The following is a combination of excellent websites compiled by ITS staff to help students, teachers and the community with their English and English as a second language (ESL) training and courses.
Voice of America: Special English
NPR online hourly news and daily shows (Morning edition, All Things Considered, etc. from US National Public Radio; many of their programs keep an archive of past shows
CNN Video US and international news services
Family Health two-minute audio files on a variety of health questions, from Ohio University's Dr. Harold C. Thompson III (audio)
Great speeches historical speeches and transcripts
English Club : ESL Webguide : Listening
How to improve English listening
Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab four levels of listening materials with and pre- and post-listening questions
ComAudio on line listening with activities
ESL Radio (Australia)
Arlyn Freed's ESL/EFL Listening Resources links and comments
ESL Independent Study Lab: Listening organized by difficulty
English Listening Lounge several good-quality sample activities from a commercial site
English Listening Room fill in the blanks
EnglishStudy.com: Listening & Speaking links and comments
about.com Listening Skills for Beginning Level English Learners
Language Institute Listening Quizzes dictation; click on 'Short Listening Quizzes'
Directories of podcasts
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Online Books: The Online Books Page, The Gutenberg Project
Projects by ESL Students student writing
SQ3R (Survey/Question/Read/Recite/Review) a method for improved reading comprehension
Speed Reading Self-Pacing Methods Five simple methods for reading speed improvement
How-to-study provides a strategy for reading effectively
English-Zone: Reading organized by level
ESL Independent Study Lab: Reading 1 a links collection (similar to this page) organized by level (level 100, level 200); it's well annotated and includes some user reviews
ESL Independent Study Lab: Reading 2 a links collection (similar to this page) organized by level (level 300, level 400); it's well annotated and includes some user reviews
English Exercises Online reading and vocabulary activities
TOEFL Reading Comprehension example texts and questions
Beginners
ISALC Student Compositions:
Intermediate
On-Line Lessons - Reading Skills mini-cloze; sentence speed reading; links to texts
Self-study Reading Comprehension collected by Internet TESL Journal
Seeing color short academic text with comprehension quiz
Advanced
CNN San Francisco: Learning Resources reading activities based on current news stories; includes audio, story outline, summary, and text as well as reading comprehension and vocabulary activities.
Reading Comprehension from South China Morning Post two modes -- practice and test
Who's Who and What's What daily comprehension questions linked to New York Times feature stories
Self-study Reading Comprehension collected by Internet TESL Journal
How can I improve my English conversation skills?
Tips for Getting People to Slow Down!
Example Job Interview Questions and Answers
Skype English Learning Group a community of Skype VOIP users
ESL Conversation Questions a collection of questions to talk about in the conversation classroom, sorted by topic: animals, crime, entertainment, etc; there's another list at eslpartyland.com
ESL Speaking activities another good collection
Business Presentations & Public Speaking in English
Conversation Questions for the ESL/EFL classroom from the Internet TESOL Journal
Ten Tips For Successful Public Speaking ten simple but important rules
Douglass Archive of American public speaking
Presentations and Public Speaking notes for non-natives on preparation, equipment, delivery, and language use; includes a self-test.
Links collections
American English Pronunciation: Links
ESL: Pronunciation @ Internet TESL Journal
Other
fonetiks.org different kinds of English (British, Canadian, Irish, etc) and other languages)
Minimal Pair Practice requires free 'Flash' plug-in
English Pronunciation and links to other pronunciation sites
American English Pronunciation
The Internet TESL Journal: Pronunciation a directory of exercises
English Pronunciation Test an amusing poem illustrating problems of English writing and pronunciation (e.g., 'just compare heart, beard and heard')
Praat Mac/Windows/Linux/etc FREE! Phonetics by computer; here's a guide for language students
Pronunciation Power Mac/Windows -- sounds
Protea Textware Windows -- Especially 'Connected Speech,' which focuses on suprasegmental speech
BetterAccent Windows -- Speech Analysis Suprasegmental Pronunciation Coach
Rosetta Stone Mac/Windows -- combines listening & speaking with grammar study
FAQ of English Grammar FAQ = 'Frequently Asked Questions' from the Usenet newsgroup 'alt.usage.english'
Grammar and Style Guides for Writers
The American Heritage® Book of English Usage
Guides to Grammar
Guide to Grammar & Writing interactive activities; digital handouts on grammar and English usage, notes for grammatical rules & explanations, comments on style, and usage suggestions.
The University of Wisconsin Writer's Handbook a variety of writing instructional materials
Dr. Grammar - Frequently Asked Questions
Internet Grammar of English click HERE for instructions
On-Line English Grammar including notes on form and usage
Concordance
Lextutor a favorite; see Lextutor tools
Sentences from VOA's Special English for lower levels
Guide to Grammar & Writing: Quizzes this collection of self-correcting quizzes is part of a major collection of grammar reference materials
EnglishForums.com Grammar Forum ask questions about grammar
EL Easton: Grammar quizzes Test Your English, General Grammar Tests, Spelling, SAT, TOEFL, TOEIC, Adjectives, Articles, Conjunctions, Nouns, Prepositions, Pronouns, Verbs, Phrasal Verbs
EFLNet: Grammar Index of Exercises marked by level: Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced
ESL Independent Study Lab: Grammar links organized by level (level 100, level 200. level 300) - well annotated and includes some user reviews
Quia English Activities grammar activities and games listed by title. You can also create your own activities; self-correcting games and activities available.
Business English Grammar Present Forms; The Past Simple; Irregular Verbs; Present Perfect; Past Simple v Present Perfect; For or Since; Duration; The Future; Going to; Present forms for future; Will or going to?; Conditionals; Modals; The -ing form; Prepositions; Word order; Passive; Imperative; Question tags; Have something done; Non-defining clauses; A/The; Conjunctions; etc
Articles using and omitting the indefinite article 'a' / 'an'; using and omitting the definite article 'the' -- Monash University
Nouns plural forms, possessive forms, an exercise in recognizing nouns, Count versus non-count nouns, An exercise in categorizing count- and non-count nouns, Compound nouns (and adjectives)
Wikipedia: Compound nouns, adjectives, and verbs
Passive voice when/why to use passive; recognizing passives; active/passive contrast; forming passives -- Monash University
Subject/Verb agreement challenge: identify the head (main) noun
Verb Tenses present simple and present continuous; present perfect; past perfect -- Monash University
Guide to Grammar: interactive quizzes
Internet TESL Journal: Activities
Aardvark's Interactive Activities
Interesting Things for ESL Students
Internet TESOL Journal > ESL: Tests
TOEFL Information on the Internet
English-online - Test Prep...practice tests for KET; PET; FCE; CAE; CPE; TOEFL
Cambridge EFL Examinations...information on Cambridge tests
Flo-Joe commercial test service includes:
CAEL...Canadian Academic English Language Assessment
IIELTS...International English Language Testing Services, from the British Council, The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate(UCLES) and IDP Education Australia, IELTS Australia. Check British Council Tests in Your Countryfor information on availability
TOEIC...Test Of English for International
Communication, from Educational Testing Service
Preparing for
TSE
5000 SAT Preparation Words word list
Englishjet Free Tests test your level
Interactive English Language Exercises...practice tests for Grammar, Vocabulary and Idioms
Interactive Javascript Quizzes for ESL Students rated 'easy,' 'medium,' or 'difficult'
Test Taking Tips TOEFL test taking tips from Oakwood Publishing
Daily word study - Easy: SuperKids School Vocabulary 1, EnglishOnline
Daily word study - Advanced: Merriam-Webster Dictionary; Wordsmith.Org, SuperKids School Vocabulary 2, SuperKids School Vocabulary 3
Daily word study: Dictionary.com; Merriam-Webster
ESL: Vocabulary links
World-Wide Words usage and meaning notes on unusual words and 'turns of phrase' - fun
English Gateway: Online vocabulary lessons (with audio) for intermediate and advanced ESL learners. Exercises on idioms, phrasal verbs and collocations. Student/teacher blog and worksheets.
Study
ESL Cafe Idioms page (sorted alphabetically)
The origin of cliches Ever wonder where expressions like 'acid test' or 'baker's dozen' come from? Here's an extensive list, complete with a review quiz.
The Idiom Connection (study and quiz)
GoEnglish.com Idiom Dictionary searchable; scroll down for a list of words used in idioms
Activities
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, and Slang Quizzes
General
ESL Independent Study Lab - Vocabulary (sorted by level)
Vocabulary Quizzes (sorted by level...also, check their Easy Vocabulary Quizzes with Pictures; Scrambled Words; Idioms, Phrasal Verbs & Slang; Homonyms; Quizzes Using Images; Troublesome Words; V0A Special English Basic Vocabulary)
Interesting Things for ESL Students: Quizzes, Word Puzzles, Word Games, Sentence Quizzes and Puzzles, Grammar Fun, Pages with Sound, Vocabulary Study, etc. (from Charles I. Kelly and Lawrnece E. Kelly)
DMOZ: Word Games a directory of resources
About.com: vocabulary quizzes (unsorted)
English Exercises Online (sorted by level) all kinds of exercises, many for vocabulary
Synonyms & Antonyms (sorted by level)
Beginner
English Vocabulary Games with Pictures (games...match picture with word)
Internet Picture Dictionary (flash cards, word games)
EnglishCLUB: Quizzes > Elementary > Vocabulary
Funbrain: Words (Basic, Intermediate)
Intermediate
English Vocabulary Quizzes (mostly based on Voice of America's list of 'Special English')
Business English Hangman (see also their crosswords and quiz pages)
Better English: Vocabulary with a business orientation
EnglishCLUB.net Quizzes > Intermediate > Vocabulary
Funbrain: Words (BASIC, INTERMEDIATE)
Vocabulary University puzzles (INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED)
ADVANCED
EnglishCLUB.net Quizzes > Advanced > Vocabulary
Word Safari (the study of VERY advanced vocabulary through the use of a 'safari' exploring instances of use throughout the web)
A Year's Worth Of Words (365 words that appear regularly on the Scholastic Aptitude Tests and the Graduate Record exams (GREs); includes interactive quizzes)
Onelook Dictionary links to many dictionaries
Cambridge International Dictionaries good for learners - choose from 5 dictionaries
Merriam-Webster Dictionary & Thesaurus hear the word
Lextutor Online Concordancer shows the way a word or phrase is used from real-life examples; use it to see how a word or phrase is used. (see also HK Concordancer)
Internet TESOL Journal Links for Students & Teachers
BBC World service: Learning English
Librarian's Index: English language
How to Write an Essay: 10 Easy Steps
Garbl's Writing Process Links -- a good collection of links
Peer Reviews (University of Wisconsin)
Proofreading for Common Surface Errors: Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar(Indiana University)
Editing and Proofreading (St. Cloud State University)
Journal Writing Workshop concepts and exercises
Write about graphs, charts, and tables
Paragraphs - paragraph parts; kinds of paragraphs; tips from the Writing Den
Combining Sentences for Variety and Clarity
Transitions (University of North Carolina)
Transitions & Cohesion Exercise
ESL spelling tests: common words
Online spelling activities Internet TESL Journal
Three Ways to Organize Research
Some General Advice on Academic Essay-Writing
Developing a Research Question and Developing a Research Thesis -- with interactive exercises.
Thesis Statements -- common problems
Checklist for thesis - support
Writing the five-paragraph Essay tutorial
Strategies for Writing an Effective Introduction
Things NOT to do in an introductory paragraph
Conclusions tips: strategies and things to avoid
Strategies for Writing a Conclusion
Quoting and Paraphrasing - advanced but thorough treatment
Using Quotations: General Instructions and Suggestions - introduction for English language learners
Effective Quotations - basic information and examples
Academic Writing: Quoting and Paraphrasing Mechanics - topics include:
Using Paraphrases For English language learners; explains the benefits of free instead of literal paraphrasing
Unsuccessful and successful paraphrases 1, Successful & unsuccessful paraphrases 2
Writing Summaries a brief and clear explanation and a set of rules; U of Delaware
Summary Street Guidelines for writing summaries and ten interactive exercises
Distinguishing between Summary & Paraphrase
Writing Summaries & Paraphrases
Summarizing and note-taking Advanced
Ten Rules for good writing - see also:
The Elements of Style William Strunk's classic guide to usage
The King's English H. W. Fowler's classic guide to usage
Planning and Writing a Research Paper with emphasis on gathering and citing information; from University of Wisconsin
Documenting Electronic Sources MLA and APA
The Research Paper: Writing and Citing Ithaca College
University Application Letters
Writing a college application essay
internationalstudent.com: application essays
Other kinds of writing
Reaction and Response essays (agree or disagree)
Writing for specific disciplines: Biology , Philosophy, History
All levels
Understanding Writing Topics checklist for research paper writers
Regents' Essay Topics LiSt over 500 questions for composition from University of Georgia; good preparation for writing tests (all levels)
Writing Den Topics information on topics of interest to newcomers to North America, especially Canada, including History (e.g., the Klondike Gold Rush); Nature (e.g., Dangers of Pesticides); and Science (e.g., Recycling)
University Admission Essay topics typical topics for university applicants
e-cards electronic postcards
PIZZAZ (People Interested in Zippy and Zany Zcribbling) collection of activities 'dedicated to providing creative writing activities and copyable (yes, copyable!) handouts for use in the class room'
Beginners
Beginning Writing - Short Writing Assignments
Computer Assisted Sentence Production
Correct the mistakes editing exercises
Subjector! identify simple and compound subjects
Subject-verb agreement activities:s-v 1; s-v 2;
Pronoun reference activities: pron 1
Intermediate
Guide to Grammar and Writing (INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED) grammar information and practice materials for sentence-level and paragraph-level grammar.
Correct the mistakes editing exercise
Identifying Independent Clauses identify the structure of sentences
paragraphpunch.com guided writing exercise - paragraph level
essayPunch.com guided writing exercise - paragraph level
Fragments and Run-ons identify
Fragments and Run-ons repair
Sentence combining exercises -- combine to form sentences with only one main clause; increasing difficulty:
Advanced
Guide to Grammar and Writing (INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED) - note: check their Interactive Quiz Page grammar information and practice materials for sentence-level and paragraph-level grammar.
Summary Street guidelines for writing summaries and ten interactive exercises with technical reading texts to summarize and built-in feedback.
Writing Machine (INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED) information on the writing process and on styles of academic writing, together with examples, links, and student writing assignments.
Advanced Composition for Non-Native Speakers of English explanations, professional examples, and student examples of four genres: Giving Instructions; Cause/Effect; Comparison/Contrast; Persuasion
Write about graphs, charts, and tables
OWL Online Writing Lab from Purdue university, includes over 100 handouts on English writing skills (very useful website!)
RPI Writing Center handouts on writing style and technique
LEO: Literacy Education Online information on citations, style, and the writing process from the writing center at St. Cloud State University
Nesbitt-Johnston Writing Center handouts, including an interesting section on writing for particular disciplines, from Hamilton College
Online Resources for Writers good collection of links to many of the major online writing resources.
University of Wisconsin Writer's Handbook notes on grammar and style, academic form, peer reviewing, and a collection of links to other writing centers
OWL: Purdue University Online Writing Center
Writer's Complex Empire State College
Georgetown University Writing Center
Dartmouth Writing Center: Materials for Students
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