There are several sites with resources for those learning (or teaching) English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL or EFL).
TESL Canada Federation is the Canadian national federation of English as a Second Language teachers, learners and learner advocates. Its web site has a number of useful resources, including an guidelines on the English Language Proficiency Test and English Language Test score requirements for major Canadian universities. Its Teachers’ Resource Centre contains a wealth of free resources for teachers of ESL.
The British Council also has a wide range of resources. Its LearnEnglish Kids has lots of free online games, songs, stories and activities for children to have fun and learn English too.
UsingEnglish.com provides a large collection of English as a Second Language (ESL) tools and resources for students, teachers, learners and academics.
An Online Resource for EFL Learners provides EFL learners with comprehensive exercises, tasks and useful links related to various skills and components of English language. It is the work of Hamed Ghaemi, a PhD candidate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) in University of Tehran, International Campus.
The UK Language Project offers a free, online test for English language learners to help discover their level of English.
Grammarism.com provides a raft of free online worksheets and grammar exercises with feedback.
A Google search under ‘Online resources ESL’ will identify hundreds of other sites, but the quality varies.
Please note:
- I do NOT recommend any particular ESL program, since I have no means to evaluate them, so please do not ask
- I do not accept advertising on this site from commercial language schools so please do not ask for links or guest blogs
- Please DO send other examples of sites that offer high quality free online resources for teaching and learning English as a Second or Foreign Language.
Dr. Tony Bates is the author of eleven books in the field of online learning and distance education. He has provided consulting services specializing in training in the planning and management of online learning and distance education, working with over 40 organizations in 25 countries. Tony is a Research Associate with Contact North | Contact Nord, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network.
As someone who has taught English as a foreign language and also studied other languages a lot, I would say that it’s a great idea for students to try to use as many varied sources of learning as possible. No particular resource can be a “one stop resource” for learning, so this page is pretty useful for students. I too have found the British Council to be a good resource when it comes to providing English learners with interesting and easy to follow material.
Personally I encourage my students to use as many resources as they can.
Teaching at ages where computers and smartphone are their best friends, I keep repeating that technology can be useful while studying a language.
Lately, I suggested them to use this free website http://www.12speak.com to chat with native speakers from all over the world and to learn from their conversations as much idioms as they can. This website has a proper function for memorizing vocabularies from the chats and for training them in the games. Check it out!
I think it’s a valid tool beside a more traditional teaching approach!
I share the idea of using as many extra resources as possible, this motivates our students and that is what help them to enjoy the class. The use of extra resources makes the classes more useful because you get to integrate students´ senses in one class. If you decide to show a projection, sigth is involved as well as listening. Another benefit of using technology in the classroom is that the information we find online is updated and that also helps the students to be aware of the reality , be informed and learning english trough the process.
I have been teaching English for over five years, and I created some English video tutorials and practice activities to help students for free. Check it out:
http://www.teacherdiane.com/youtube/page/1
Very nice videos, Diane! Great stuff and thanks for sharing.
Thanks Tony! I appreciate it.
Tony – we have over 40 free, high-quality video lessons for international professionals working on improving their english. A few times a year there are also opportunities for free speaking practice sessions in small groups with a TESOL instructor who brings over ten years of experience. Take a look at http://www.speakconfidentenglish.com