Useful Links to General English Learning Websites:
-
Reading A-Z Student Login
- Breaking News English in 7 Levels
- Dave’s ESL Cafe
- Dynamo Dictionary Vocabulary Games
- ABCYA Educational Games
- Free Rice Vocabulary Practice
- ESL Tower Exercises and Games
- ESL Games Plus
- Live Mocha (Teach yourself English)
- Brain Pop ESL Exercises and Games
- Starfall Phonics & Decoding ABCs
- British Council Learn English
- PBS Learning Media
- ESL CONNECT: HUGE LIST OF ENGLISH LEARNING WEBSITES HERE
Links to Resources / Reference Guides:
- Safe/Appropriate Search Engine for Classrooms
- Online Translator (several world languages)
- Online Dictionary
- OneLook Reverse Dictionary
- Online Thesaurus (includes both synonyms and antonyms)
- Newspaper Story Interactive
- Access to Newspapers Worldwide
- ESL Reference Guide for Spanish Speakers
- Spanish Verb Conjugations
- All Kinds of Great Quotations
- Online Book Resource: myON
Links to Topic-Specific English Learning Websites:
Prepositions:
- http://english-zone.com/preps/vp-a.html
- http://wps.ablongman.com/
- http://www.eslgold.com/grammar/verb_preposition_collocations.html
World Atlas:
Typing Practice:
Below are online activities to improve your typing skills and speed:
- http://www.customtyping.com/tutorials/kb/Correct_fingering.htm
- http://www.typingstudy.com/lesson/1/part/2
- http://keybr.com/
- http://www.typingweb.com/tutor/
Links to Bilingual Glossaries for Content Areas:
Link to “Turn it In.com:”
Learning Links by Subject Area:
Learning Links by ESL Component and Level of Difficulty:
Type of practice | Website name | Description | Difficulty level |
Dictionary | www.learnersdictionary.com | English-English dictionary for learners of English | Medium |
Dictionary | www.thefreedictionary.com | English-English dictionary for native/proficient speakers | Difficult |
Dictionary | www.wordreference.com | Bilingual dictionary with many different language combinations | Easy |
Dictionary | www.wordsmyth.net | English-English dictionary with options for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced definitions | Easy, Medium, and Difficult |
Dictionary | http://www.wordandphrase.info/frequencyList.asp | English- shows frequency lists, what types of writing the word is used for, and primary collocations. | Easy, Medium, and Difficult |
Dictionary | www.onelook.com | English- you type in the word at the top and choose any dictionary definition. Sound is available. | Easy, Medium, and Difficult |
Dictionary | www.vocabulary.com | You can quiz yourself or look up words. | Medium and Difficult |
Dictionary | www.dictionary.com | Self explanatory! | All |
Listening | www.ted.com | Videos, transcripts, subtitles, primary source material | Difficult |
Listening | www.npr.org | Audio files, transcripts, news and culture, primary source material | Difficult |
Listening | www.cnn.com/studentnews | Videos, subtitles, transcripts, audience: students from the US | Medium |
Listening | www.esl-lab.com | Listening quizzes with transcripts, vocabulary, and quiz answers | Easy, Medium, and Difficult |
Listening | www.learningenglish.voanews.com | Videos with subtitles, mini-lessons, practice exercises | Medium |
Listening | www.ello.org | Audio files with different accents | Medium |
Listening | www.esl-bits.net | Songs with singer bios and lyrics | Medium |
Reading | www.usatoday.com | US newspaper | Medium |
Reading | www.cnn.com | US news website | Medium |
Reading | www.thevisitorpanama.com | Bilingual newspaper about Panama | Medium |
Reading | www.npr.org | US news website | Difficult |
Reading | www.esl-bits.net | Large collection of books and stories, with audio component | Medium, Difficult |
Vocabulary | www.freerice.com | Vocabulary quiz game with levels 1-60 | Easy, Medium, and Difficult |
Vocabulary | www.corpus.byu.edu/coca | Advanced resource to look up collocations and see examples of how words are used in different contexts | Very difficult |
Grammar | www.englishclub.com | Grammar explanations, grammar quizzes | Easy, Medium, and Difficult |
Grammar | www.eslgold.com/grammar | Grammar explanations, grammar quizzes | Easy, Medium, and Difficult |
Grammar | http://a4esl.org/q/h/grammar.html | Grammar quizzes | Easy, Medium, and Difficult |
Grammar | www.learnenglishfeelgood.com | Grammar quizzes | Easy, Medium, and Difficult |
Grammar | English Grammar Basics | 30 lessons on the principles of grammar | Easy-Medium |
Everything! | www.5minuteenglish.com | Quizzes and exercises to practice reading, pronunciation, vocabulary, listening, and grammar | Easy, Medium, and Difficult |
Everything! | http://www.heidisongs.com/index.php | Using this classroom tested multi-sensory method, even preschool age and special needs children can easily learn to identify numbers, shapes, and spell sight words by listening to music and moving with the motions! | Easy |
Resources for Practicing English Alone or in Class:
READING COMPREHENSION:
News Reports:
- CNN: http://www.cnn.com/
- USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/
- Newsweek: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/
- BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk
- Newsweek International: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3037881/site/newsweek/
- Time Magazine: http://www.time.com/time/
LISTENING COMPREHENSION:
News Broadcasts:
- VOA America Radio: http://www.voanews.com/english/index.cfm – news reports are read at a slower speed with limited vocabulary.
- National Public Radio (USA): http://www.npr.org/
- BBC Radio: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/
- Story telling: http://www.storyteller.net/stories/audio
- Listening Lab: http://www.englishlistening.com/startListeningNow.do
Speeches:
- These are famous speeches, movie clips and radio broadcasts. Some are written out as well
- www.americanrhetoric.com
Music Lyrics:
- If students want to practice English by listening to American music, the lyrics can be VERY helpful.
- www.azlyrics.com
- www.lyricspedia.com
Dictation:
- Stories and excerpts: http://www.fonetiks.org/dictations/ or (alternate link) http://www.dictationsonline.com/
- Real-life situations (medium level): http://www.englishclub.com/listening/dictations-medium.htm
- Real-life situations (high level): http://www.englishclub.com/listening/dictations-long.htm
- News dictations: http://www.listen-and-write.com/audio
- Tongue Twisters in English: http://www.engvid.com/english-resource/50-tongue-twisters-improve-pronunciation/
- Purdue University: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl
- Chicago Style Manual http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html
GRAMMAR, VOCABULARY and TOEFL PRACTICE:
Grammar:
- http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_toefl1.htm – 33 questions, gives answers after you answer the question. Questions in structure format
- http://esl.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htmzi=1/XJ&sdn=esl&cdn=education&tm=5&gps=294_499_1276_621&f=11&su=p897.3.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.testmagic.com/Knowledge_Base/TOEFL/Structure/index.htm – in written expression format. Different levels. Pick the bottom 3.
- http://www.examenglish.com/TOEFL/toefl_structure_1.htm
Vocabulary/Reading/TOEFL:
- http://www.eduers.com/toeflibt/Sample-TOEFL-Reading-Questions.htm
- http://www.freerice.com/
- http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_toefl2.htm
- http://www.examenglish.com/TOEFL/toefl_vocabulary.htm
- http://freetoefl.net/ – do this one with a partner. Race to see who finishes first and has the best score.
BUSINESS ENGLISH:
- http://www.englishclub.com/business-english/index.htm
- http://www.business-english.com/
- http://www.better-english.com/grammar.htm
Helpful Sites for Planning Classes and Discussions in English Clubs:
DISCUSSION STARTERS AND IDEAS:
- www.esldiscussions.com
- Short interesting videos to discuss: www.ted.com
- American Stories (culture, listening and reading): www.storycorps.com
ENGLISH CLUBS:
- Excellent site for starting and maintaining a club: http://www.englishclub.com/index.htm
- Example of club site in Tajikistan: http://www.english.tj/main_en.html
COMPLETE LESSON PLANS:
- Lower Level with complete lesson plans: www.breakingnewsenglish.com
FORUMS AND DISCUSSIONS:
AMERICAN CORNER WEBSITES:
- Albania: http://tirana.usembassy.gov/ac.html
- Cyprus Greece: www.americanembassy.org.cy/americancorners/
- Russia: http://amcorners.ru/
- Hungary: http://www.americancorner.hu/htmls/americancorner.html
LIST OF MORE RESOURCES:
- List of EFL/ESL resource websites: http://www.csun.edu/~hcedu013/eslplans.html