading, on page 50
 
 
 

Top Notch Fundamentals, Third Edition For the Teacher

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UNIT 7
Auditory representation
- After Exercise 1, Vocabulary, on page 52
 
Personalization
- After Exercise 1, Vocabulary, on page 56

Taking notes
- Before Exercise 1, Reading, on page 58
 
 
 
UNIT 8
Using words in real-life contexts
- After Exercise 1, Vocabulary, on page 64
 
Preparing to listen
- Before Exercise 6, Listening Comprehension, on page 67
 
Active participation
- Before Exercise 3, Conversation Activator, on page 67
 
Associating new and old words
- After Exercise 1, Vocabulary, on page 68
 
Taking notes
- After Exercise 2, Reading Comprehension, on page 70
 
 
 
UNIT 9
Using words in real-life contexts
- After Exercise 1, Vocabulary, on page 72
 
Noting details
- After Exercise 1, Reading, on page 78
 
 
 
UNIT 10
Categorizing
- After Exercise 6, Vocabulary, on page 83
 
Using context to understand meaning
- Before Exercise 1, Reading, on page 86
 
 
 

Top Notch Fundamentals, Third Edition For the Teacher

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UNIT 11
Preparing to listen
- Before Exercise 6, Listening Comprehension, on page 89
 
Active participation
- After Exercise 2, Rhythm and Intonation, on page 93
 
Taking notes
- Before Exercise 1, Reading, on page 94
 
 
 
UNIT 12
Predicting
- Before Exercise 3, Listening Comprehension, on page 96
 
Auditory representation
- After Exercise 1, Vocabulary, on page 100
 
Showing sympathy
- After Exercise 2, Rhythm and Intonation, on page 101
 
Predicting
- Before Exercise 1, Reading, on page 102
 
 
 
UNIT 13
Declining and giving excuses
- After Exercise 2, Rhythm and Intonation, on page 107
 
Using prior knowledge
- Before Exercise 1, Reading, on page 110
 
 
 
UNIT 14
Focusing attention
- Before Exercise 4, Listening Comprehension, on page 112
 
Summarizing information
- After Exercise 2, Reading Comprehension, on page 118

Within the Teacher’s Edition and Lesson Planner, the icon along with the note “Learning
Strategies” indicates the suggested point of use for the activities.

Top Notch Fundamentals, Third Edition For the Teacher