ESL Site Awards 2008
EnglishClub routinely searches the ESL web and recommends special sites that we think are valuable for learners. The sites we choose are updated regularly and offer useful resources, lessons and activities to enhance your learning program in a variety of ways. Here are the winners from 2008.
If you have won an EnglishClub ESL Site Award, why not promote your achievement with one of these award logos?
December 2008
OWL at Purdue: Writing Lab
OWL, the world's first online writing lab, offers free writing resources
for intermediate ESL students, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling
exercises. This free site, developed at Purdue University, is extremely
well organized and easy to navigate. Don't limit yourself to the ESL
resources. The entire site is written in simple English. General
academic writing help such as How to Avoid Plagiarism and How to Develop an Outline will appeal to advanced
students, while Business English students and international job seekers
looking for work in the United States will find useful advice in the
Workplace Writing section. Online writing assistance is also available.
November 2008
Fun Easy English
 Fun Easy English is a site for ESL learners that offers a few activities
that you may not find on other language learning websites. Though anyone
can use the site, those who are studying in America or planning on
traveling to the States may find it more useful. For example, Fun Easy
English offers a section on road and traffic signs. Do you know what a
sign with a P and a line through it means? This site also offers some
simple explanations on American reductions, such as "dunno" and "wanna".
Learners who are interested in American slang will also find a good
alphabetized list. Another popular and unique activity is the Kids Alphabet
page where young learners can practice writing the alphabet.
October 2008
Podcasts in English
 If you want to improve your listening and vocabulary skills at home, Podcasts in English can help. This site has over 100 recorded videos at three different
levels. New video recordings are added regularly, with dialogues between native
speakers on real topics such as "Having a bad hair day". This quick-to-upload
site also offers a monthly newsletter called Pie plus which has a monthly
competition for free membership. The recordings are free to watch and listen
to. Paying members receive extra resources including
worksheets and transcripts.
September 2008
Dictations Online
 Dictations Online is a section of fonetiks.org that provides over 60 free
dictations for users. The audio pages load up instantly with a fast Internet
connection, while slower connections may take up to 20 seconds. The recording
quality is very good, though the voice is limited to one British English
speaker. Dictations are graded from elementary to advanced with a variety of
audio selections from popular literature excerpts. Learners will also find
dictations that test numbers, names, and schedules similar to those on a
standardized listening exam. Each dictation is played four times, allowing the
learner to gradually complete each exercise.
August 2008
Mingoville
 Mingoville is an interactive English course for kids that is now 100% free. Kids of all ages can create their own profile before taking part in ten fun-filled missions in Mingoville, a storybook world filled with pink flamingos. The colourful site, which features flash animation and a variety of multimedia, covers all aspects of language learning, including reading, writing, spelling, and pronunciation. The interactive dictionary is a great tool to help young learners become active readers. Students can learn and play with the flamingos at home or in a classroom setting.
July 2008
ESL Notes
 ESLnotes is a site for upper-level English students interested in studying vocabulary and grammar usage by watching popular English movies. Though the site does not contain updated titles from the last few years, there are over 70 movies to choose from, including crowd favourites, such as Forrest Gumpand Sleepless in Seattle. The English Language Learner Guides include character and plot summaries as well as extensive vocabulary and language usage notes. The notes are available to view and print in PDF, html or Word. To learn more about how movies make good teachers, visit ESL Notes and click on the Introduction for ESL learners.
June 2008
English Daily
 English Daily is a free website that offers new learning materials each day. The exercises, articles, and grammar lessons change each day, making it a good site to bookmark. At English Daily you will learn things you may not come across in the classroom, such as abbreviations, slang, and common word confusions. It is important to mix things up and have fun while you learn a new language. The games, jokes and proverbs at English Daily provide this balance. If you don't get (understand) something you read at English Daily, print it out for your teacher. Your whole class may soon be laughing along with you.
May 2008
ESL Bee
 Are you a high-intermediate or advanced learner of English? Do you need to improve your writing skills? ESLBee.com offers writing tips and lessons for non-native English speakers who are required to write academic essays. Site creator Erlyn Baack provides users with tips on writing various types of essays including cause-effect and compare-contrast, which are often required on standardized tests such as the TOEFL iBT. The grammar tips and quizzes are categorized in a simple format, and are designed to help you achieve top scores. After each session use the Send a Postcard feature to share your writing with an English pal or teacher.
April 2008
ESL Tower
 At ESL Tower you can study vocabulary and grammar at your own pace and in your own home. You can also get your results instantly! Find exactly what you need in a site search, or scroll through the grammar and vocabulary lists to find the areas you need to improve on. ESL Tower's pronunciation lessons can help you sound more like a native English speaker. As well as a self-study resource, ESL Tower is a great place for teachers to download worksheets and lessons to use in the classroom. Share this link with your favourite teacher and make her job easier today!
March 2008
English, baby!
 English, baby! offers a new, free English lesson every day. The topics on Ebaby! are different than those in traditional ESL textbooks. At English, baby! you will find over 2000 ESL lessons about modern topics such as popular American movies, books, music, and slang. Lessons are fun and useful in real life. They help you improve your vocabulary, listening, reading, and writing skills. You can also become an Ebaby member, and enjoy an English social life online in the Ebaby chat rooms. Visit the home page every morning and learn a new vocabulary expression to practice throughout your day.
February 2008
English-Avenue
 There are 7 fun stops on English Avenue! Each place features activities and exercises for young learners of English. Take a tour today and visit places such as the Phonics Cafe, The Library or the Project Depot. Under each roof you will find free sample activities, including coloring pages, games and stories. You can ask a parent or teacher to help you become a member. Members can do fun things while they learn, such as earning Kid Coins and receiving e-trophies!
January 2008
Interesting Things for ESL Students
 Learning a new language is a lot of work! Your brain needs a break from the seriousness of grammar lessons and exam preparation. Manythings.org offers free games and activities for ESL students of all skill levels. Play with the Crazy Sentence Singer or take a few typing tests and you will soon forget that you are practicing English at all. Sign on each day to learn a new slang expression or take a fun quiz. This site is a good reminder that learning happens when students are having fun.
If you have won an EnglishClub ESL Site Award, why not promote your achievement with one of these award logos? |
