Website Reviews: English Language Learning Online Resources
1. Identify the site's address (URL)
Cambridge English Language Assessment (https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/ learning-english/
Summarize the website's information
This website features resources for both ESL students and educators, with free skill development exercises available for grammar, listening, pronunciation, reading, speaking, vocabulary and writing. In addition, the website has free games and social media exchanges to facilitate learning. Moreover, these free language development resources are available in three proficiency levels (e.g., basic, independent and proficient) as well as allowing students to select exercises depending on how long are estimated to complete.
Provide a list of links available on the website (list no more than eight)
This proprietary site does not list any outside links.
Provide your reaction/impressions of the site using the content language of the class (e.g., does the site appear to be universally designed? and be able to support your reasons)
Younger ESL students will likely be offput by the seeming complexity and advanced learning resources available on this site, but the fact that these free resources include a range of activities that can be individualized make this a valuable ESL resource.
Explain how you might use the site with the following: general education, teachers of special education, teachers, parents, and students (if appropriate)
The variety of free resources on grammar, vocabulary, listening, and more could supplement regular English/language arts instruction. The leveled exercises provide material for students at different proficiencies. Likewise, although the site is not specifically tailored for special needs and parents, the ability to select exercises by estimated completion time could help assign appropriate material and games and media interactions could reinforce skills. The site is directly beneficial for ESL students given the variety of exercises and ability to self-select by skill/time which provides practice opportunities personalized to individual needs and interests.
2. Identify the site's address (URL)
50 Essential Resources for ESL Students (https://www.oedb.org/ilibrarian/50_essential_ resources_for_esl_students/)
Summarize the website's information
The site helps non-native English speakers master grammar, spelling, pronunciation, vocabulary, and writing. The site features lessons and exercises for building skills at all levels, from verb tenses to business communications. Interactive games, flashcards, and quizzes allow learners to test their knowledge across topics. Podcasts provide engaging listening practice focused on everyday situations. In addition, multimedia provide visual explanations of grammar rules, slowly enunciated news stories, and entertaining skits to pick up nuances of the language.
Provide a list of links available on the website (list no more than eight)
Open Courses
Audio Lectures
Full Courses
Columbia University
Cornell University
Video Lectures
Provide your reaction/impressions of the site using the content language of the class (e.g., does the site appear to be universally designed? and be able to support your reasons)
Although not as snazzy in design as many other sites, this open source educational database provides a one-stop resource for ESL students as well as teachers and parents.
Explain how you might use the site with the following: general education, teachers of special education, teachers, parents, and students (if appropriate)
The variety of free online ESL resources makes them valuable for supporting English language development across different contexts. Both general and special education teachers can use the lesson plans, worksheets, games, and multimedia materials to enhance instruction as is or assign targeted practice for students at various proficiency levels. Young learners can self-direct learning by selecting interactive resources matched to their needs and interests. Likewise, parents can use the sites podcasts and videos facilitate to continue language growth at home.
3. Identify the site's address (URL)
ColorinColorado (https://www.colorincolorado.org/ell-basics)
Summarize the website's information
This website features a wide array of resources for teachers and parents of English as a second language learners, including information for new teachers, an overview of ESL students and their unique needs, a state-by-state breakdown of community-based resources, as well as an extensive resource library containing books, guides, toolkits, research reports and more. In addition, the site offers dozens of learning strategies, and special role of ESL educators and far more.
Provide a list of links available on the website (list no more than eight)
This website is funded by an NPR nationwide media project and does not include outside links.
Provide your reaction/impressions of the site using the content language of the class (e.g., does the site appear to be universally designed? and be able to support your reasons)
This is a user-friendly site that will appeal to parents and teachers alike. The interface is straightforward and navigating the resource links is an intuitive process. Although not specifically designed for students, older learners will also benefit from this site.
Explain how you might use the site with the following: general education, teachers of special education, teachers, parents, and students (if appropriate)
The extensive resources on understanding ESL students and strategies for supporting their language development make this site uniquely valuable for both general education and special education teachers. Likewise, the overview materials, teaching tips, and expansive resource library provide the foundation and tools needed to differentiate instruction for English learners. Parents can access plain language guidance on advocating for their ESL children and fostering language growth at home.
4. Identify the site's address (URL)
ESL Lounge (https://www.esl-lounge.com/)
Summarize the website's information
Offering both free and premium content, this site features a constellation of ESL resources for students, parents and educators alike, including printable grammar worksheets, surveys, flashcards, reading comprehension exercises, and communication activities at various proficiency levels. In addition, the site provides board games, song...
…the website (list no more than eight)230+ FREE printable Lesson Plans
1,000+ Worksheets & Craft Sheets
1,500+ Flashcards for ESL kids lessons
Provide your reaction/impressions of the site using the content language of the class (e.g., does the site appear to be universally designed? and be able to support your reasons)
This user-friendly site is inviting for young ESL learners as well as parents with limited English fluency.
Explain how you might use the site with the following: general education, teachers of special education, teachers, parents, and students (if appropriate)
Although ESL students can benefit directly, the extensive collection of visual flashcards, interactive games, illustrated worksheets, and engaging lesson plans on ESL Kidstuff make it an excellent resource for general education and special education teachers as well who could incorporate the materials into their classrooms to scaffold instruction and provide supplemental practice tailored to different proficiency levels. Special education teachers could also use the highly visual resources to aid comprehension and retention for students with learning disabilities. Likewise, interested parents could go through the songs and craft activities at home with their children to make continued language development fun and accessible. Finally, ESL students could benefit from the ability to practice key vocabulary and grammar structures through repetitious interactive formats.
10. Identify the site's address (URL)
ESL Galaxy (https://www.esl-galaxy.com/)
Summarize the website's information
This site specializes in math and science resources for K-8 ESL learners. The sites free ESL resources include printable worksheet and games, kids activities, online exercises to build grammar and vocabulary as well as guides to pronunciation.
Provide a list of links available on the website (list no more than eight)
ESL Lesson Plans & Resources for Kids
New ESL Kids Lab: Fantastic Free Resources for Kids
Fun Games for ESL Teaching
Grammar & Vocabulary Exercises Online
Provide your reaction/impressions of the site using the content language of the class (e.g., does the site appear to be universally designed? and be able to support your reasons)
Although monetized, this site is well designed and facilitates navigation through intuitive structural organization.
Explain how you might use the site with the following: general education, teachers of special education, teachers, parents, and students (if appropriate)
Both general and special education ESL teachers could assign targeted grammar and vocabulary practice through the online exercises or supplement instruction with printable materials spanning diverse topics. Special education teachers could also apply the visual, hands-on activities to support comprehension and engagement for students with learning needs. Parents could use the family-oriented games and worksheets with their kids at home to continue building English proficiency. Finally, advanced ESL students could benefit from the ability to learn grammar and vocabulary structures through repetitive, interactive formats set in…
This article is of value to the present research for its identification of some critical research promoting the integration of vocabulary acquisition strategies into more traditional modes of language development instruction. Laufer, B. & Rozovski-Roitblat, B. (2011). Incidental vocabulary acquisition: The effects of task type, word occurrence and their combination. Language Teaching Research, 15(4), 391-411 This article by Laufer & Rozovski-Roitblat (2011) adds to the recurrent discussion -- often featuring contributions
Phonetic reading methods are actually older than the whole language approach: "The traditional theory of learning established in the 19th century draws on the notion that children need to break down a complex skill, like reading, into its smallest components (letters) before moving on to tackle larger components (sounds, words, and sentences). Phonetic reading instruction applies this theory; children are taught to dissect unfamiliar words into parts and then join
, 1997). Relevant to ESL students and teaming between ESL teachers and mainstream teachers, the St. Paul, Minnesota. school district has replaced assigning ESL students to a full-day ESL track or having an ESL teacher regularly pull them out of class. Instead, mainstream and ESL teachers co-teach in the same classroom. With this approach, the school district has nearly closed the achievement gap between English-language learners and native speakers, based
Stereotypes have proven dangerous because they prevent communication, create barriers the mutual recognition of humanity between individuals of different groups, and have been used to justify violence, or the denial rights and opportunities to certain individuals Where do most of the new words in English come from today? Most of the new words today are of foreign extraction. What are pro-mimics? What does it have to do with teaching? Using mimicry is one
For such crucial areas as writing instruction, the simple use of email can prove to render this effect. To the point, one article indicates to us that "writing in itself is often considered a process that involves four main stages i.e., planning, drafting, revising and editing. These four steps seem to be applicable for paper-based writing as well as for e-mail writing. They can be integrated to form the
They also use language to negotiate with parents and teachers for pocket money and extra time for assignments respectively, and so on. All these contexts can be used to provide students with a familiar and supportive environment of learning. The most important element that emerges from this chapter is the fact that students can no longer be seen as homogeneous automatons, who learn language in precisely the same way. Human
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