Internet Power Sites for English Language Learners

Here are a few major websites that I highly recommend because they offer extensive resources for English Language teachers and learners alike.

The BBC World Service has been around for a long time, but recently moved its link, so here is the latest one http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/ This site has courses, games, videos, and practice for every level of EAL.
VOA Learning English is the go-to site for American English. It also has news in easy to listen to English, and insights into North American culture. I like the variety of videos on every subject you could think of. There should be something here to interest anyone. https://learningenglish.voanews.com/
The United States Department of State has several sites dedicated to teaching and learning English. The links can all be found here: https://americanenglish.state.gov/
PBS Learning is not focused specifically on English Language Learners, but it has teaching and learning resources that could be valuable for anyone. There are links that are customized for each state, such as this one for New York. https://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/
WETA Public Television has websites that are all about English Language Learning. These include Colorin Colorado and Reading Rockets, that promotes literacy.

Of course there are many other great resource websites that I have not listed here, but these are a few of the big ones that I have used regularly in my English Language teaching. I am sure you will be able to find some helpful information on them just as I have.

Dan

Comments

In Memoriam of First Lady Barbara Bush 1925-2018

Literacy is an important issue for ESL teachers. I was saddened to hear that Barbara Bush passed away yesterday. Barbara Bush was a champion for literacy . She was responsible for helping to pass the National Literacy Act of 1991. She started a foundation to promote literacy which you can access here. I met her personally during a fund raiser at a Women's literacy club in Naples Florida. I was a news cameraman covering the event.. When it came time for our interview she leaned over to me and asked, "May I give you some advice in a motherly way?" "Sure, of course!" I replied. " You had better close the barn door before the horse gets out." I had forgotten to zip up my pants. - Dan

Apps for Education/Personal Tech in the Classroom

So, the big question is, "Should we allow students to use smartphones in the classroom?" In many classrooms, that question has turned into "How do we prevent it?" Teachers have creative solutions like the cell phone jail block . However, and please let me stand on my soapbox for a minute because there is no getting around it, nearly every student has a personal smart device, and they are going to bring them to school, instead of banning a perfectly awesome learning tool, teachers and parents could incorporate them into a blended learning model like the flipped classroom. To begin, there are lots of awesome learning apps that teachers can encourage students to use in class and at home. There are also a lot of online reference materials, starting with online dictionaries . When teaching ESL to my adult students, I always walk them through the steps of downloading at least two major English language dictionaries, not bilingual ones. Normal...

American English Dan

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