THE LITERACY LIST
English Language Acquisition (ELA/ESOL/ESL/ELL) Websites
English for Speakers of Other Languages, English as a Second Language
and English Language Learning
Resources with a can be used by students as well as teachers. Those with a link are instructional websites that have videos. Those with a $$ icon are proprietary (commercial).
There are two parts in this section of the Literacy List: 1) Online ESOL/ESL/ELL Curricula, and 2) Online Learning Resources. Online Learning Resources includes individual lessons, videos, listening and pronunciation exercises, online newspapers, tools such as dictionaries and grammar checkers, and other English language learning resources for learners and teachers.
Thanks to Hillary Gardner for suggesting some of the sites added in 2013. Her website is http://esolhelp.pbworks.com/w/page/54294320/FrontPage. Also thanks to Susan Finn Miller for identifying some pronunciation sites.
Online ESOL/ESL/ELL Curricula
Some of these are designed to be used online, some to be downloaded.
$$ Burlington English
Pumarosa
A free, bilingual, phonics-based,interactive (with voice) website, PUMAROSA is designed to teach English basics to adult Spanish-speaking students.
REEP (ESL) Curriculum for Adults
Arlington, Virginia Education and Employment Program (REEP) free "on-line adult ESL instructional system to assist educators in enabling adult students of English to navigate U.S. systems in the 21st century.... The system consists of 9 proficiency levels ranging from low beginning to advanced. While each level is designed for 120 to 180 hours of instruction, the needs assessment component provides the flexibility needed to customize curricula for more intensive or less intensive instruction."
USA Learns
A complete, free ESOL/ESL/ELL curriculum delivered online, for computer, smartphone and tablet.
Online Learning Resources
7ESL.com
Visual picture dictionary. Pictures and vocabulary. Easy-to-use search. Can be saved to your computer or printed.
bab.la Dictionary
The bab.la dictionary site offers 15 free online bilingual dictionaries: English-Arabic, English-Chinese, English-Dutch, English-French, English-German, English-Hindi, English-Italian, English-Japanese, English-Korean, English-Polish, English-Portuguese, English-Romanian, English-Russian, English-Swedish, and English-Turkish. One particularly interesting feature is that users can suggest new translations in an entry box on the web page. Presumably thee help to improve the dictionaries' translations
bab.la Phrases
The bab.la Phrase Dictionary includes thousands of translations of common phrases and expressions. It features four categories with hundreds of different phrases. Each phrase has a situation description to help the user know when to use a particular phrase.The four categories:
1. Application
Motivational Cover Letter | Resume / CV | Reference Letter more
2. Academic
Table of Contents | Opening | Main Body | Statistics | Graphs, Pictures and Diagrams | Closing |
3. Business
Letter | E-Mail | Invoice | Order | Appointments | Reservations | Abbreviations more
4. Personal
Letter | E-Mail | Announcements and Invitations | Best Wishes | SMS and Web more
The phrase dictionary includes thousands of common phrases divided into four main categories: Academic Writing, Business Communication, Applications and Resumes, and Personal Correspondence. Within each category widely used phrases are grouped together according to the situation in which a phrase is used. The situation description helps the user judge in which context to use the phrase.
bab.la Vocabulary Lessons
Hundreds of free English vocabulary lessons.
BBC Learning English
Bits, English Language Learning:Listen & Read
British Council Learn English
Breaking News English
Susan Finn Miller, Moderator of the LINCS Adult English Language Learners Community of Practice, on November 23, 2016 wrote: “At Breaking News English you can find a wide range of newsy nonfiction topics -- for example, on health, technology, world news, lifestyle, environment, people/gossip-- for reading and listening. The articles are available at various levels of English -- although I would say that low intermediate is about the lowest available level. What's great about this website is that there are numerous practice activities related to each news story as well as quizzes that learners can complete online. The activities include ‘dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more.’ “
California Distance Learning Project
The goal of the California Distance Learning Project (CDLP) is to expand learner access to adult basic education (including ESOL/ESL/ELL) services. It includes: News Stories (some recent, some not); these topics: Working; Law and government; Family; School; Health and Safety; Housing; Money; Science and technology; Services; Going places; and Nature. Learners can get information about a wide range of topics on audio, and sometimes on video, as they read along. After they listen to or read each story they can do reading comprehension and vocabulary exercises.
Center for Adult English Language Acquisition (CAELA, formerly NCLE)
Located on the Center for Applied Linguistics Web site, this features FAQS on Adult ESL, ESL Program standards information, issues of CAELA Currents, a brief on ESL Reading Instruction, and other info about CAELA publications and services.
Charles Kelly Pronunciation Minimal Pairs
Colorful Clothesline
Dave's ESL Cafe
Current news, geography, grammar, history, idioms, slang and words, people, reading comprehension, science, world culture, writing
The ESL Quiz Center
ESL Slang Page
A search-able list of American slang words and phrases with short definitions
$$ Easy English Times
A newspaper for English language learners. Subscription fee ($10/student/year as of 2012)
$$ Easy World of English
EL Civics for ESL Students
A major role of public education is to ensure that students understand the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen. Educators prepare students for democracy by teaching them to respect the rights of others, vote in elections, obey the rule of law, actively support public causes, and participate intelligently in public debates and discussions. Although these civics lessons are designed for K-12 and ESL students, they provide a quick and easy review for everyone, including college students. Each civics lesson includes support material such as photos, downloadable worksheets, crossword puzzles, stories, reading exercises, PowerPoint presentations, or videos. Both students and teachers will find these government and history lessons clear, concise, easy to use, and free of rhetoric.
English as a Second Language
A starting point to learn English by using websites, this site also includes teacher websites. The author, an experienced ESOL website designer, lists many good sites here.
English Club
English Listening Lesson Library Online (ELLO)
Video and audio library, quizzes, and vocabulary
Equipped for the Future (EFF)Teaching/Learning Toolkit
A resource for teachers who want to build curriculum around students' goals and life contexts. While the Toolkit is based on the Equipped for the Future Teaching/Learning Cycle and the EFF Standards, the Examples and Tools in the Toolkit are a resource for any teacher who wants to contextualize instruction. Examples are complete descriptions of particular lessons and are organized by content and by instructional setting. The Tools used in the Examples are linked and often include worksheets that can be downloaded.
Englishpage.com
Advanced English grammar lessons
Englishinvancouver.com
short stories , cloze exercise, dictation, listening, variety of topics, review exercises. Can be used to increase students’ vocabulary and conversation practice.
Engvid.com
Grammar topics.. Students select their English level, sort by topics, watch an English teacher explain a topic, can pause to take notes, watch as many times as needed.
ESL Buzz
Grammar
- http://eslbuzz.com
ESL Fast
Listen to books and conversations. Reading comprehension, cloze exercises. Grammar guides. games.
ESL Lesson Plans and Resources
A straightforward, comprehensive list of lesson plans and one of the best hypertext lists of practical, teacher-oriented ESL/ESOL/ELL resources I have seen.
ESL Loop
This is a collection of sites related to English language teaching and learning. It includes the California E-Mail Project Homepage, TESL Ontario, and Computers and English Language and Literacy Education, among others
ESL Pod
English language learning podcasts (audio files)
ESL Pro
Free, 2017 LINCS professional development materials for adult ELA/ESL/ESOL teachers. Three kinds of professional development and lesson planning resources for teachers, administrators, professional development specialists, policy makers or researchers: 1) Issue Briefs, 2) Professional Development Modules, and 3) a highly interactive digital magazine called Companion Learning Resources.
ESL Quizzes, Lesson Plans, Activities and More
ESL Resource Center
Free ESL/ESOL/ELL lessons in: reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, listening, spelling and idioms a "Discovery Trail" game for learning facts and background information.
ESLVideo.com
Free ESL video quizzes made by teachers. Students watch a short video and answer questions about it.
ESL Voices
An English As A Second Language (ESL) international website created for teachers students, and everyone interested in the English language. Includes information from a large number of sources such as the New York Times, Washington Post, BBC and Tech Crunch. Areas covered are education, environment, technology, science, literature, politics, art, business and history.
For students ESL-Voices provides a help center where they can receive advice for challenging questions in grammar such as the active/passive voices, irregular verbs, and other common language problems. In addition there are student forums where students can meet and talk about topics of common interest. There is a library containing classic reading selections from the Gutenburg Project, and reviews of contemporary novels. Interactive word games and puzzles for practice in language skills.
Eva Easton Authentic American Pronunciation
Fluentland.com
Grammar, Listening, reading, typing
Focus English
43 Fantastic ESL Resources for Students
Carefully selected web sites for adult and teenage students who want to learn English online. Some websites are free, some proprietary.
Glossary of Second and Primary Language Acquisition Terms
This is a very useful list of terms and definitions used by ESOL/ESL/ELL teachers, teacher trainers and researchers.
Grammar Check
A free grammar check website. You enter a text you want to check for spelling or punctuation mistakes. The text items that may need revision are then underlined. When you select an underlined text you get possible wording alternatives, suggestions and explanations.
Harnessing Technology
The web page includes common problems faced by ABE and ELL teachers in the classroom, and solutions to these problems that use technology.
Kahoot
Free. Teachers can search by topic, edit the Kahoots they like, and save them. They can then start a game with students, who visit kahoot.it, and answer the questions from a computer or cell phone. This can be used to build learning assessments.
Language Testing Resources Website
A great list of ESOL assessment sites
Learning Resources
Learning Resources offers web-based instruction using current and past CNN San Francisco bureau news stories. Western/Pacific LINCS, Literacyworks, and CNN's San Francisco bureau partnered to develop an online literacy site that benefits all learners and instructors. Learning Resources' intended audience is adult learners, tutors and teachers, but learners of all ages are encouraged to use this material to promote better literacy. Modules include the full text of each story and interactive activities to test comprehension. The learner can choose to read the text, listen to the text, and view a short video clip of the story. Modules are designed so the learner can use them independently. An instructor can also incorporate a story into class activities and lesson plans. A multimedia format helps with clues, so a reader can get meaning from the text. One can read a story in full, in an abridged version, or in outline form. Students can listen to the story read aloud or watch it as a video. Afterward, they complete a series of exercises testing vocabulary and reading comprehension, and then they write their own ending. The learning experience involves many different components to assist a new reader.
Learn English through Song
Watch YouTube videos that have songs and slides with the song lyrics
Learn English Feel Good
Free English grammar and vocabulary exercises for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.
Learners TV
Lyricstraining
Students can listen to a song or word and Lyricstraining will type missing words (cloze exercise style) When the word is not correct, what one types will not appear on the screen.
ManyThings
Merriam Webster.com
Students can listen to a word and verify its correct spelling and pronunciation
Multi-Cultural Education Services Online Activities
Online ESL/ESOL learning materials developed by Charles LaRue, including The Language of Math, Adult Phonics Stories, Listening to Prepositions, Environmental ESL Exercises, and Health Literacy Activities
Multimedia English Classroom
This is for low intermediate to advanced learners. It has some U.K. and some U.S. material. Some of the videos are hilarious.
National Immigration Forum
Current information about issues of concern to teachers of immigrants, including citizenship.
Newsela
Current events readings
News in Levels.com
Current events readings
Northeast Literacy Tech
New England Literacy Resource Center's Using the Internet in Instruction
- Colorful Clothesline
A lesson created to introduce level 1 ESOL/ELL students to clothing, colors, and color patterns. Students can test their knowledge of colors and clothing. Select a category below to practice vocabulary. Then take a quiz to test what was learned.
Pronuncian
Rachel's English (American Pronunciation)
Radio Diaries
Diaries, portraits and histories. Great for listening skills
Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab
Reading Skills for Today’s Adults
From Marshall Adult Education in Minnesota. Leveled reading selections that correspond to CASAS 200 - 235. Topics such as: Civics, Employment, Housing, Health, School, Money, and Government.
Real English ONLINE
Real English Online requires registration but then offers a free subscription with authentic video interviews with ordinary English speakers, and interactive ESOL/ESL lessons for beginner, pre-intermediate, intermediate, upper-intermediate and advanced ESOL/ESL learners. Each video interview includes related short audio or video segments used in practice exercises.
An alternative Real English, that does not require registration, and includes over twenty video segments will be found at:
REEP World
The website of the Arlington Virginia Education and Employment Program.
REEP (ESL) Curriculum for Adults
Arlington, Virginia Education and Employment Program (REEP) "on-line adult ESL instructional system to assist educators in enabling adult students of English to navigate U.S. systems in the 21st century.... The system consists of 9 proficiency levels ranging from low beginning to advanced. While each level is designed for 120 to 180 hours of instruction, the needs assessment component provides the flexibility needed to customize curricula for more intensive or less intensive instruction."
Remind.com (an app)
A good way not only to remind students, for example of an upcoming quiz, but to assign homework, send them to a website or video, and to stay in touch with them.. Teachers can send students assignments and messages. Can be used with beginner, intermediate and advanced students. Teachers can upload photos, files. Teachers can create a free account as a teacher, then create your classroom list, add students’ names, emails or cell numbers. Students will then receive a text invitation to join class. Teachers can then contact students in groups or individually
Sounds of English
Offers pronunciation instruction. It explains how each sound is made and offers audio and video examples with exercises.
Spoken Skills
Story by Story Phonics Lessons
StoryCorps
Great for practicing listening skills, good stories and interviews.
Study Zone
University of Victoria, British Columbia's English Language Centre online lessons
Talking Feather
This is an English As A Second (or other) Language (ESOL/ESL) site with information about the American Indians (also referred to as the Original People, and Native Americans ) living in the North America, especially tribes that are located in the United States. "This site is intended for ESL teachers, students from other countries, and those people who wish to develop an understanding about the original settlers in North America. It is an educational site that includes complete lesson plans for 11 of the major tribes, and a blog that provides posts from news articles on current issues concerning American Indians. The issues cover the areas of education, politics, literature, business, music and art."
The Internet Picture Dictionary
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Voice of America Learning English
We Are New York
WE ARE NEW YORK is an excellent, free online adult ESOL/ESL video series that is streamable and downloadable; available as a TV broadcast, at least in New York City; and in DVD format . It is also is available on YouTube. It is sponsored by the Mayor’s Office of Adult Education in New York City. From the website one can download full videos and also accompanying print materials: Important Words, Study Guide, and a Low Level Reader. Magazines and scripts can also be downloaded in English and in other languages: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.
There are nine episodes, with the following titles: Welcome Parents, Stay in School, Love and Money, New Life Caf�, Asthma, No Smoking,The Wedding, Domestic Violence, and The Hospital
English language learners can practice English using videos with subtitles.
- http://www.nyc.gov/html/weareny/html/home/home.shtml
- http://www.nyc.gov/html/weareny/html/episodes/episodes.shtml
- https://www.youtube.com/user/WeAreNY?feature=watch
Web Learning Projects (Formerly Email Project)
Includes current and completed on-line adult learning projects such as the annual Cookbook Project, the Internet Pizza Project, Home Remedies, an adult learners' annotated bibliography and others
Youtube.com
ESL conversations and song lyrics
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Updated 6.22.18 by djrosen[at]newsomeassociates.com
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