Learner Resources

Additional Providers of English as a Second Language (ESOL) Programs: 

This Resource Guide has been updated with information on programs for adult learners in Greater Boston:

ESOL Resource Directory

 

The following is a list of online resources to help you improve your English:

Dave's ESL Café
www.eslcafe.com

audience: learners

level: all levels

pros: grammar lessons on a wide range of topics with numerous examples, online grammar quizzes, list of slang words

cons: pages under the “Stuff For Teachers” tab are not very helpful

information: Dave’s ESL Café offers a multitude of grammar lessons on topics such as adjective clauses, conditional sentences, gerunds, regular and irregular nouns, prepositions, verb tenses, etc. This site also explains the uses of common conversational phrases, such as “I beg your pardon”, “How’s it going?”, informal variations of “yes” and “no”, and others. Also found are lessons on pronunciation, uses of modal and phrasal verbs, and vocabulary lists. These lessons are structured in a way that makes the topic easy to follow, and provides numerous examples to reinforce the learner’s understanding. Dave’s ESL Café even includes comprehensive lists of American idioms and slang, which will help the student converse with locals in everyday settings. Students of all levels would benefit from exploring the options under the “Stuff For Students” tab of this website.

Randall's ESL Cyber Lab
www.esl-lab.com

audience: learners

level: beginner-intermediate

pros: podcasts are varying in topic and difficulty, online quizzes, pre- and post-listening brainstorm activities are suggested, podcasts are accompanied by scripts

cons: podcasts are rather short in time-span (average of 1½ minutes)

information: Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab contains English podcasts organized by level of difficulty variety on diverse topics such as housing complaints, the world of computers, and job hunting. Following each podcast is a brief multiple-choice quiz on the plot of the podcast that students can self-correct. For each podcast, the website also suggests a post-listening activity that relates to the theme of the podcast. For example, after the student listens to a conversation about medical advice and completes the quiz, the website asks students, “What are your major concerns in visiting a doctor’s office or a hospital? What differences have you noticed in the medical care, facilities, and attitudes of doctors and nurses towards patients in comparison with those in your own country?” Some podcasts further include pre-listening brainstorms for the student to contemplate as well as quizzes on key vocabulary from the podcast. Scripts are also available to help learners follow along with the listening portions. Learners are able to access information on the site without providing personal information.

English for My Job
www.englishformyjob.com

audience: learners

level: beginner-intermediate

pros: online quizzes effectively show proper responses

cons: limited number of job categories, website is not aesthetically pleasing

information: EnglishForMyJob.com is a website designed specifically to help beginner-intermediate level students improve their grammar and vocabulary in the workplace, whether it be in the food, hotel, or travel industries, or just general tips on politeness training in order to communicate more effectively with customers. In addition to providing vocabulary quizzes for common items in each workplace, this site contains multiple-choice quizzes to teach students the proper responses to customer requests in various situations. For example, when a customer states to the waiter, “Thank you for the wonderful service! “, the waiter should reply by saying, “My pleasure. Come back again” rather than “Yes, it is” or “Would you like me to bring you the bill?”

Career Resources
Career Access Lab Resource Directory

Finding an Internship:

  • LinkedIn: Search internships and type in location
  • com –search Internships where it says “job title” and add location
  • Google- searching internships near me can be very helpful
  • wayup.com
  • youtern.com
  • idealist.com – for non-profit internships

Finding a Job:

 

Credential Evaluation:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdD5VY_5BuMDocbvdSlrET_ubGJAu5xBR7Rwnk6OYc1EUfhqQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

http://www.cedevaluations.com/

If you received your Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s, or PhD from a country outside the U.S then you may want to have your degree evaluated. You will go through a company who will ask you to contact your University to ask for your official transcript. The credential evaluation company will then look at your degree and assess what it means compared to a U.S education. Sometimes you will find out your Master’s Degree is the same as a U.S Master’s Degree, or that your Master’s Degree equals a U.S Bachelor’s Degree. It can cost around $200-300 and take several months. You should consider credential evaluation if you:

  • You are going to continue your education in the U.S.
  • You are applying for work that requires licenses: doctor, dentist, nurse, teacher, etc.
  • You applied for a job and the company wants proof of your education background.

 

Career Training:

The Career Place: 100 Sylvan Road Woburn, MA – The career place in Woburn may help you find a local training for the career you want to pursue (you will need a social security number to use the services).

JVS Boston : https://www.jvs-boston.org/ JVS has career services and educational services.

Massachusetts Job Quest: jobquest.detma.org/jobquest/training.aspx – This website allows you to search for trainings/jobs near you. They provide information on the training and whether it is Section 30 (if you are eligible for section 30 the training will be free).

Middlesex Community College: You can go to the office of Community Education and Training. They will tell you about all the career trainings they offer. They also offer non-credit courses that can help you advance your careers.

Asian American Civic Association: aaca-boston.org/programs-services – you can go on their website of call them to ask about the training programs they provide. They have training programs in growing industries in the U.S. They also have a job placement course.

Career Skills Online Resources:

https://ocs.fas.harvard.edu/resumes-cvs-cover-letters – college websites have great guidelines for resumes, cover letters, and job interviews.

 

Career Fairs and Networking:

United States Job Fair Directory: http://jobfairsin.com/massachusetts> this website will show you upcoming job fairs in Massachusetts.

Eventbrite.com– is a website that will keep you updated on networking events. Go onto the site and search networking and add location and it will show you upcoming networking events in your area.

Need a Job Interview Outfit?

Dress For Success:  989 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA – Ask English at Large for a referral and WOMEN can receive business clothing free of cost from a trained stylist.

Tailored for Success: 587 Pleasant St, Malden, MA 02148 – Will dress MEN and WOMEN – ask English at Large for a referral and you can go and receive business clothing free of cost.

BBC Learning English

www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish

audience: learners

level: intermediate

pros: website is well organized and aesthetically pleasing, exercises are highly interactive, contains many images to help the student navigate

cons: the majority of articles, instructional videos, etc. are geared towards intermediate learners rather than accommodating a variety of learning levels

information: BBC: Learning English is a well-organized and highly interactive site that contains numerous multi-media exercises for learning and teaching English. Under the “General & Business English” tab, students can explore English podcasts and videos while reading comments from other ESL users about the topic provided. They can also get advice on acquiring a job and learn about business management through stories about experts such as Bill Gates. Under the “Grammar, Vocabulary, & Pronunciation” tab, students can watch entertaining videos about idioms, review pronunciation tips, and learn “how to” phrases in order to express how to make suggestions, extend conversations, ask for permission, give directions, etc. In addition, learners can read blogs by other students and teachers in the “Community” section. This site is not only helpful to students, but is also worthwhile for teachers to explore since it provides lesson plans and downloadable worksheets.

Idiom Connection
www.idiomconnection.com

audience: learners

level: intermediate-advanced

pros: well organized and easy to navigate, contains Amazon advertisements for idiom books, contains a helpful list of “100 Most Frequently Used English Idioms”

cons: many of the idioms given are obscure and rarely used

information: This website dedicated entirely to idioms teaches students the differences between idioms, phrasal verbs, and proverbs. It contains a wide-ranging list of English idioms through which students can navigate either alphabetically or by topics such as animal, card playing, and money idioms. After listing the idiom, the website defines it and provides a sample sentence. For example, “as stubborn as a mule: very stubborn. Sentence: My friend is as stubborn as a mule and you can never make her change her mind.”

Learn English
learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/

audience: learners

level: beginner-intermediate

pros: very interactive, each activity has a comments section where other ESL learners share their thoughts, contains many online quizzes of diverse format to corroborate understanding of listening, grammar, vocabulary, etc.

cons: multimedia exercises may take a while to load on some browsers

information: LearnEnglish from the British Council is a highly interactive website that is suitable for all levels of English Language Learners, though it would be most beneficial to beginner or intermediate learners. After listening to podcasts in the “Listen & Watch” tab, students can complete a series of post-listening activities, ranging from fill-in-the-blank character statements to configuring sentences into the correct order based on the events of the podcast. Some podcasts even contain transcripts for students who are not confident about their listening ability to follow along with. Topics are diverse and range from environmental protest groups and Halloween to building bridges and water sports. Under this tab you can also find an audio soap titled “Big City Small World” about a group of friends living in London that students can follow. The website contains a series of “How to” videos that teach students tasks such as how to turn down an invitation or how to order drinks in a pub. Activities under the “Grammar & Vocabulary” tab are also interactive by including vocabulary games and grammar exercises following each lesson. The “Business & Work” section contains videos that are especially beneficial in helping students learn about business and professional topics, and are accompanied by language practice activities to help one improve his or her English in the workplace. LearnEnglish further contains a section dedicated towards helping students prepare for the IELTS. All in all, this site is great for all types of learners whether they want to improve English listening, reading, grammar, or vocabulary skills in a highly interactive manner.

Activities for ESL Students
a4esl.org

audience: learners

level: all levels

pros: quizzes are available for all level learners, bilingual vocabulary quizzes

cons: contains grammar quizzes but no grammar lessons, topics for the bilingual quizzes may be limited for some languages

information: This site is geared towards students who wish to improve their English grammar and vocabulary. It contains online grammar quizzes that are categorized as either easy, medium, or difficult on a wide range of topics such as correct word choice, prepositions, choosing the correct verb form, subject-verb agreement, etc. Vocabulary quizzes are also divided into easy, medium, or difficult, and encompass a similarly diverse range of topics, such as commonly confused words, opposites, analogies, expressions, transportation words, homonyms, etc. However, one of the best assets of this site is that it contains bilingual vocabulary quizzes in numerous languages on topics such as camping, religion, foods, emotions, and others.

Instruction materials at seven proficiency levels
learnamericanenglishonline.com

audience: learners

level: all levels

pros: chat rooms, grammar video lessons, alphabetical list of slang and idioms

cons: website may be difficult to navigate at times, not all levels have an equal number of resources

information: This website is divided into seven levels of instruction that each contain grammar video lessons and grammar quizzes. There are also lists of idioms, slang, and popular expressions for students to learn. The “Chat” section allows students to chat with other ESL students in the same level as them through “meebo rooms”, which is embedded in the page. This site would be very helpful to students preparing for the citizenship test as it contains a series of videos about questions and answers that may appear on the test. The “Stuff for Teachers” tab includes sample conversation questions about topics such as crime, creativity, and housing, grammar worksheets, and the link to the learnenglishonline YouTube channel for access to all grammar instructional videos.

Vocabulary A-Z
www.vocabularya-z.com/vocabweb/home.do

audience: learners

level: all levels

pros: vocabulary words are divided in an organized manner, high-frequency words list for beginner ESL students

cons: many of the pictures do not clearly describe the vocabulary word.

information: Vocabulary A-Z is for students who wish to extend their English vocabulary. The list of words is first divided according to function or category. Under “Function”, the words divided into categories (adverbs, adjectives, compound words, exclamations, figures of speech, etc), and then each category is divided alphabetically. Next, the list is divided into tiers. For example, all the adjectives that begin with the letter “g” can belong to Tier One, Two, or Three, according to the word’s level of difficulty. For instance, the words “giant” and “good” belong in Tier One, “generous” and “glamorous” exist in Tier Two, and “genetic” and “grass-roots” are in Tier Three. Under the “Category” section, vocabulary words are divided according to topics such as arts, health, mathematics, music, science, and physical education. The camera icon next to some words includes a picture of the word, but many of the pictures are unclear and do not accurately correspond to the word. Furthermore, this site contains a helpful list of High Frequency Words that would be helpful to beginner-level learners.

University of Victoria Study Zone
web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/

audience: learners

level: all levels

pros: website is simple and well organized, reading texts are focused towards a particular grammar topic

cons: not all levels contain an equal number of resources

information: This website was designed for adult students at the University of Victoria, but would be useful for all ESL learners aiming to practice their grammar and reading skills. It includes grammar lessons and exercises on topics such as adjectives/pronouns, adverbs, conditionals, conjunctions, imperatives, modals, nouns, parts of speech, punctuation, and verbs. The lessons are well-organized and easy to follow for non-native English speakers, and most exercises are either multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank. Each level also contains stories that emphasize a particular grammar topic. For example, intermediate students may read a story called “The Choking Dog” geared towards demonstrating the uses of passive voice. They can then proceed by taking reading comprehension quizzes and writing a summary of the article.

English Tenses with Cartoons
www.englishtenseswithcartoons.com

audience: learners

level: all levels

pros: website has a clear focus on teaching students about the English tenses and the interactive lessons contain numerous examples

cons: more online grammar quizzes would be helpful

information: This website is dedicated entirely towards helping students understand the twelve English verb tenses since the topic is a vast and difficult one. The lessons are divided into past, present, and future verbs tenses, and each lesson includes a description of the uses of that particular verb tense, numerous examples (of phrases, questions, positive/negative sentences), and an interactive animation followed by an explanation of why that tense was used. After each grammar lesson there is a section titled “Check Your Understanding” that provides links to online quizzes that students may use to corroborate their understanding. These lessons would be helpful to both learners and tutors since learners can either read through the lessons on their own or go over it with their tutors.

News Articles
www.english-online.at

audience: learners

level: intermediate

pros: website has a wide-range of topics for articles, vocabulary list is extremely helpful, contains printed news articles as well as video broadcasts

cons: no reading comprehension quizzes, little material for advanced learners

information: English-Online provides “articles in easy, understandable English for [ESL] learners” on a truly wide variety of topics, including but not limited to: entertainment, health/medicine, education, government/politics, technology, sports, and travel. Each article contains bolded vocabulary words that are defined at the bottom of the page so students can expand their vocabulary while developing their reading skills simultaneously. For some topics, students can watch a news broadcast on the issue rather than reading an article, but the video still contains a list of vocabulary words from the broadcast that readers may be unfamiliar with that are defined at the bottom of the page.

ProLiteracy Education Network
www.proliteracyednet.org

audience: tutors and learners

level: all levels

pros: website has a range of interactive material for learners along with a multitude of tips for tutors. Exercises focus on real life events such as owning a car or using medical services.

cons: the site can be difficult to navigate with multiple links to multiple pages and downloads.

information: This website offers innovative and research-based techniques and strategies for teaching English as a second language. It not only offers interactive resources for learners, but it also provides constructive lesson plans, conversation topics, and other activities for tutors. Topics range from a focus on citizenship and passing the citizenship test to how to read a newspaper and a more specific focus on American culture. The material for learners covers a broad range of vocabulary and comprehension levels with various games to help reinforce key terms.

Literacy Volunteers of DuPage
www.literacyvolunteersdupage.org

audience: tutors

level: n/a

pros: website is easy to navigate and offers simple instructions to access the resources

cons: the site does not have a substantial amount of resources. It is also for a group in Illinois, so many of the resources are irrelevant due to location, like library and conversation group links.

information: This website offers a number of helpful resources for tutors including instructional videos and lesson packets. Lesson packets cover a range of topics including Employment, School and Community, as well as Health. They feature techniques to teach the topics in addition to games and real forms to give learners practice with the material. The site also has helpful links to the other websites as well as copies of forms that are relevant to compiling a Learner Portfolio.

California Library Literacy Services
libraryliteracy.org/staff/rg/curriculum.html

audience: tutors

level: n/a

pros: website provides a structured and proven curriculum formatted to individualize lessons to each learner.

cons: files are in PDF format which may prove a challenge for those without Adobe. Outside of the program listed on the site, there are few resources for both tutors and learners.

information: This website helps tutors to identify why individual learners want to learn English. It offers methods to shape tutoring sessions around the goals of the learner. Literacy volunteers and staff from all over California have contributed to bringing together activities, ideas, games, materials, websites, tips, insider information, and sound advice for accomplishing many of the goals on their “Roles and Goals” form. The roles listed in the curriculum provide a solid base for citizenship in focusing on being a life-long learner, a worker, a family member, and a community member.

Equipped for the Future
eff.cls.utk.edu/fundamentals

audience: tutors and learners

level: intermediate-advanced

pros: the site does a solid job at explaining the framework and concepts to adult education. The EFF approach itself seems to be an effective tool to think about both in terms of tutoring and learning.

cons: the material on the site is conceptual, so while there are some examples and activities provided, these are intended to reinforce the framework rather than to explicitly benefit the learners.

information: This website offers a framework for adult learning. It provides an explanation of this framework including the four purposes for learning, the three role maps, the 13 common activities that overlap the roles, and the 16 EFF Content Standards. The EFF Content Standards are the fundamental tools in facilitating the EFF approach to teaching, learning, & assessing and for program improvement. The site presents both tutors and learners with a solid conceptual base to explain certain roles. For instance the “Worker Role Map” explains that “effective workers adapt to change and actively participate in meeting the demands of a changing workplace in a changing world.”

Adult English Language Learning Professional Development Network (ELL-U)
www.ell-u.org

audience: tutors

level: n/a

pros: this site offers a range of professional development resources for tutors. There is also a directory of ESL professionals with whom to work and communicate in the “Faculty Directory” section.

cons: tutors will need to register in order to access the material on the site.

information: ELL-U is a professional development network for ESOL practitioners. The site connects tutors through face-to-face events and collaborative social networking in addition to various online learning activities. ELL-U provides registered users with 24-hour access to learning opportunities and resources. Members have access to the free high quality professional development activities and courses. The site’s material incorporates the latest research and materials that support ELL evidence-based instruction.

Basic Banking

www.basicbanking.org

audience: learners

level: all

pros: the site is highly informative and direct. It is available in several languages appealing to a range of learners.

cons: the site is only pertinent to banking.

information: The site is helpful in assisting new customers in finding a bank and bank products that best meet their families’ needs. It is available in both English and Spanish and can be translated into 52 other languages. Basic Banking is a helpful tool in teaching learners about all of the ins and outs of banking.

ESL Notes

www.eslnotes.com

audience: learners and tutors

level: intermediate-advanced

pros: the site has synopses and vocabulary exercises to accompany popular English language films. There is also material for tutors for activities and additional resources.

cons: The material is not suited for beginner level learners, and there is very little material besides the film exercises.

information: ESL Notes offers a practical approach to vocabulary acquisition, based on the ideas that people internalize languages more easily when they are already familiar with what is being said. ESL students are able to read the synopses before seeing an accompanying film, which has been proven to increase their level of comprehension. Each individual movie guide functions as a synopsis of a popular movie that consisting of plot summary, a list of the major characters, an extensive glossary of vocabulary and various cultural references that even advanced ESL learners would often not understand, and questions for ESL class discussion. The site also offers helpful tips for tutors.

Free English Study

www.free-english-study.com

audience: learners

level: all levels

pros: the site has synopses and vocabulary exercises to accompany popular English language films. There is also material for tutors for activities and additional resources.

cons: The material is not suited for beginner level learners, and there is very little material besides the film exercises.

information: ESL Notes offers a practical approach to vocabulary acquisition, based on the ideas that people internalize languages more easily when they are already familiar with what is being said. ESL students are able to read the synopses before seeing an accompanying film, which has been proven to increase their level of comprehension. Each individual movie guide functions as a synopsis of a popular movie that consisting of plot summary, a list of the major characters, an extensive glossary of vocabulary and various cultural references that even advanced ESL learners would often not understand, and questions for ESL class discussion. The site also offers helpful tips for tutors.

ESL Gold

www.eslgold.com

audience: learners and tutors

level: all levels

pros: there is a lot of material for all of the sections. The idioms section can be very helpful in learning colloquial English.

cons: there are advertisements on every page.

information: ESL Gold provides free information and resources for both learners and tutors. Materials are organized by skill and level for quick and easy access. This site contains educational material for learners of all levels pertaining to speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary. There are also additional pages for using English in business and learning idioms. For tutors, there are helpful tips in addition to information regarding standardized teaching exams. The site is very user friendly and easy to navigate. This site has relevant topics such as “Today’s News Stories” as well as a list of conversation topics.

Sounds of English

www.soundsofenglish.org

audience: learners and tutors

level: beginner-intermediate

pros: the site has no advertisements and is well maintained. The material is narrowly tailored to helping learners with pronunciation.

cons: there is a smaller amount of material in comparison to other sites.

information: Sounds of English is a site operated by ESOL teachers, where they share their favorite links, handouts from previous presentations, English pronunciation pages – Activities and exercises for English pronunciation and listening, and tips for teachers. The site also has listening exercises with printable worksheets and teacher guides along with pictures, sounds, and videos to help with learning English pronunciation. This site does not have advertisements, nor does it require personal information to log-in.

English Club

www.englishclub.com

audience: learners and tutors

level: all levels

pros: the site has a huge number of resources including job opportunities for tutors.

cons: the site has a number of advertisements on each page.

information: English Club provides learners with lessons, games, quizzes, and videos to help them learn English. There also chat areas for learner and tutors to communicate as well as practice their language skills. For tutors, the site posts materials and pages designed to help in teaching English as well as volunteer/job opportunities. This site has advertisements.

Free Rice

www.freerice.com

audience: learners

level: beginner-intermediate

pros: This site presents learners with an interactive and easily accessible vocabulary game, where the identify synonyms for commonly used English words.

cons: The site is only this vocabulary game, and there is no method to sorting the questions by difficulty or level.

information: Free Rice allows learners to access a helpful quiz tool to practicing their vocabulary and speaking without submitting any personal information to log-in. The site has an appealing presentation and is quite easy to use. Learners benefit from the range of vocabulary and meanings given in an easy format. As they learn they are donating rice to a food program by answering questions correctly.

English for Everyone

www.englishforeveryone.org

audience: tutors

level: n/a

pros: The site is a brief list of teaching resources for tutors.

cons: The material is primarily tailored to the beginner-level learner. There are advertisements on this site.

information: English for Everyone allows tutors to access a range of resources to help in teaching reading and grammar skills, as well as provides a list of lesson plans and ideas. Most of these exercises are geared for beginner level learners, and most of the materials are printable. There are some advertisements on this site.

Getting Started with Superpages.com

www.superpages.com/adultlearners

audience: learners

level: beginners

pros: This is a very beneficial and practical tool for beginner level learners in teaching them how to search online phonebooks.

cons: The material is limited and sponsored by superpages.com.

information: This site offers a guide to help learners navigate the Superpages website as well as to navigate other phone book style web tools. The guide is divided into lessons, exploring topics such as how to find restaurants to searching for specific businesses.

USA Learns

www.usalearns.org

audience: learners

level: all levels

pros: this site offers a program flexible for learners with many day to day responsibilities. The material is relevant to what immigrants need to know about US culture and the English language.

cons: there is limited contact because of the separation element. There is a basic level of English required to navigate the site. Learners must provide personal information to access the program.

information: U.S.A Learns is a free ESL instructional program developed for adult learners who cannot attend traditional classroom programs because of difficulty due to scheduling, transportation and other restrictive barriers. The program offers activities in listening, reading, writing, speaking, and life skills. There is a variety of activities incorporating multi-media use of videos, images, and audio files. The program is self-paced and lessons are easy to navigate. The site also offers a means for tutors to provide feedback to their learners.

Englisch-Hilfen

www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/

audience: learners and volunteers

level: all levels

pros: the site is relevant for learners of all levels and offers a range of practice activities and quizzes.

cons: it has some advertisements.

information: Users can access information without logging on. This site is relevant to both learners of all levels and volunteers. It is a helpful tool for grammar, vocabulary, and lesson planning ideas. This site has multimedia, and it offers explanations of many grammar topics, exercises organized by level of learner, as well as games for learners.

Easy World of English

easyworldofenglish.com

audience: learners

level: beginner-intermediate

pros: the site offers a highly intuitive and interactive self-paced program.

cons: this site requires that learners log-in using personal information.

information: The site gives learners the freedom and independence in their own learning process. The site’s material is separated into four components: Grammar, Reading, Pronunciation and a Picture Dictionary, which is great for beginner level learners. There also various multimedia resources to support motivation and facilitate understanding. The site is free, but users need to register to access all the lessons.

Teacher Training Videos

www.teachertrainingvideos.com

audience: tutors

level: n/a

pros: there are a number of helpful videos and tools for tutors as well as multimedia material to help learners.

cons: this site has advertisements and can be confusing to navigate.

information: This site provides numerous multimedia tools for tutors in teaching or learning to teach ESL. There are also recommended videos for learners and opportunities for training courses for tutors.

Decoda Literary Systems

decoda.ca/adults/adult-literacy-resources/

audience: tutors

level: n/a

pros: this site provides a range of resources to aid tutors in working with their learners.

cons: there are a number of resources in the adult ESL section which means they can be difficult to navigate. Since the organization is based in British Columbia, tutors can really only access the online services.

information: Decoda’s Adult Literacy Resources cover a range of relevant topics for teaching adults ESL. The online resources are downloadable from the site, and with links to other sites Decoda’s resources cover speaking and writing self-assessments to navigating Facebook or shopping online.

Literacyworks

literacyworks.org

audience: learners

level: all levels

pros: The site features a number of specifically tailored programs for learners of all needs. This site does not have any advertisements.

cons: The material on the site can be difficult to navigate. It is not organized by difficulty level, but rather by program description.

information: Literacyworks has created numerous sites for ESL programs. Some feature a web-based curriculum while others provide ways for literacy practitioners to connect with each other and stay on top of each organization’s current events. The programs range in difficulty level, but are not organized as such. This organization provides a helpful list of resources and programs for learners.

Azar Grammar

www.azargrammar.com

audience: tutors

level: n/a

pros: This site is a time-tested and proven tool for helping tutors in teaching ESL. It is operated and updated by professionals in the field, and the material is relevant and constructive.

cons: This site is as limited as the extent of the program. While there are updates from blog posts, the featured material consists of the established program without any other outside resources included.

information: Azar Grammar offers ESL tutors from around the world to connect and share experiences and resources with each other. The site functions as a support system in forming this community as well as offering free downloadable material to guide tutors. The site is based on a program, so it is limited to the confines of the material. Tutors write blog posts that are accessible to anyone viewing the site.

Embed Plus

www.embedplus.com/dictionary/how-to-pronounce-words-and-use-them.aspx

audience: learners

level: all levels

pros: the program is a comprehensive vocabulary tool where learners can research words of their choice in order to learn how to pronounce and use them in daily conversation. The site is fairly intuitive.

cons: The material is limited to the area of pronunciation. It does not cover all words, but it is the rather case that it covers words used more frequently than others. The site can be fairly difficult to navigate for a beginner level learner.

information: Embed Plus offers learners a program where they can Search for a word and get instructional audio of how to pronounce the word. There are also videos of real people in real situations naturally speaking and using the tagged word in context. These videos range in topic, but some feature government officials speaking on public matters which provide insight to the learner on public affairs.

English Central

www.englishcentral.com/videos/

audience: learners

level: all levels

pros: this site is very intuitive in its purpose to help learners with their pronunciation. The video clips are relevant and accessible to even beginner level learners.

cons: Although the site does not contain advertisements, it does require learners to subscribe in order to access all of the information. Learners can use the site on a trial basis, but they will be reminded often to sign up to receive all of the benefits.

information: English Central offers a clever way to practice pronunciation in a meaningful context. Learners choose a short video clip from a TV show, commercial, movie, or informational topic, and repeat what they hear, phrase by phrase, into their computer’s microphone. English Central’s speech recognition feature records it and rates it in comparison to the original phrase. Phrases can be played at a slower rate and definitions of unfamiliar words can be provided.

ESL Tower

www.esltower.com/grammarteachers.html

audience: tutors

level: n/a

pros: access to numerous resources without having to provide log-in information. The site is easy to use and navigate.

cons: there are some advertisements on the site. The extensive range of material can be overwhelming.

information: ESL Tower features several ESL Exercises for Tutors and Learners. There are English grammar & vocabulary quizzes, crosswords, word search and several fun puzzles that make the learning and teaching of English easy and fun. Tutors can access an array of downloadable and printable material to help structure their own curriculum.

ESL Monkeys

www.eslmonkeys.com/teacher/lessonplans.html

audience: tutors

level: n/a

pros: the site allows tutors to search for lesson plans.

cons: the site contains advertisements and other irrelevant links that are distracting.

information: ESL Monkeys offers tutors the opportunity to search lesson plans by type, keyword, and learner level. There are numerous helpful exercises and games that range from the more traditionally educational tools to fun ice-breakers. The resources are all downloadable and printable.

Hopelink Adult Education

www.eastsideliteracy.org/tutorsupport/ESL/ESLIdeas.htm

audience: tutors

level: n/a

pros: this site is well organized and easy to navigate. Resources and Lessons plans are explicitly labeled and explained.

cons: this site is small so its resources are limited. Information accessible through the internet pertains primarily to tutors.

information: Hopelink Adult Education offers a bank of resources for Adult ESL tutors. Resources range from lesson plans and ideas to ice breaker type exercises. The site is operated by tutors, so there are also helpful practical and conceptual tips for tutoring. The FAQ section is helpful and expansive as well.

News for You

newsforyouonline.com

audience: learners

level: all levels

pros: the site is updated often with engaging material to help facilitate ESL learning through relevant and contemporary topics.

cons: users need to subscribe to receive access to all of the features on the site.

information: This website offers easy-to-read news stories aid ESL learners in developing their reading, writing, speaking skills. Seven new stories are posted each Wednesday, along with audio, exercises, vocabulary, a crossword puzzle, and a poll.

EnglishLearner.com

www.englishlearner.com/tests/

audience: learners

level: all levels

pros: the material on this site caters to a range of levels and difficulties, as well as focuses on multiple areas of study.

cons: this site contains advertisements and can be difficult to navigate.

information: EnglishLearner.com helps you learn English online with exercises on grammar, reading comprehension, vocabulary and listening at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Material and Resources are organized by level and subject matter is presented in exercises, informal activities, and games.

Real English

www.real-english.com

audience: learners

level: all levels

pros: users can access the material on this site without subscribing.

cons: there are advertisements. The site can be difficult to navigate.

information: Real English combines ESL/EFL grammar and lexical items in conjunction people encountered during their filming campaigns to offer a unique educational experience for adults. The videos are based on grammar structures, lexicals, and social functions, providing an anchor and a counterpoint to the spontaneity of the street videos. The lessons include images and audio files directly related to what the speakers are saying in the videos, providing meaning for beginners and intermediate students alike.

GCF LearnFree.org

www.gcflearnfree.org/everydaylife

audience: learners

level: all levels

pros: the site contains no advertisements and it is easy to navigate.

cons: outside of the specifically designed activities, this site does not present much educational material.

information: The EDL project uses interactive, situation-based lessons to teach functional literacy skills. Each activity provides learners with the opportunity to test their knowledge of real-world situations and to develop the confidence and skills necessary to be successful in everyday life. Each learning scenario is comprised of prose, document, or quantitative literacy tasks, as defined by the NAAL, with an emphasis on task-based applications of literacy. Each lesson has specific educational objectives and is classified as one of the literacy task categories that the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) measures (i.e., Document, Prose, and Quantitative), when applicable.

English At Large

800 West Cummings Park, Suite 5550
Woburn, MA 01801
tel : 781.395.2374
email : info@englishatlarge.org

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