English as a Second Language

General Resources

Teaching Resources

Listening Interactive

Language & Culture

Metasites

Electronic Journals

General Resources

Aardvark’s English-Forum.com
http://www.english-forum.com/: This site is a compilation of a wide variety of ESL resources which include links to English schools, testing agencies, online dictionaries, tutorials, learning exercises, books, media, lesson plans, and discussion groups. A commercial group, the International Language Centres Group based in England, maintains this site, but there is plenty of useful information for U.S. teachers and students.
English as a 2nd Language
http://esl.about.com/: The About Web sites have a wealth of information but also have many commercial intrusions. If you can ignore the sponsored links much useful information is availableat this address. In the articles and resources sections browsers can find discussions on everything from “student correction” to lessons emphasizingsentence stress and intonation.
National Center for ESL Literacy Education
http://www.cal.org/ncle: This site has the distinction of being the only national information center focusing on literacy education for ESOL adults and out-of-school youth. The center publishes a newsletter twice a year that is e-mailed to individuals and organizations. The site offers articles on teaching adult ESL students and gives research about adult ESL. This Web site also includes a short review of books and papers, frequently asked questions about adult literacy, a research agenda for adult ESL, and resource compilations. In addition, there is a discussion group that fosters discussion of ESL, literacy, and policy issues.

Teaching Resources

The EFL Playhouse
http://members.tripod.com/~ESL4Kids/: EFL Playhouse is a small and easy to navigate Web site with practical suggestions for the ESOL teacher. The scope of the language activities include chants, fingerplays, games, songs, tongue twisters, and even recipes for arts and craft supplies. Additionally there is also a section on phonemic awareness and a discussion board.
Englishclub.com
http://www.englishclub.com/: This large site includes 24 different sections with links especially dedicated to learners and teachers of English as a Second Language. At this site you will find activities, games, exams, homework assignments, lesson plans and handouts for teachers to use in the classroom. Available through this site are links to pronunciation guides, grammar rules, jokes, and vocabulary activities for reference, business, and leisure use. Self-paced, interactive learning tools, a forum, and a free newsletter are also included.
ESL Flow
http://www.eslflow.com/: ESL flow is a valuable, easy to use Web site that offers teaching ideas, lesson plans, and activities appropriate at the elementary, pre-intermediate, and intermediate levels to improve ESL speaking, listening, grammar, vocabulary, reading, and writing classes. This site contains a resource section for additional ideas, creative works, and links to articles on pedagogy, guides, grammars, and other popular sites such as sample tests for the Cambridge Certificate. Pages are divided according to content theme, language skill, and level of difficulty. Excellent Resource! (May require a high-resolution screen and/or adjustment of fonts. Macintosh users note that pages cannot be printed from a Mac.)
Pizzaz! A Resource for Scribblers and Teachers of English as a Second Language
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~leslieob/pizzaz.html: Created by an ESL instructor, this site offers creative writing activities and oral storytelling activities with printable handouts to assist ESL learners in strengthening their English skills. This site provides the K-12 ESL teacher with ready-made lesson plans and activities in the areas of poetry and fiction. Other noteworthy highlights include a section on publishing opportunities to enhance students' motivation and a "Bag of All Tricks" section, which contains several "ice-breakers" or introduction activities. The site also offers teacher resource links.
Rong-Chang's ESL Menu
http://rong-chang.com/eslmenu.htm: This Web site is a good starting point for the ESL teacher. Be warned there aremany commercial links and focus on the topics listed in the left frame. There are sections for listening, reading, writing, games, business English, kids English, idioms and more. Teacher will also find useful links for grammar, vocabulary and quizzes.
TEFL.Net
http://www.tefl.net/: This Web site is designed to provide resources for TEFL/TESL professionals. Users can find sections dedicated to lesson tips and activities, worksheets, tutorials, book reviews, a Web Guide and articles of their electronic magazine “Inspire! Ezine.” Learn about TEFL/TESL qualifications and additional travel information; participate in forums with electronic posting boards to discuss teaching issues and to post resumes; and see job advertisements from all over the world.
TESOL Online
http://www.tesol.org: TESOL provides information and links to form a network of teachers and specialists who can exchange ideas and support each other. TESOL is also sensitive to legal issues and their impact on education. The site offers a section with placement and career services in the fields of ESL and EFL, both nationally and internationally. In addition, it offers a series of columns, articles, and submissions by TESOL members. Another feature available online is “Standards & Initiatives” in which the user can locate documents such as ESL Standards for students in Pre-K through grade 12. A search engine within the Web site and an electronic discussion list are also provided.

Listening Interactive

BBC World Service - Learning English
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/index.shtml: Provided by the British Broadcasting Corporation, this Web site focuses on learning English in general, not specifically for ESL learners. The site does offer an opportunity for learners to practice vocabulary and hear English language being spoken by people with and without a foreign accent. Learn English through topics like music, news, sports, and work. BBC is currently in the process of developing new Web pages for teachers of English and also provides a message board for teachers to exchange ideas.
The English Listening Lounge
http://www.Englishlistening.com/: This informative site allows learners of English to experience spoken English on an everyday level by listening to ordinary people talk about their lives. It is available at three levels: new, regular, or advanced listeners. The user may choose to enhance learning potential by adding options of transcripts, questions, or user guides when listening to the audio segments. Users will need to have access to Real Audio. If desired, users can pay for membership to access more listening passages.
ESL Independent Study Lab
http://www.lclark.edu/~krauss/toppicks/toppicks.html: Designed for ESL students to practice their skills, this site offers links to online listening sites where users can hear the pronunciations of words. Several links on the site allow practice with vocabulary, grammar, writing and reading. There are links to research studies in integrating technology with ESL, a checklist provided for the study lab, TOEFL practice tests, and games and activities that offer ESL learners fun while learning.
Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab
http://www.esl-lab.com/: This excellent Web site offers English learners the opportunity to hear and read along with spoken English. The audio selections are grouped by length into the following categories: short listening exercises, general listening quizzes, listening quizzes for academic purposes, and long conversations with quizzes. Each passage is given a difficulty rating, which allows the user to build upon his or her listening and comprehension skills. Links to other listening sites are also available, as well as links to audio basics, audio/visual software and sound file collections.

Language & Culture

Interesting Things for ESL Students
http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~itesls/: This study site offers students of English as a Second Language an opportunity to practice their newly acquired knowledge with word games, word puzzles, anagrams, quizzes, slang expressions, proverbs, vocabulary and grammar study, and a random-sentence generator. There are also links to dictionaries, listening sites and other ESL sites. Users can also visit more links that contain activities and sample pages from Many Things, a textbook for Japanese students studying English.
Word Focus
http://www.wordfocus.com: Enhancing one's English vocabulary is an aim of this Web site. It focuses on the Latin and Greek elements in the English language and explains the origin of some words and phrases by linking them to their Greek and Latin roots. Also included are quizzes on word choices and links to sites that provide a variety of word experiences. The site contains poems and stories with language-related activities that would be useful for middle and secondary school students. An emailed newsletter, which contains word etymology, word stories, and quotations, can be sent to users. Users may choose to pay a fee to become members of the Cross-Reference club.

Metasites

Dave's ESL Café
http://www.eslcafe.com/: This Web site is extensive, offering activities and materials for just about everything related to ESL/EFL teaching. It offers discussion groups, email connections, and message exchanges which are open to interested students or teachers. A section on games and ideas to use in the classroom goes well with the Quiz Center. Here students can play trivia as a group or by themselves. This Web site's most notable features are the Hint-of-the-Day, the Slang page, the Idiom page, the Phrasal Verb page, the Quote page, and the Pronunciation page. The Job Center section that posts worldwide positions is especially useful for teachers.
The LINGUIST List
http://linguistlist.org/sp/LangLearnESL.html: Eastern Michigan University and Wayne State University have compiled an impressive listing of resources for both students and teachers of English as a Second Language. Updated regularly, this site provides reliable, annotated links that include ESL program Web sites, language and educational resources for students and teachers, TESOL programs, and professional organizations. Users can also find an electronic notice board and discussion group, employment opportunities, publications, computer resources, and links to sites selling software.
National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs
http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/: The Department of Education supports the National Clearinghouse in assisting and improving the education of linguistically and culturally diverse (LCD) students in the U.S. Another goal of the National Clearinghouse is to disseminate information and research that contains helpful features such as a FAQ section, educational policies and regulations, legislation, technical assistance, databases, success stories, and an online library containing hundreds of articles and publications. In addition, users can find links to other Web sites regarding job searches, funding opportunities, language, lesson plans, school projects, games, and an email discussion group.
Ohio ESL
http://www.ohiou.edu/esl/index.html: Ohio University presents a well-organized Web site of resources for educators and students of ESL. In “Teacher Resources,” educators can find links to bilingual sites, resource directories, and sites about technology, employment, testing and assessment, publications, organizations, research and lesson plans. In “English Student Resources,” ESL students can find information and activities that will strengthen their skills in grammar, vocabulary, writing, reading, listening, and speaking. ESL students can enjoy the “Topics” section that gives detailed information about US society, culture, history, and current events. ESL students can also find links to helpful sites in the “Student Life” pages that give more cultural or practical information needed in the US, such as student visa information, tipping in restaurants, cars, health, money and much more.
Western/Pacific Lincs: English as a Second Language
http://literacynet.org/esl/: This Web site has been designated for instructors, literacy practitioners, program administrators, and researchers.The site is deep in its coverage with links to all manner of sites to promote literacy. Included are sites to international newspapers, sites to teaching reading through signs, and a virtual picture gallery. Also included in the Research Section are resources that support evidence-based education.

Electronic Journals

Internet TESL Journal (monthly journal for ESL teachers)
http://iteslj.org/: This site includes a listing of over 8,200 sites of ESL/EFL/ESOL/TESL/TEFL/TESOL links. It also provides ESOL teachers and their students over 1000 activities that include vocabulary, grammar and bilingual quizzes. In addition, users can find ideas for projects, daily lesson plans, classroom handouts, Web based textbooks, games, and puzzles. This Web page also provides teachers with articles and research papers on teaching techniques.
Language Learning and Technology
http://llt.msu.edu: As a journal for second and foreign language educators in the U.S. and other nations, this site addresses various issues on technology, learning, and teacher education through articles based on research from various universities. Reviews of books and software are also featured. This publication focuses on how technology, specifically computer-assisted programs, can affect the manner in which second and foreign language learning is taught. The journal is updated in January, May, and September.

Jeannie Kamerman, Director, Curriculum Library
University of West Florida Library
Date Last Updated: April 2007