You are on page 1of 61

listing of resources and sites f

g?
wh en

out?
ou rc
es

How to

or ES

L lea rnin

cite onl ine s


wr it
g in
ac

e ad

How to wri te ess ays a t the


C ge p

papers or do cu mic

H oction of fre
me nt a

W Wools for In
lev
el?
ry a r
ticle s

the e rtenetiresearch in history? h er s

et

ve

e sel

? elit

The Internet Directory for English Language Improvement 20072008

: http
// w

ww .colum

bia. e d u / c u / c u p / c

06 os20

/bas

ic.htm

.co http:// m www http://ch n .cln m.g m .o r u.ed http:/ g/ /www u/t su .van oo ierco bj ls ec lleg e.q ts c.
ca

http://ww.englishle

arne r

ra

/tl

di

is c

ng

eli

t?

Lorem ipsu m ec tetu er a di

sci n

/e

First Edition: May 2007

Centre collgial de dveloppement de matriel didactique 6220 Sherbrooke Street East, Suite 416 Montral, Qubec H1N 1C1 For information or to comment: Vronica Gill Tel.: (514) 873-3781 Fax: (514) 864-4908 Email: vgill@ccdmd.qc.ca Website: www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en ISBN 978-2-89470-214-7 Produced by the English Language Division of the CCDMD through contributions from the CanadaQubec Agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction Copy Editing: Veronica Schami Editorial Services Graphic Designer: Projet Bleu

Introduction
For more than 10 years, the Collegial Centre for Educational Materials Development (CCDMD) has published Le Rpertoire des meilleurs sites Internet pour lamlioration de la langue for the francophone college community. The directory features a collection of the best sites for improving French-language skills. The sites have been reviewed and are presented in the form of an alphabetical guide with keyword categories to help users save time as they search for specic topics. This year, the English Language division of the CCDMD proudly presents the rst edition of The Internet Directory for English Language Improvement. Based on the model of its highly popular French Language companion, the paperback guide is also available in printable PDF on the CCDMD website at: http://www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en This new collection of basic through advanced resources is aimed at students learning English or using the language for academic purposes. The Directory includes information for English as a Second Language (ESL) students and students writing term papers, among others. Most of the sites are Canadian or Qubcois in origin. Some very good American, British, and international sites have been included, but only if their content is appropriate for the Canadian milieu. Preference has been given to sites with multimedia tools that are free and easy to use, and that possess demonstrable educational value. Sites with a number of grammar and spelling errors or broken links have been excluded. It can be expected, however, that you may still discover a few problems here and there as you explore, given the changeable nature of the Internet.

Internet Directory

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

Using the Directory


29 Collegial Centre for Educational Materials Development (CCDMD)
http://www.ccdmd.qc.ca

1. Title 2. Site Address 3. Icons 5. Keywords


a. Objectives b. Themes

4. Stamps
ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING LITERATURE

6. Annotation

The CCDMD designs and develops educational materials for teachers and students throughout the Qubec Cgep system. To accomplish this, the Centre offers administrative, technical, nancial, and instructional support to college professors so that they may produce their own educational materials.

1. TITLE The Directory is organized alphabetically according to the title of each website. 2. ADDRESS The short version of the site address follows the title. 3. ICONS Image icons describe the format of the materials you will find in each site. Reference Dictionaries Research Indexes Translation Citations Discussion Chat Exchange Pen Pals Blogs Search Engine

Internet Directory

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

Tests Quizzes Preparing for Exams English Exit Exam English Prociency Exams Activities Exercises Games Multimedia Podcasts Technology Audio Video 4. STAMPS Stamps identify websites that include specic resources for teachers or information on government resources, associations, training programs, and free language courses. For Teachers Government Resources, Associations, Training Programs, and Language Courses, including: Benchmarks 5. KEYWORDS Keywords help students quickly nd websites with specic information. Keywords are grouped into two categories: objectives and themes. a. Objectives Objectives are English-language skills that improve your learning, comprehension, and ability in core competencies. ESL, including: Ofcial Languages

Internet Directory

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

Grammar, including: Punctuation Parts of Speech Sentence Structure Listening, including: Practice and Comprehension Reading Speaking, including: Pronunciation Vocabulary, including: Spelling Writing b. Themes Themes are topic areas for students with diverse interests and enrolled in different disciplines. Art and Images History and Culture Literature, including: Poetry Quotations Song Lyrics Jokes Newsletters News Science Social Science Sports Technical Language, including: Business English

Internet Directory

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

6. ANNOTATIONS The annotations are brief notes that describe what you will nd when you visit a site. These notes refer to elements of each site that are most relevant for college students and English learners in general. We hope you will nd much more as you explore your own interests. The annotations also include references to browsers and players you will need to use the sites multimedia. Sites that require a software purchase are generally not included in the Directory. We have tried to present a balance of high-tech and low-tech sites so that, no matter what platform you use, you will be able to nd tools and activities to t your needs. Here is a list of some of the technology encountered: Players Flash Version 7 and Up Windows Media Player RealMedia RealAudio RealPlayer iTunes MP3 Browsers Internet Explorer Firefox Safari Other RSS Feeds Podcasts Documents HTML Rich Text PDF Zip

Internet Directory

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

24 Hour News: Today


http://www.24hrnews.ca/today.htm

READING | VOCABULARY HISTORY AND CULTURE | LITERATURE | NEWS

Practise your reading and improve your vocabulary while learning about this day in history, having fun with the days word match, or searching for reference resources. Word of the Day, Article of the Day, This Day in History, Todays Birthday, Quotation of the Day, Word Match, and Online Reference are all available here. Feeling adventurous? Follow the link to the home page, where you will nd current news stories listed by topic.

A+ Research and Writing for High School and College Students


http://www.ipl.org/div/teen/aplus/

ESL | WRITING

If you are new to essay writing, this site will help you get organized. The graphics are not great, but the content is a good introduction to basic academic writing and the external links are well chosen. The site covers choosing and developing your topic, gathering information, forming a thesis statement, writing the paper, and revising your writing.

Adbusters
http://adbusters.org/the_magazine/

READING HISTORY AND CULTURE | NEWS | SOCIAL SCIENCE

Use this site to work on reading comprehension or to research writing topics related to the corporate media. Adbusters is a not-for-prot organization that publishes a magazine about the impact of advertising on our culture and environment. The articles take a clear stand on controversial issues and, whether you agree with them or not, they make for an interesting read.

Internet Directory

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

Airborn
http://www.airborn.ca/

READING LITERATURE

Kenneth Oppel provides interesting content for reading practice. Set in the near past, his recent award-winning book Airborn follows the adventures of the crew and passengers aboard the luxury airship Aurora. Have fun reading as you follow the links to newspaper articles describing the adventures of the crew and passengers of the Aurora.

AlphaDictionary
http://www.alphadictionary.com

GRAMMAR | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING TECHNICAL LANGUAGE

The site provides links to almost 300 language dictionary sites and more than 120 subject-specic dictionary sites under Specialty Dictionaries. Of particular interest is the link to Alpha Agora, where you can register for an active online discussion group to discuss topics found on the site. You can also make suggestions or ask questions, talk to other learners, and read what they have to say.

Anglik
http://www.anglik.net

LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING ART AND IMAGES | ESL | HISTORY AND CULTURE | LITERATURE | NEWS

This site lists more than 30 links to innovative and unusual language improvement tools, such as learning from song lyrics, newspapers, British art and the monarchy, word games, slang, jokes, quotations, and lms, to name a few. The sites British origins limit its use for Canadian students, but its fun and out of the ordinary. There is also an easy and free opportunity to make pen pals worldwide.

Internet Directory

10

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

Antimoon.com: How to Learn English


http://www.antimoon.com/

ESL | READING | SPEAKING

Under Motivation, Antimoon features a good discussion about how to be an effective English-language learner, including how to become and stay motivated. This is a commercial site, but there is enough free content here to make the site useful. Notably, the review of dictionaries is helpful. For a fee, you may download an application to practise and improve your pronunciation.

Babel Fish Translation


http://babelsh.altavista.com

GRAMMAR | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

This translation tool is one of the better free services available online. You can translate a block of text or an entire website, depending on your needs. Babel Fish translates English into nine other languages, as well as 12 languages into English. A word of caution: Any automatic translation tool will make errors, particularly in sentence structure and grammar, and will entirely miss certain subtleties of the language. Use Babel Fish as a starting point when you are having difculty, and then cross-reference the results with another tool, a good, old-fashioned dictionary, or a native English speaker.

Best Source for Canadian Science


http://www.science.ca

READING | VOCABULARY ART AND IMAGES | NEWS | SCIENCE

It claims to be the best, and we wouldnt be surprised: This site denitely contains a vast amount of information, activities, and references to everything related to science in Canada. There are proles of scientists, and many links to other science sites, publications, and institutes. You can even ask a scientist a question when you cant nd the answer elsewhere (make sure you look around rst!). The numerous activities and quizzes tackle fairly advanced technical vocabulary and topics. Beam me up, Scotty!
Internet Directory

11

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

10

BBC World Service: Learning English


http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | VOCABULARY LITERATURE | NEWS | SOCIAL SCIENCE | TECHNICAL LANGUAGE

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) offers ESL students a website based on the news of the day. Each page provides imaginative and interesting content with opportunities to write, read, and listen to English. This is a British site, so the accents are usually (although not always) British. The content and presentation are excellent, and there is a good link for teachers. The Radio Player requires RealPlayer. Check out the following sections: Business English covers topics such as writing a resum, interview techniques, phoning the boss, and renting a car. Communicate allows you to chat, participate in projects, and learn about others studying English around the world. Learning English Webcast is a link to a weekly live podcast that supports English-language learners. You can listen live or listen to last weeks broadcast in three segments. Topics are varied, and there are games and quizzes to participate in by email or by telephone. News English is a section where you can learn new vocabulary and read current news. There are news stories with explanations and denitions of the important words used in them. The vocabulary is British English. Quizzes are changed weekly and archived.

11

Breaking News English: Ready-to-use ESL Lessons


http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0602/060213-cartoons-e.html

ESL | LISTENING | READING | VOCABULARY NEWS

Breaking News English offers the opportunity to improve listening comprehension and reading with news stories of the day. There is a variety of related exercises under Warm-ups, Before Reading/Listening, While Reading/Listening, and After Reading/Listening. Lessons are available in easier or harder versions, and are available to print in Microsoft Word or PDF format. Follow the Podcast link at the top of the page to nd an archive of other news stories. Keep in mind that this is a European site; most of the speakers have a clearly British accent.
Internet Directory

12

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

12

British Council: Learn English Central


http://www.britishcouncil.org/central.htm

ESL | GRAMMAR | READING | VOCABULARY

Improve your English with exercises and games, or by reading current and archived articles in the online magazine. Visitors are encouraged to respond in writing to theme-based articles, and the responses are posted. There are useful links to sites related to the current weekly theme, and links are updated as the themes change. You can test your English-language level with Cambridge ESOL Exams and nd links to other online grammar exercises.

13

Campus Access
http://www.campusaccess.com

ESL | READING | VOCABULARY ART AND IMAGES | CULTURE | SPORTS | TECHNICAL LANGUAGE

International and ESL students can practise their English skills on this site while researching a college career in Canada. One of the main portals for Canadian students, you will nd all kinds of information here on schools, nancial aid, academic life, internships, and even fun stuff like quick recipes, fashion, tness, and student art. There is a job database and information on teaching English abroad, as well as an extensive listing of reference tools.

14

Cambridge Dictionaries Online


http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

ESL | GRAMMAR | VOCABULARY

A dictionary is an essential tool for any writer. Here, users can choose the dictionary that interests them and search for a word or phrase. If a word cannot be found in one dictionary, the other dictionaries are automatically searched. There is also a spelling feature that provides the user with possible alternative spellings. Canadian and American spellings are both represented here. The Activities link provides online activities and worksheets.

Internet Directory

13

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

15

Canada in the Making


http://www.canadiana.org/citm

READING | VOCABULARY ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SCIENCE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

If history is your interest, and reading is your pleasure, there is no end to the wealth of knowledge and material available on this site. The site marries original narrative texts with primary historical documents to tell the history of Canada in the words of its people. You can explore specic topics, maps, images, biographies, and many documents related to Canadas Constitution, pioneers, immigrants, and Aboriginal treaties and relations. There are presently 25 lesson plans available for teachers, and more in the works. The comprehensive glossary is available in four formats: PDF, Word, RTF, and Plain Text. Make sure to consult the How to Use This Site menu at the top of the page. It will help you, both in your studies as well as in your navigation of the site.

16

Canada: A Peoples History


http://history.cbc.ca

READING | VOCABULARY ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SCIENCE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This site explores an award-winning television series produced by the CBC that describes the history of Canada. Unfortunately, video clips are no longer available on the site, but there is still plenty of reading material as well as a History Crossword Puzzle, a game about being a Viking, and an extensive bibliography that was used to create the television program. The historical timeline at the top of the page is interesting, singling out important moments from 12,000 B.C. through 1990. Effective English practice for the avid Canadian history buff!

Internet Directory

14

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

17

Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers


http://www.caslt.org

ESL | READING ART AND IMAGES

This site is geared to teachers and CASLT members, but it is an important resource for any ESL student living in Canada. As a student, joining a major association in your eld is always a good idea because you will gain access to learning materials, email bulletins, newsletters, conferences, and special offers. When you become a member of the CASLT, you can take advantage of benets and added resources. For students enrolled in a Faculty of Education, there is a one-year free membership. Students who are members of provincial language associations may become Afliate Members for only $15. If you are not a teacher, you can still use the selection of diverse and excellent links in the Tools section. Here you will nd games, puzzles, printouts, test databases, dictionaries, search engines, and classroom exchange sites.

18

Canadian Encyclopedia
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com

LISTENING | READING | WRITING

This site is a great resource for working on reading comprehension and researching writing topics about Canada. A search box to the site is provided on the Home page. Try the links under Interactive Resources, including Games and Learning, English-French Phrases, and French-English Phrases.

19

Canadian History on the Web


http://canadianhistoryontheweb.ca

READING | VOCABULARY ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SCIENCE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This site is full of links to everything and anything related to Canadian history on the Web. Maintained by Dr. Susan Nylan, Professor of History at Wilfrid Laurier University, the site is essentially a repository of resources, and there will be the occasional link that does not work.

Internet Directory

15

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

However, what does function (and there is lots of it) is impressive. You can search alphabetically according to topic, or under the general headings of Historical Documents, Historical Graphics, Museums, Heritage Sites and Archives, Fun and Games, and Other Resources.

20

Canadian Language Benchmarks Centre


http://www.language.ca

ESL HISTORY AND CULTURE | TECHNICAL LANGUAGE

The CLB develops national standards for the development of benchmarks, and promotes programs to assist immigrants in attaining these standards. (Language benchmarks describe a task such as reading, writing, speaking, or listening, and how well you can do it.) The site provides information on language prociency, approved CLB tests, specic placement exams, workplace assessment, and assessment centres. There are some excellent brochures available throughout the site in PDF. Be patient if they take a few minutes to load. Professionals may be interested in the entire site, but English students should check out the Learner Gateway rst.

21

Canadian Language Benchmarks (Manitoba)


http://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/immigrate/learningenglish/1b.html

ESL HISTORY AND CULTURE

Manitoba is in the process of changing the term ESL to EAL, which means English as an Additional Language. This is in keeping with the theory behind TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), since we know that in Canada, many students learning English for the rst time already have advanced knowledge of one or more other languages. The site focuses quite a bit on Canadian language benchmarks, and provides links and downloadable PDF materials to help you both evaluate your own language level and practise self-study. (Language benchmarks describe a task such as reading, writing, speaking, or listening, and how well you can do it.)

Internet Directory

16

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

22

Canadian Olympians (Library and Archives Canada)


http://www.collectionscanada.ca/olympians

READING | VOCABULARY ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SOCIAL SCIENCE | SPORTS

This is a searchable images database of Canadian Olympians from the early 1900s through 2004. Each image is accompanied by a short, precise description that is perfect for beginner and intermediate English students. 2006 Olympians appear on a separate site: http://www.olympic.ca. You can browse by athlete, sport, Olympic year, or medal. The site includes a lengthy essay on the history of the Canadian presence in the Olympics. The Educational Resources area contains two lesson plans, an idea bank, and a crossword puzzle in HTML, RTF, and PDF, the standard materials included on all Library and Archives Canada sites.

23

Canadians in the World


http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/ciw%2Dcdm

ESL | GRAMMAR | READING | VOCABULARY HISTORY AND CULTURE

Hosted by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, this site will primarily appeal to the advanced English student with interests in Canadas history, culture, and place in the world. It is all text and there are no illustrations, but the text is especially well written and technically excellent. Be warned: Even advanced students should be cautioned when tackling the Canada and La Francophonie section. Although it provides a good example of how the two languages merge in a written format in the Qubec context, it is slow-going and not for the weak of heart!

Internet Directory

17

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

24

CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

ESL | LISTENING | READING | VOCABULARY HISTORY AND CULTURE | NEWS | SCIENCE | SOCIAL SCIENCE | SPORTS

Archives http://archives.cbc.ca The CBC offers a large collection of free radio and television clips to help you improve your listening comprehension. Enter search terms or browse the following categories: People, Conict and War, Arts and Entertainment, Politics and the Economy, Life and Society, Disasters and Tragedies, Science and Technology, and Sports. You can also choose a timeline with entries that are colour-coded by subject. The quality of the language used by CBC journalists is rst-rate, and there is an impressive variety of topics to explore. CBC Email Newsletters http://www.cbc.ca/mycbc/do/newsletter Current news stories are good reading practice, and are often useful for research projects. The CBC offers a variety of daily newsletters delivered free to your desktop. The service requires a free membership sign-up. CBC ESL http://www.cbc.ca/ottawa/esl/lessons.html There are 10 lessons on these Web pages to help you learn to speak and read English. Each lesson has preparation activities, an audio or video le, and exercises in comprehension and vocabulary. While you are visiting the CBC, check the Archive for a vast collection of free radio and television clips from Canadas past.

25

Celebrating Womens Achievements (Library and Archives Canada)


http://www.collectionscanada.ca/women

READING | VOCABULARY ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SCIENCE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

Another theme-based resource, this website chronicles the lives and achievements of exceptional Canadian women. Divided into topic menus according to the womens major contributions, the elds are diverse and include lm,

Internet Directory

18

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

theatre, arts, sport, activism, science, and many others. Each piece includes a photograph or drawing of the individual, biographical information, and a list of additional suggested readings. In the Educational Resources area, two lesson plans, a bank of ideas for teaching and writing, and a crossword puzzle have been prepared to accompany the biographies, but the site is primarily text-based and best for developing intermediate and advanced reading skills.

26

Center for History and New Media: Tools


http://chnm.gmu.edu/tools

LISTENING | SPEAKING ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | LITERATURE | NEWS | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This site showcases a unique and imaginative selection of free tools for Internet research in history, including Zotero (which helps you to collect, manage, and cite research sources), Syllabus Finder, Web Scrapbook for storing a variety of media items, Survey Builder, and Scribe (a cross-platform note-taking application), as well as several others. The CHNM home page is also pertinent for English students with an interest in modern and ancient history. In the Resources area, you will nd essays, blogs, famous episodes in history, and an amusing section called Sidelights. In the Projects area, you will nd issues of topical interest, including the leading digital repository of materials related to September 11, the Hurricane Digital Memory Bank, and various other collections of rare and endangered media related to American and World History. Sanity note: You may wish to take a snack break while waiting for some of these heavily laden sites to load.

27

Churchill House School of English Language


http://www.churchillhouse.com/english/learners.html

ESL | GRAMMAR | VOCABULARY | WRITING

This commercial site offers free online exercises indexed by level. Choose a level, then choose the activities you would like to try. Based in England, the site is accredited by the British Council.

Internet Directory

19

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

Try the following links: Dr. Grammar is a discussion forum that answers student grammar questions. Exam Preparation lists and describes standardized ESL exams for students, teachers and translators. For Teachers offers downloadable verb exercises in PDF, and other interesting links.

28

Citizenship and Immigration Canada


http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomer/welcome/wel-22e.html

ESL CULTURE

The Government of Canada, along with partners at the provincial and community levels, provides free language training for adult permanent residents. Before spending unnecessary money on private courses, see if you qualify for the CLIC program in Qubec (LINC in the rest of Canada). The site has a list of ofces across the country, many ofcial publications, application forms for immigration, detailed policy and regulation statements, and general statistics.

29

Collegial Centre for Educational Materials Development (CCDMD)


http://www.ccdmd.qc.ca

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING LITERATURE

The CCDMD designs and develops educational materials for teachers and students throughout the Qubec Cgep system. To accomplish this, the Centre offers administrative, technical, nancial, and instructional support to college professors so that they may produce their own educational materials. The Centre is subsidized by the Qubec Ministre de lducation, du Loisir, et du Sport, and managed by Collge de Maisonneuve. In 2005, the CCDMD broadened its collaborative efforts to include anglophone colleges, as part of the Canada-Qubec Agreement. A diverse collection of printed, digital, and online materials is produced for a wide range of courses and programs. Students will currently nd translated
Internet Directory

20

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

materials in various subject areas on the CCDMD website, and materials specically designed for the anglophone college community will be coming soon. There will be multimedia tools for improving English-language skills, as well as help for preparing for the English Exit Exam. The website has been recently redesigned and is ready to welcome you. With about 10 projects added each year, there will always be new additions. Bookmark this site and check in often!

30

Columbia Guide to Online Style


http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/cgos2006/basic.html

WRITING

This Web page is based on the book The Columbia Guide to Online Style by Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor (Columbia UP, 2006) and provides a few good examples of how to cite online sources when writing academic papers or documentary articles. Examples of both humanities-style and scientic-style quotations are given. The FAQ section answers further questions, such as how to treat lengthy Web addresses with word processors and other common dilemmas encountered by students when including sources from the Internet. No longer optional, every student should become as at ease with quoting online sources as they are with traditional sources and learn how to use consistent styles for both (i.e., MLA, APA). The page is a useful resource for teachers, especially since the site gives permission for the page to be printed and distributed for classroom use, unlike many copyright-protected texts.

31

Concept Maps
http://classes.aces.uiuc.edu/ACES100/Mind/CMap.html

WRITING

A concept map is a helpful tool for students trying to organize a project or essay. This site provides a denition of concept maps, discusses their purpose, and describes how to choose and use them. It offers downloadable diagrams to help you design your own maps. The site is very easy to navigate. Follow these links: Tips on Making Your Own Concept Maps, Kinds of Concept Maps, and Concept Map Bank.

Internet Directory

21

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

32

Criteria for Evaluating Internet Sources


http://www.library.ubc.ca/home/evaluating/

WRITING

Anyone who has a computer and access to the Internet can put together a website, so its important to know how to evaluate Internet sources before you use them in a research paper. This site provides a list of questions to help you sort the reliable sites from the rest. Each category of questions has a So What button that explains why it is important to ask the questions. The links to biased and parody sites are fun, and the external links are helpful.

33

Critically Analyzing Information Sources


http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill26.htm

WRITING

The questions on this page will lead you through a thorough assessment of your print sources and help you decide whether they are appropriate for essays and research papers. The process is also great practice in critical thinking.

34

Curricular Resources and Materials for ESL


http://www.cln.org/subjects/esl.html

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SCIENCE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This little page is a straightforward listing of resources and sites for ESL learning. There are curricular resources, instructional materials, and a theme pages area (which for now only includes a theme on listening). Regarding the links, its a mixed bag, but most of them were functional at the time of writing. A word of caution: We did not check every site listed here, so you will need to evaluate their learning potential yourself or ask your English teacher what he or she thinks of a particular resource. The page is a part of a larger site called Community Learning Network, a BC-based site designed to assist K12 teachers with integrating technology in the classroom: http://www.cln.org/.
Internet Directory

22

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

35

Daily Grammar Lesson Archive


http://dailygrammar.com/

ESL | GRAMMAR

This site offers more than 400 sequential grammar lessons. Work at your own pace, and choose lessons from the archive or sign up for free daily email lessons on the Home page. You will receive free daily grammar lessons Monday to Friday, and a quiz on Saturday.

36

Daves ESL Caf


http://www.eslcafe.com

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

Dave Sperlings popular ESL site is found in almost every ESL directory. The Caf offers a large number of links to material for students and teachers. Many links are commercial. Students will nd grammar exercises, a helpline, and chat pages with free access. Some links work intermittently, perhaps due to high trafc on the site.

37

Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online (Library and Archives Canada)


http://www.biographi.ca

READING | VOCABULARY ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | LITERATURE | SCIENCE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This website is being continually updated and expanded, and already contains more than 20 volumes beginning with the year 1000 (yes, you read it correctly the year 1000). You can search by volume, keyword, identity, profession, or geographic region. You can also look up an individual by name, or browse by the rst letter of the last name. As this site develops, it will be possible to connect to portraits (where available), link to related stories and biographies, and connect to virtual exhibitions and search tools in order to nd primary source material and supplementary information related to the biographies.

Internet Directory

23

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

38

Dictionary of Events, Places, People, and Times in Canadian History


http://www.edunetconnect.com/cat/candict

READING | VOCABULARY ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SCIENCE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This sweet little number is categorized alphabetically according to topic: Click on a letter in the alphabet and get a very narrow offering of information related to selected topics in Canadian history. The material is illustrated where possible and attractively presented, but there are not copious amounts of it. Quality versus quantity denitely applies here.

39

e-anglais
http://www.e-anglais.com/

ESL | GRAMMAR | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING NEWS | TECHNICAL LANGUAGE

As its name suggests, this site is designed for French-speaking students who wish to learn English, and provides the option of reading the instructions for each activity in the students rst language. The titles and instructions are also provided in English, so the site is not of exclusive interest to French students. It is an extensive list of links to vocabulary sources, magazines, newspapers, television, radio, and virtual books. Several online dictionaries and translation tools are listed. At the top of the page, menus written in French, such as Cours, Exercises, Tests, and Lectures, point to excellent activities, exercises, and resources.

40

Early Canadiana Online


http://www.canadiana.org/eco

READING | VOCABULARY ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This is a database of more than 2 million early Canadian texts that have been digitized (lets hope they didnt throw out the originals). The texts

Internet Directory

24

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

are organized into collections that are searchable according to topic, title, keyword, and year of publication. The list of collections is summarized in the Collection Descriptions section. Teachers will appreciate the Lesson Plans area and also the fact that the site provides access to an Evaluation Report of its educational sites and resources.

41

Education Canada: International Gateway to Education in Canada


http://www.educationcanada.cmec.ca

ESL HISTORY AND CULTURE

Since education in Canada is the exclusive responsibility of each province and territory, it is sometimes difcult to nd resources that present information on the nations education system as a whole. This site, produced by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), does just that. The Education Canada Gateway, along with the CMEC website (http://www. cmec.ca) provides a vast array of reliable references for citizens and new arrivals to Canada. Under Adult Literacy and Learning, there are many valuable resources and organizations listed.

42

Edund.com: Online English Grammar


http://www.edund.com/english/grammar

ESL | GRAMMAR | WRITING

You will nd interesting and well-presented material for studying English on this site. There is such a variety that it is difcult to describe in a few sentences. There are headings related to Punctuation, Writing Tips, and English Tests. You can complete a free assessment and then subscribe to more learning activities from OEG, or just use whats available on the site (which is a lot). If you happen to be building a website for ESL or other students, there is free content available here.

Internet Directory

25

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

43

Edunetconnect
http://www.edunetconnect.com/

READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | NEWS | SCIENCE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This Canadian site, geared to teachers, offers weekly awards to the best sites providing educational content. The Learning Categories menu presents a vast array of websites that lead to endless hallways of learning opportunities in many subject areas. The frequently updated features centred on the home page target the learners curiosity, but the site is literally hemmed in by commercial links. If you are Internet-savvy, you will have no problem ignoring these areas, but they may be distracting for some.

44

English as a Second Language


http://www.rong-chang.com/

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

This is a great site for ESL learners. The site provides material of its own as well as links to other useful sites. Interesting features include a Pronouncing Dictionary of Common English Names, an ESL Chat Community, and ESL Writing Blogs. Follow the link to 100 Free Short English Stories for ESL Learners to listen to stories as they are read aloud. The reader speaks slowly and clearly, making it easy to follow as you read the text on the screen. Try the grammar, comprehension, and dictation exercises that accompany the stories. This is an excellent resource for improving your pronunciation. You will need RealAudio or MP3 capability to hear these les.

Internet Directory

26

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

45

English Club
http://www.englishclub.com

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | LITERATURE | NEWS

This excellent and thorough site originates in Cambridge, England, and is free, although there are links to commercial sites. The site uses the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English as a reference, but includes pages from Canadian and American English sources, and points out the differences where applicable. This feature may resolve some of the confusion between different word spellings for you.

46

English Department
http://the_english_dept.tripod.com/esc.html

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | LITERATURE | NEWS | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This page is a subsection of a site that addresses the needs of EFL students. Based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the creator, Barbara Dieu, is an EFL teacher for secondary-level students. The site has an international, contemporary avour. On the home page, you will discover interesting facts about English, its growth, and its place in the world, as well as anecdotes from English students. To get a sense of the scale of this site, check out the unique Site Map that you can access from the main Go To menu on the left. The titles are clickable and you can search almost any topic, including lesson plans, writing activities, media, quizzes, English-speaking countries, chat, slang, horoscopes each area leads you to a new page, where you will nd many excellent and entertaining educational links for learning English.

Internet Directory

27

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

47

English Exit Exam: Learning Centre (Dawson College)


http://dept.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/lc/English.html

ESL | GRAMMAR | VOCABULARY | WRITING

Dawson Colleges Learning Centre provides Cgep students with resources to improve their writing and to pass Qubecs Ministerial Examination of College English (English Exit Exam). On the Learning Centres home page, scroll down to Grammar Handouts to learn more about word pairs, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Follow the English Exit Exam link for a step-bystep guide, including sample thesis statements and a checklist for editing your essay. The guide also has many links to extra information.

48

English Exit Exam: Learning Centre (Vanier College)


http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/tlc/

ESL | GRAMMAR | VOCABULARY | WRITING

The Learning Centre at Vanier College has clear, concise information on how to write essays at the Cgep level. Click on the Guide and Tips menu and then select Writing Guide to learn more about choosing topics, doing research, organizing, writing paragraphs, avoiding plagiarism, and using the MLA reference format. The English Exit Exam section contains everything you need to know to pass Qubecs Ministerial Examination of College English, with tip sheets, explanations of the marking criteria, and sample student essays. There is also a link to the English Now online tutorial for second-language students.

49

English Exit Exam (Ministerial Examination of College English Language of Instruction)


http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/ens-sup/ens-coll/Eprv_uniforme/Anglais/ Welcome.asp

ESL | GRAMMAR | VOCABULARY | WRITING

If you are looking for information about Qubecs English Exit Exam for Cgep students, this is the place to start. This site of the Ministre de lducation, du Loisir et du Sport provides a general introduction to the exam, explains the criteria for passing it, and posts the exam schedule.
Internet Directory

28

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

There are links to past exam questions (the readings cannot be provided because of copyright rules) and to an FAQ document called All You Need to Know: A-Z. The Marking Guide contains several sample student essays with explanations of how they were graded.

50

English Language Centre: Study Zone


http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/

ESL | GRAMMAR | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

Widely acknowledged as one of the best English-language study sites available, the University of Victorias English Study Zone has exercises in reading, writing, grammar, and games. Indexed by level, individual pages offer exercises in different categories. Exercises are varied and imaginative, and they increase in the degree of difculty. The last lesson in a series often provides review and self-testing. Simple design, easy links, and useful exercises make this a very user-friendly resource. Bookmark it right now! The following is a brief summary of each level: Level 200 contains simple texts and grammar exercises. Level 330 contains stories, exercises, and comprehension questions. There are also many grammar exercises as well as some on punctuation. Level 410 offers a chance to read stories and write summaries of what you have read. There are also grammar exercises in both the reading and grammar sections. Level 490 has ve readings with grammar, comprehension, and writing exercises. Readings and exercises are arranged from easiest to most difcult. Level 570 contains reading exercises, including one on critical reading. You will also nd more advanced grammar exercises. The page ends with a Web-based scavenger hunt and a writing assignment. The Extra Materials section contains an Index to Grammar Exercises as well as a section called Choosing the Correct Article.

Internet Directory

29

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

51

English Language Institute


http://learningresources.eli.ubc.ca/

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

The English Language Institute (ELI) of UBC contains some of the highest quality free material on the Internet for learning English as a second language. Its probably better than a lot of the commercial material as well. The layout and design are great and completely ad-free. Some sections require textbooks used by students and les at the ELI, but youll nd plenty of free content on the rest of the site. Each section provides external links as an additional resource. The site is divided into ve sections: Using Corpora has external links that teach you how to use language databases to learn the different ways words and phrases can be used. Reading offers levels 400 to 600 with pre-reading material, texts, and exercises. This is a great resource for building vocabulary and, at the advanced level, learning about some aspects of grammar. Writing contains exercises on understanding collocations (words frequently used together), combining sentences, constructing paragraphs, and using phrasal verbs. Speaking and Listening contains transcripts, exercises, and external links organized by level for beginning to advanced speakers. Exam Courses is designed to help you with the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). This section will also help students who want to improve their vocabulary. It contains exercises on word meanings, commonly confused words, phrasal verbs, idioms, opposites, and word forms.

52

English Lessons and Tests


http://www.englishlearner.com

GRAMMAR | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

With a nice conversational tone and a sense of humour, this site provides many simple and effective lessons and tests for the beginner to advancedlevel English student. You can subscribe to receive free lessons by email and, if you dont have an email address, you can get one through this site.

Internet Directory

30

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

On the home page, there is an online dictionary search, a poll function, games, and a bookshop. You can sign yourself up on a mailing list to meet other English students (virtually) and receive tips on resources.

53

English Now: An Online Tutorial (Vanier College)


http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/languageschool/Potatoes/home.htm

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

This site offers an intensive and comprehensive review of verbs, with great material to help you learn how and when to use each of the English verb tenses. The tutorial also covers reading comprehension, vocabulary, and listening skills. The concepts are presented in stories or texts written by Vanier students, and the exercises are carefully sequenced. The themes are international and multicultural, and many of them also focus on current events in and around Montral, for young students who are new to the city. The site is best viewed with a recent browser. There is a wide variety of options for audio players, but make sure the volume on your computer is turned way up!

54

English Pronunciation and Listening


http://international.ouc.bc.ca/pronunciation/

ESL | LISTENING | SPEAKING

There are 13 units at this excellent site to help second-language learners improve their pronunciation and listening skills. Each unit focuses on a group of sounds and includes practice exercises. The most difcult sounds have QuickTime video les to show you exactly how to pronounce them. There are links to download all the software you need to use the site. This is some of the best free pronunciation material available. If you would like to invest in some other tools, there are a few links to good commercial sites at the bottom of the home page.

Internet Directory

31

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

55

ESL Monkeys: English as a Second Language Online Resources


http://www.eslmonkeys.com

ESL | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

This charming ESL directory is divided into sections: For Teachers, For Schools, and For Students. Many free resources are available. The site is frequently updated, so we wont give you too much information on specifics, as things may change by the time you get there. However, the layout is easy to navigate and the content is never boring. There are also useful little tools on each page, such as the word Look Up feature. The downside of the site is that most of the multimedia functions only if you have Microsoft Internet Explorer as your browser, if you have Adobe Acrobat Reader, and if your pop-up blocker is disengaged. Those of you with this lucky combination, however, wont be disappointed.

56

ESL Notes Presents: The English Learner Movie Guide


http://www.eslnotes.com/

ESL | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING

What a great idea! With the emergence of DVDs and the capacity to watch movies with subtitles in the language of your choice, sitting down in front of the TV has never been such an educational experience for language learners. At this site, a multitude of guides provides plot summaries of popular lms, character lists, glossaries, and brief discussions of cultural references. This is a fun way to practise reading, and an excellent way to work on listening comprehension. Each lm entry may be downloaded in PDF, HTML, or Microsoft Word. The catch is that you need to buy or rent the movie yourself! Dont expect to nd a free version on the site. If you want to, you can order it online.

Internet Directory

32

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

57

English Tests, Etc.


http://www.english-test.net

ESL | GRAMMAR | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING LITERATURE | SOCIAL SCIENCE | TECHNICAL LANGUAGE

The home page of this site lists easily accessible online tests pertaining to various English grammar topics, special themes, and TOEFL-style exam preparation. Most tests are organized into levels of difculty (Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced). The site is densely packed with stimulating and original activities that are fully functional, within which you will be hardpressed to nd a typo, punctuation, or grammatical error. The language and themes tend to have an American bias, but the creators of the site seem to have been brought together virtually, rather than through any geographic connection. To meet these people, just click on an image under the site logo. You will be treated to a detailed history of each instructors professional experience, and, in most cases, you will nd links to learning materials developed by the instructors as well as articles they have written. The group seems to be a bit of a cooperative: a very interesting and innovative approach to teaching English. The best part is that (for now), its all free. Take advantage of this great site before the authors implement their commercial plans!

58

English Trailers
http://www.english-trailers.com/

ESL | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY

This little package, presented by DreamWorks, makes a good partner to the English Learner Movie Guide, and actually provides trailers on-site. Improve your listening comprehension by watching movie trailers (commercials for hit movies). You can search for lms by title, actor, genre, or the year it was released. There is also an in-house dictionary database at work behind the scenes. The site is designed and maintained by English teachers, and contains warmup activities, scripts of the trailers, and exercises. Many activities are designed for use with a partner or group. The site provides a link for QuickTime in the Welcome area, where you will also nd detailed animated instructions on using the site. To maximize your experience, you can create a user account

Internet Directory

33

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

that gives you access to more trailers and bonus features of the site, including quizzes that allow you to save your scores. Teachers can also use this functionality to supervise and grade their students performance. There are a few typos, unfortunately, but the overall concept is good, so this site gets a pass. Fresh and fun!

59

eWorkshop: Ontarios Education Foundation Programs


http://www.eworkshop.on.ca

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING ART AND IMAGES | SOCIAL SCIENCE

The Education Foundation program involves teacher training and the development of teacher guides in printed form. The eWorkshop site represents a natural progression of the Foundations work into technology and multimedia, providing online learning modules and teaching resources. The literacy modules offered here are carefully planned and educationally sound. Although designed for primary-level students, many are easily adapted for adult use. The division of material into Emergent, Early, and Fluent reader levels helps the student to understand the process of learning to read. Printable material is available in PDF format. The many examples of high-quality, fast-loading Flash videos are intended primarily to guide teachers in their instruction strategies. However, these can be fun to watch, and they provide helpful hints for effective solo learning.

60

First Among Equals


http://www.collectionscanada.ca/2/4/

READING | VOCABULARY ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

The site proles each Canadian prime minister and also focuses on ve main themes related to the ofce throughout history. A special plus is that the site includes transcripts of ofcial speeches, categorized according to political topic. The material is text-based and suited to intermediate and advanced readers. If the material is too difcult or if you would like to learn along with your children, there is a kids version of the site. Based on the same content, this site is more colourful, and includes period photographs, a fact sheet, and a helpful keyword feature.
Internet Directory

34

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

There is a Fun section with simple yet effective trivia, matching games, and a great Picture Gallery that features prime ministers in places and with people you might not expect! There is also a link for teachers.

61

Focus on English
http://focusenglish.com/

ESL | LISTENING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY

The site focuses on listening to native speakers discuss a variety of topics, and introduces useful idioms and common expressions. The site offers unique, simple, and interesting visuals, such as graphs and maps as conversation starters, that are helpful for the solo student and would be ideal for projection in an ESL classroom environment. There used to be a chat feature, but this has been disabled. A link is offered to install chat, but it is for personal use only and will not match you up with students at this particular site. You will need RealPlayer to hear the audio les.

62

Government of Qubec
http://www.immigration-Qubec.gouv.qc.ca/en/employment/lookingnding/learn-english.html

ESL HISTORY AND CULTURE

This is an important site for new immigrants, as it provides valuable information regarding settling in, housing, and language training. A few organizations that offer free, low-tuition, or paid courses are featured on the page. There is useful information on trades, job search, and language requirements when looking for employment in Qubec. The site provides online government forms and electronic services.

Internet Directory

35

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

63

Grand dictionnaire terminologique: Ofce qubcois de la langue franaise


http://www.olf.gouv.qc.ca/ressources/gdt.html

VOCABULARY | WRITING TECHNICAL LANGUAGE

You can look up words and phrases in French or English at the Qubec governments website of the Ofce qubcois de la langue franaise. This is not a translation site, but a dictionary (that is, terms, spelling and usage). The search page is in French, but you can search from French to English or from English to French. The site is well maintained and updated regularly. The downside is that you really need to know some French to understand the instructions here. Also, be careful not to take denitions out of context they may not always be culturally appropriate or reect your intended meaning.

64

Guardian Unlimited
http://www.guardian.co.ukk

ESL | READING | WRITING HISTORY AND CULTURE | LITERATURE | NEWS | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This is a well-organized site, rich in information and opportunities to improve reading and writing skills. Based in Britain, the Guardian Unlimited has interesting international content on a wide variety of topics. Sign up for the alert service, and have articles about topics that interest you delivered free to your desktop. A free software download is available and no registration is necessary. The Books link is of particular interest to the English student. In Authors, you will nd biographical information about a large number of international writers, as well as articles and reviews. There are links to extracts from books and, for the adventurous, there are writing games and quizzes. There are also QuickTime audio links for selected news stories. Note that the announcer will speak with a British accent.

Internet Directory

36

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

65

Globe and Mail


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/

ESL | LISTENING | READING HISTORY AND CULTURE | LITERATURE | NEWS | SOCIAL SCIENCE

Reading newspaper articles every day is one of the best ways to build your reading and writing skills. The Globe and Mail, a Canadian newspaper, has a well-developed online edition that covers national and international news, as well as featuring sections on business and investing, sports, arts, travel, technology, and health. These pages contain many surprises, and subscribers have access to RSS feeds.

66

Historical Voices
http://www.historicalvoices.org

LISTENING | SPEAKING

This site preserves and displays historical events and information in the form of archival spoken-word recordings. Here, the student can listen to interviews, press statements, court cases, and many other examples of actual people caught on tape. Some of the audio recordings come with a transcript so that you can follow the text reading while listening. The sources are varied, and so are the formats. If a particular site doesnt work for you, check which media player is required. RealAudio is often employed, as well as RSS feeds for podcasts, but the information is not always clearly mentioned, which can be frustrating for users. The Education area presents excellent information for teachers, along with lesson plans to accompany specic audio archives. A word of caution: Test everything before presenting to your class! This site has ambitious goals and objectives set out on its home page, but it still has a ways to go before it lives up to all of these. Nevertheless, the existing content, despite a few glitches, is worth a look.

Internet Directory

37

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

67

How to Do Research on the Internet


http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/vl/www/wwwcon.htm

WRITING

This is a straightforward introductory tutorial to research on the Internet. Even if the student has extensive experience surng and searching online, this site will help clarify terminology, such as the differences between search engines and subject gateways, the denition and structure of a URL, domain names as clues to the type of organization represented by a website, etc. Other tutorials on various topics in information technology are available in the Subject Guide at the top of the page. Printable versions of all the tutorials are offered at the site.

68

HyperGrammar
http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/ rvprnref.html

GRAMMAR | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

This is an extensive grammar site offered by the University of Ottawas Writing Centre. The site is indexed by topic, and there are links from each lesson to related pages within the rest of the site. All these links can make moving around a bit confusing; however, the content is useful, clear, and very well written. The benet of this method is that the student can navigate according to his or her own train of thought. As a linear approach to learning grammar is problematic on many levels, this approach is refreshing and educationally sound, once you get into the ow of it. A word of caution: It is highly recommended to start by reading How to Use HyperGrammar, and not a bad idea to tackle this site early in your day with a rested brain and fresh eyes.

Internet Directory

38

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

69

Hypertext Writers Guide (University of Victoria)


http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/welcome.html

ESL | GRAMMAR | VOCABULARY | WRITING

Every step of the essay-writing process is covered here. The Table of Contents and Index make it easy to nd exactly what you are looking for, and the site is well designed. The information is easy to read and the pages load quickly. Use this site to plan and research your essay, to revise and proofread your draft, and to prepare a bibliography of your sources. Learn about different types of essays and the terms you need to write an essay on literature. Amaze your friends and relatives by knowing the denition of the literary term zeugma (we bet even your teacher has to look it up). This site is well worth a bookmark.

70

I Love Languages
http://www.ilovelanguages.com

READING | WRITING HISTORY AND CULTURE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This award-winning site has been established in some form since 1994. It has been quoted in both online and print media press on many occasions. The site is primarily a catalogue of language-related Internet resources, with many links that are not specic to English. One helpful aspect of the site is that its commercial listings appear together and are accessible from one menu, so the student is not obliged to sift through sites that are selling products and services. There are a large number of dictionaries, translation tools, and teacher resources included in the Languages area. In the School area, the student can nd language camps, programs, and universities. There is also a Jobs area with links to language-related employment resources.

Internet Directory

39

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

71

Images Canada
http://www.imagescanada.ca/

READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

Photo essays are usually written by an archivist or historian to develop a narrative on a specic theme and then enhanced with images. Using the sites search engine, you can collect and arrange your choice of images to accompany a photo essay of your own or select an Image Trail to see a prepared set of about 50 to 150 images on a particular theme. Beautifully presented, the site is a great alternative for English students who are visual learners or who are not ready for a lot of heavy reading.

72

Interesting Things for ESL Students


www.manythings.org

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING LITERATURE

This site is included here because it has such a varied selection of amusing and unusual offerings that employ diverse learning strategies. It will appeal to different learners, and exercise multiple skills, including grammar, vocabulary, listening, spelling, and pronunciation. Two words of caution: There are a few errors on the site, and not every tool works perfectly or has much educational value. In addition, the games and interactive activities have been designed for different platforms, including Flash, JavaScript, and various players. Depending on your system, you may not have success using all of them. Nevertheless, the site owners should be congratulated on offering a truly not-for-prot resource, where the student is never subjected to unwanted advertising.

Internet Directory

40

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

73

International Herald Tribune


http://www.iht.com/pages/index.php

ESL | LISTENING | READING HISTORY AND CULTURE | LITERATURE | NEWS | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This international newspaper includes original content as well as articles from newswire services and major papers, like The New York Times. Articles are presented with high-quality visuals, and there are always links to more detailed information, as well as discussion groups and blogs. Your choice of format and media: You can get streaming audio news here, RSS feeds, and even downloads for your cellphone.

74

Johns ESL Community: English Interactive


http://www.johnsesl.com/

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING LITERATURE

Follow the Students link for information, activities, exercises, and games to challenge and improve your language skills. Many of the listening exercises are based on the American National Public Radio and National Geographic articles. The pop-up ads are a bit annoying, but the site is easy to use and the links are reliable. The listening exercises use RealAudio.

75

LangCanada Portal Project


http://www.langcanada.ca

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SCIENCE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This CASLT-managed site aims to be a one-stop Internet resource for second ofcial language learning. The site provides resources for both English and French language learning, but its most original feature is the possibility of search options in both languages. For instance, a French-speaking student can locate English material using a French search engine, and vice versa. Three superb search engines focus on the separate areas of Educational Resources, Training Organizations, and Research.
Internet Directory

41

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

In the Educational Resources area, students can search according to topic area or learning level (adult and child), type of language skill, or teaching and learning resource. There is also a section devoted to Educational Resources by Theme. Here you will nd less common materials, such as learning English through music and images. The site is still under development, so come back and visit often.

76

Language Sites on the Internet


http://www.verbivore.com/rllink.htm

GRAMMAR | READING | VOCABULARY LITERATURE

This excellent Web directory of English language sites is one page in Richard Lederers Verbivore site. The Language Links are arranged by topic in an index at the top of the page. Find links to Etymology, Grammar and Usage, Language Columns/Online Magazines, Newsgroups, Puns, Reference, Word Games, Word and Letter Play, and Word Watching and Vocabulary Development. The links are of excellent quality. This is an essential site for advanced ESL students, and for everyone who has an appetite for language.

77

Learn English Search and Exam English


http://learn-english-search-swicki.eurekster.com

ESL TECHNICAL LANGUAGE

A wiki is a collaborative website where users can contribute and edit the information. A swicki is a collaborative search engine. A swicki learns from the interests of the community that uses it the more users who consult a certain topic area, the larger the topic will appear in the list of contents. Used with prudence, it will lead to many unexpected places, and will appeal to the curious-minded. However, since the sites open in the same browser window, it is easy to get lost. This particular swicki is the creation of Steve Chadwick from http://www. examenglish.com/ a great resource for those preparing for an English language exam, such as TOEFL, IELTS, and the Cambridge University exams. Most of the major tests are described in detail so that you will know exactly what to expect. There are free mini-exams offered, and you can nd testing centres, and purchase learning materials.

Internet Directory

42

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

78

Learning Centre (Library and Archives Canada)


http://www.collectionscanada.ca/education

READING | VOCABULARY ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

If this Directory has not yet convinced you that Library and Archives Canada is quite simply a stroke of brilliance on the part of the educational powersthat-be in government, visit this site. We will not even introduce it here, as everything you need to know is clearly stated on the home page. The visual design is quite a bit more contemporary and colourful than the usual Archives fare, but the site is still just as rich with Canadian history and educational resources. There is something for absolutely every student and teacher. Go there, NOW!

79

Librarians Internet Index: Websites You Can Trust


http://lii.org/pub/topic/english

ESL | GRAMMAR | WRITING

This Librarians Directory to the English language includes 16 ESL sites, carefully selected and indexed by topic. Some lists of particular interest are Grammar, Homonyms, Rhyme, Slang, Style Manuals, Terms and Phrases, and Word Games and Puns. Links under Recent Additions are well worth a look. Everything is clearly accessible from this page.

80

Library and Archives Canada


http://www.collectionscanada.ca/

READING | VOCABULARY ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SCIENCE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

A huge repository where you can explore all kinds of historical documents as well as special collections, including Canadian Genealogy, Multicultural Resources, Aboriginal Resources, a Portrait Gallery, and an Online Canadian Biography Dictionary. There are many sub-links within this site so, to avoid missing anything, keep going back to the home page, where you can access featured exhibitions and browse selected topics.

Internet Directory

43

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

81

Library Spot: Dictionaries


http://www.libraryspot.com/

ESL | READING | VOCABULARY

This is an essential link for ESL students and for anyone looking for reference material. Part of the StartSpot site, this is an excellent place to nd the dictionary youre looking for. Find other StartSpot links, including Libraries, Reference Desk, and Reading Room on the left side of the page.

82

Listen to CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)


http://www.cbc.ca/listen/

LISTENING

Improve your listening comprehension and vocabulary with CBC Radio One, listed by city (news and talk shows), or choose CBC Radio Two (music with commentary) at the bottom of the page. The spoken English is clear and of excellent quality. There is a table of contents to other CBC Radio sites listed by topic.

83

Literature.org: The Online Literature Library


http://www.literature.org/authors/

READING LITERATURE

This small collection of public access literature provides full texts in a format that is relatively easy to read onscreen. The authors include Charles Dickens, Leo Tolstoy, and Ren Descartes. Its hard to imagine reading an entire novel onscreen, but literature students may appreciate the ability to copy the text, hear it read by a screen reader, and search for key passages and characters.

Internet Directory

44

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

84

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online


http://www.ldoceonline.com/

ESL | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY

Second-language students will appreciate this learners dictionary. The advantage of learners dictionaries is that the denitions are given in clear, simple language, and many entries have pictures and audio pronunciation les. The quality of the online content is high, and the site is free and easy to use, but you must register rst. The site contains a number of irritating sales pitches for the full book/CD edition.

85

Look Way Up
http://lookwayup.com

READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING TECHNICAL LANGUAGE

This is an online dictionary and thesaurus with a spelling correction feature that installs onto your browser. This is a free, useful, and efcient tool for when you are working online. In most cases, you will not have to leave the page you are on to check your favourite translation engine or hard copy dictionary. Referring to a small space on your toolbar, just look words up using this handy function. An added advantage is that the tool recognizes the context of the word in question, thereby increasing your chances of getting an accurate denition. A word of caution: Use common sense. The dictionary cannot read your mind, so look for clues such as context to help you decide which of the offered denitions is correct. If youre not sure, cross-reference with the usual suspects. A bonus: The dictionary can change its orientation depending on whether you are a teacher, student, writer, or lawyer.

Internet Directory

45

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

86

McCord Museum
http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/

LISTENING | READING

If you are looking for new ways to practise English, explore The McCord Museum, Montrals premier Canadian history museum. Although this site isnt specically for language instruction, it offers an enjoyable alternative to other reading and listening sites. Try these links from the home page: Keys to History Games: Practise English with topics about Canadas history. Keys to History Thematic Tours: Choose a tour and click on View the Movie Clip, where you can watch and listen to movies about Canadas history. Most activities require an up-to-date version of Flash.

87

Media Awareness Network


http://www.media-awareness.ca

READING | WRITING ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | NEWS | SCIENCE

This site is a media and Internet education resource designed for teachers and parents, but it will appeal to young adults and children. Its a terric way to improve English while looking critically at media, both the regular information sources and accompanying advertisements. Issues such as media violence, stereotyping, online hate, and information privacy are thoroughly addressed. There are educational games, news, blogs, and a resource catalogue. The Lesson Library in the Teachers Area is searchable and allows you to search topics ranging from alcohol and tobacco use through body image, diversity, gender portrayal, and ethics. The attractive site design is well organized, with a colour scheme that changes from page to page, to liven things up a little. A handy feature is the Content Cart, which allows you to collect materials as you browse, sort them, and print them all at once.

Internet Directory

46

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

88

Medline Plus: All Easy-to-Read


http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/easytoread/all_easytoread.html

LISTENING | READING | VOCABULARY TECHNICAL LANGUAGE

This is an alphabetical listing of resources with excellent interactive materials to help second-language students build their reading and listening comprehension for studies in the health care eld. This public access site is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. The information is designed to be easy to read and understand. There are read-along audio tutorials supported by comprehension questions, as well as access to a dictionary and an encyclopedia of medical terms. Translations are in Spanish. The site is regularly maintained, and the links are reliable.

89

Merriam-Webster Learners [Pronunciation] Dictionary


http://www.learnersdictionary.com/

ESL | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

Merriam-Webster offers a separate dictionary of pronunciation designed for ESL learners. There are no denitions; instead, this site contains audio pronunciation les, a word-of-the-day feature, and a language help section with tips on common word use problems. Theres also a helpful glossary of grammar terms. This is simply an excellent resource for improving your pronunciation.

90

Merriam-Webster Online
http://m-w.com/

ESL | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

Search Merriam-Websters dictionary and thesaurus, improve your vocabulary with the word of the day, and challenge yourself with crossword puzzles and word games. Many of the dictionary entries have audio les to help improve pronunciation.

Internet Directory

47

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

91

Montral Botanical Gardens


http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin/

READING | VOCABULARY ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SCIENCE

This attractive site is a good way to read English while learning about botany and gardening. The Outstanding Plants and Collections area contains beautiful images, but most of the text information appears in French when you click on the thumbnails. This is the case with several areas of the site, and helpful only for French-speaking students! Since most of the activities take place at the gardens themselves and not on the website, we actually recommend you visit in person. An interactive map on the Greenhouse and Gardens page prepares you for your visit by providing a sense of the layout, scale, and a sneak peek at the collections. Bring a good book to practise your reading in an environment of serenity, particularly in the off-season, when it is free to wander in and walk around. Be sure to check out the educational signs and posters, where the text appears in multiple languages. International students may nd a taste of home here, as well as receiving an introduction to the cultural diversity that is Montral. Many of the collections are dedicated to the citys founding communities and contain special materials, architecture, and, in some cases, tributes, such as the Hiroshima Peace Bell designed by artist Katori Masahiko for the Japanese Garden.

92

My (Virtual) English Tutor


http://www.myet.com/en/download.htm

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | WRITING

This site provides a free download of a sophisticated application for learning English. All you need is a microphone and speakers or headphones, and the program will perform like a personal tutor. My ET has the capability of evaluating your speech capabilities, correcting your pronunciation, pitch, rhythm, and emphasis, according to the accent you select, and helps you learn how to express yourself effectively. My ET also provides you with an online community, and content you can customize and update according to your interests. Beware Mac users My ET will only work on a Windows system running Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher.

Internet Directory

48

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

93

NetLingo
http://www.netlingo.com/

SPELLING | VOCABULARY TECHNICAL LANGUAGE

This site is useful for those who need to keep up with the changing vocabulary of the Internet. NetLingo is a Web dictionary to help explain the online world of business, technology, and communication. Terms are listed alphabetically and by topics that are regularly updated. Check in often to access new information and stay on the cutting edge of language on the Web!

94

NPR: Podcast Directory


http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php

ESL | LISTENING | READING HISTORY AND CULTURE | NEWS | SOCIAL SCIENCE

Use this site to improve your listening and reading skills, to research essays, or to just have some fun. American National Public Radio offers almost 300 podcasts organized in a topic index, along with supporting written material.

95

Online Citation Styles Reference Guide


http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citex.html

WRITING

Citing research sources from the Internet is an ever-changing art that all students who write essays and research papers need to master. Have you ever wondered how to cite a Web page, an email message, or a discussion board posting? Here you will nd easy to follow, up-to-date information on how to cite Internet sources in Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), Chicago, and other citation styles.

Internet Directory

49

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

96

OWL (Original Site)


http://owl.english.purdue.edu/oldindex.html

ESL | GRAMMAR | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University is one of the very best university English sites. Purdue makes its material on academic writing, grammar, spelling, and punctuation available free to English students anywhere on the Web. There are handouts, PowerPoint presentations, a newsletter, and lots more for you to discover here. Note: This is Purdues original site. Purdue is working on a new site, and the pages are listed in this Directory under The OWL Family of Sites.

97

The OWL Family of Sites


http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

ESL | GRAMMAR | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

The OWL (Online Writing Lab) has been around since 1993. Created at Purdue University, this is the granddaddy of sites offering help and information to college and university writers. The site has been newly constructed and looks like it will live up to the standards of the old site. It is very well designed and easy to follow. Some key sections are: General Writing Concerns: Learn about planning, structuring, and editing your work. Handouts, exercises, and a PowerPoint presentation are available. Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling: Find handouts, interactive exercises, and PowerPoint presentations. Printer-friendly Handouts for English as a Second Language: Read about aspects of grammar that are difcult for ESL students, and use exercises to practise new skills. Research and Documenting Sources: Learn how to nd and evaluate Web-based research material, how to format and write an essay, and how to cite your reference sources according to Modern Language Association (MLA) or American Psychological Association (APA) styles.

Internet Directory

50

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

98

Paradigm Online Writing Assistant


http://www.powa.org/

ESL | GRAMMAR | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

Paradigms interactive writers guide and handbook covers how to develop topics for different types of essays, how to organize writing, and how to edit for grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. It has a separate section with tips to improve your spelling. The design is a little cluttered, but the content is solid and the site is easy to navigate. Paradigm is actually less commercial than it looks; the products to purchase are low-cost print or software versions of the handbook.

99

Project Gutenberg: Free eBooks


http://www.gutenberg.org/

READING LITERATURE

If you want to improve your English, you have to read, read, read. Project Gutenberg, named for the inventor of the printing press, is an online project dedicated to making books whose copyright has expired in the United States free to readers. (Its up to users to check a publications copyright status in their own countries.) There are 17,000 free eBooks available in almost 50 languages. The eBooks are organized using Library of Congress Classication, and may be searched by author, title, or subject. Files are available in HTML, Plain Text, or Zip. The site is continuously maintained, and new material is added frequently. Take the time to read the License and Trademark information before starting and try the following links: Online Book Catalog, Ofine Catalogs, and Authors.

Internet Directory

51

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

100

Rabble Podcasts Network


http://www.rabble.ca/rpn/

ESL | LISTENING | READING HISTORY AND CULTURE | NEWS | SOCIAL SCIENCE

If you want to improve your listening skills, Rabble.ca produces and compiles some of the very best in Canadian podcasts and online radio. The podcasts are arranged by theme and are accessible from a list at the top of the page. Some pages provide a listen now option; others require iTunes to work. The download is conveniently provided with each podcast. There is a denite slant to the left politically and socially. Scroll down for brief descriptions of what you can nd in each section. There are too many sections to name them all here, but here is a short list of offerings to whet your appetite: Rabble Rumble: Listen to debates. Redeye: Take a close look at todays political, social, and cultural issues. Rabble Docs: Listen to documentaries. Radio Book Lounge: Hear author interviews, reviews, and readings. Healing the Earth: Learn about environmental issues. Note that the podcasts make take some time to download.

101

Randalls ESL Cyber Listening Lab


http://www.esl-lab.com/

ESL | LISTENING | VOCABULARY

This site offers practical listening comprehension exercises indexed by level and topic. Each lesson includes pre-listening, listening, and postlistening exercises. The site is divided into ve sections: General Listening Exercises Listening Quizzes for Academic Purposes 20-Minute ESL Vocabulary Lessons Language Learning and Life Tips Long Conversations with RealVideo

Internet Directory

52

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

The pronunciation is American. The audio is clear, and there is a transcript so that listeners can read along if they wish. Mac users should note that the audio is only available in RealMedia or Windows Player.

102

A Research Guide for Students


http://www.aresearchguide.com/

WRITING

This is an invaluable resource for anyone writing essays or making presentations. Add it to your favourites right now! Research and essay writing are described in easy to follow chapters, all accessible from this page. You will learn how to search for information, arrange it, present it, cite it, and compile a bibliography of your sources. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a complete list of chapters and links.

103

Selected Sites for ESL and EFL Students


http://iteslj.org/ESL.html

ESL

This is one of the very best directories of Web-based ESL material. The site lists links that are interesting and useful, with a minimum of advertising and clutter. This is an essential and fun resource for students learning English as a second language. Try these sections: The Complete List of Links is a source of downloads for MP3 les, podcasts, and pen pals, as well as exercises and quizzes. Vocabulary lists sites devoted to helping you improve your vocabulary. Treasure Hunts (Web Quests) to help you improve your reading and learn to research effectively on the Web. Choose a topic and then use the Internet to nd the answers to the questions posed, using the links and suggestions provided.

Internet Directory

53

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

104

Self-Study Quizzes for ESL Students


http://a4esl.org/q/h/

ESL | GRAMMAR | VOCABULARY

There are more than 1,000 activities for ESL students here. There are quizzes under the following topics: Grammar, Places, Vocabulary, Idioms, Homonyms, Scrambled Words, and Miscellaneous. The quizzes require no special software, and they are accessible on portable devices. The site is a project of TESL Journal and it uses teachers contributions.

105

Seven Steps of the Research Process


http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill1.htm

WRITING

A leading American university takes you through seven steps in researching an essay. This hypertext document covers how to identify a topic, nd and evaluate sources, and cite sources using standardized formats. The subsections related to scholarly and non-scholarly sources are particularly helpful. Some links are only useful for Cornell University students, but there is enough content to make a visit to this site worth your time.

106

Shakespeare Illustrated
http://shakespeare.emory.edu/illustrated_index.cfm

READING ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | LITERATURE

Do you need help reading Shakespeare? Are you a visual learner? Here is a site for you. You will nd a wide range of art depicting the work of Shakespeare, indexed under his titles as well as under the artist names. The scenes depicted are annotated and linked to other images in the collection.

Internet Directory

54

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

107

Sounds of English and Spanish


http://www.uiowa.edu/%7Eacadtech/phonetics/

ESL | LISTENING | SPEAKING

Many ESL students have trouble pronouncing particular sounds, and repeating the same mistakes can be frustrating. This Internet resource is the answer. Click the Launch English Library link on the left to load The Sounds of American English. For each sound, there is an animated diagram showing how to move the jaw, lips, and tongue, and a video clip of a native speaker making the sound. If you need to learn how to make individual sounds, its hard to imagine a better resource and its free. You will need Flash Player Version 7 or higher to use this tool.

108

Speak Read Write


http://www.speak-read-write.com

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

This website, created by Sally Jennings, an ESL tutor based in British Columbia, is not to be passed up. At rst glance, it may be tempting to do so, because the site has an awkward visual design, without the special effects that recent Flash and top-of-the-line browsers offer. All too often, however, such sites are heavy on the glamour and low on instructional design. This site is the complete opposite. Beginner to advanced adult English students will nd many hours worth of valuable exercises here that appeal to diverse learning strategies and needs. All the major skills are addressed: grammar, reading, writing, listening, speaking, and comprehension. The examples and short stories are current and relevant to daily life. Several activities focus on pronunciation and listening. The audio is lovingly provided by Sally herself and, while it may be a little on the heavy side (le size), it is clear, and presented in a very typical West Coast Canadian accent.

Internet Directory

55

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

109

SQ4R: A Classic Method for Studying Texts


http://www.learningcommons.uoguelph.ca/ByTopic/Learning/Texts/ Fastfacts-SQ4R.html

READING

Improving your English means improving your reading, but it may not be easy at rst, especially if you are new to the language. SQ4R has been around since the 1960s and is taught in many college and university study skills programs. The method breaks down the task of reading into various steps: It is a useful tool to help native speakers and ESL students improve their comprehension of any non-ction text. Although time-consuming and intensive at rst, once mastered, the SQ4R method will usually take only a few moments. Ultimately, it will enable you to restructure the way you think about the process of analyzing a text in any language.

110

Thesaurus.com
http://thesaurus.reference.com/

VOCABULARY | WRITING

Quickly look up words in a thesaurus, dictionary, or encyclopedia, browse links on grammar and style, or use the Word of the Day feature. Note that its translation engine is not highly recommended.

111

Topics: An Online Magazine for Learners of English


http://www.topics-mag.com/

ESL | GRAMMAR | READING | VOCABULARY HISTORY AND CULTURE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This International online zine offers a place to exchange experiences, meet people from all over the globe, and discuss issues particular to learning a new language and living in a new culture. The Language Corner covers topics such as vocabulary, idioms and expressions, and grammar. Rather than offering exercises, readers are encouraged to submit writing based on the topics being discussed. There are online projects, book and movie reviews, and a travel section, all written by ESL students.
Internet Directory

56

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

112

Using English for Academic Purposes: A Guide for Students in Higher Education
http://www.uefap.com/

ESL | LISTENING | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING

This website is a complete course in using English for college and university reading and writing. For detailed information on how to become a more efcient reader, writer, speaker, and listener in English, this is an outstanding site. It provides explanations and exercises in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and vocabulary. Check out the sections on note-taking and what to listen for in lectures invaluable advice you may not nd anywhere else.

113

Utne.com
http://www.utne.com/

READING

Utne magazine provides interesting and challenging reading material to help you improve your comprehension and vocabulary, and its a great place to look for an interesting writing topic. The editors at Utne select and reprint what they consider the best content from more than 2,000 alternative media sources. You can subscribe to Utne or take advantage of the many free links and audio material in MP3 format. Many (but not all) articles are fairly short. Each issue and its articles relate to a specic theme.

114

Voice of America: VOA News Special English


http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/daily_radio.cfm

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING HISTORY AND CULTURE | NEWS | SOCIAL SCIENCE

Voice of America has developed a Special English site aimed at the ESL learner. News stories are written in simple English, using a core vocabulary of about 1,500 words. Sentences are short and simple, and stories are read

Internet Directory

57

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

at a slow pace, allowing you to follow along as you listen to the broadcast. The material is interesting and chosen from current news stories. Follow the links on the left side of the page to nd Our Word Book, Radio Programs, Podcasts, and Games with Words. Dont miss Wordmaster, where you can read and listen to stories. Check out the links at the bottom of the page: News Now, Learn English, Lida Baker (English lessons), Grammar Lady, and Slangman.

115

Virtual Training Suite


http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | NEWS | SCIENCE | SOCIAL SCIENCE | SPORTS

The Virtual Training Suite is part of Intute, an online service developed by a network of British universities and partners to provide free, high-quality Web resources in education and research. The many tutorials are listed alphabetically within major subject areas. They focus primarily on job descriptions and elds of employment, thus enabling college-level students to acquaint themselves with potential career paths while improving their reading abilities. Each tutorial integrates text with listings of outside websites that offer additional information on the specic job or eld of study. There are few images included other than the icons that indicate the different sections of each tutorial. Check out Internet Detective in the Additional Tutorials section. It is a neat, simple tool with a pleasing visual presentation and none of the problems you will see described below. This site has both its positive and negative aspects. While it is interesting, content-rich, and supposedly interactive, there are some serious problems with usability. Individual tutorials follow similar, but not identical, paths through the specic material they are presenting. The Welcome, Start, and Tour menus are repetitive, and you may get bored of seeing the same information reappear over and over again. The natural tendency is to skip ahead using the navigation bar on the left, but, because the information is not presented in the same format in each tutorial, the student may miss important steps or become confused. In addition, websites listed in the tutorials are not linked, so the student is obliged to use the Links Basket, a collection device which, although innovative, is a slow way to work and not one that most students are accustomed to using. Finally, the tutorials do not open in a separate window so it is tricky to nd your way back to the sites home page.

Internet Directory

58

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

This site will appeal to some, but not to others. It is worth a look, even with its weaknesses, but be prepared to go at a slower pace than you may be used to working online.

116

The Walrus Magazine


http://www.walrusmagazine.com/

ESL | GRAMMAR | LISTENING | READING | SPEAKING | VOCABULARY | WRITING ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SCIENCE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This Canadian literary magazine provides a wide variety of reading material to improve your comprehension and vocabulary. Short ction and essays are featured. Columns like Field Notes and Culture are especially interesting. Free registration allows users to access past and current issues. Follow the link to The Walrus Interviews for access to more than 175 contemporary authors discussing their work. Read users comments and add your own comments to the blogs. Word games can be found in each issue under the heading Think Tank.

117

Wilfred Owen Multimedia Digital Archive


http://www.hcu.ox.ac.uk/jtap

ESL | LISTENING | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

This site showcases primary sources with a focus on World War I poetry, photographs, and contemporary video and audio clips of interviews with veterans. Many of the clips are short visual essays that appear somewhat out of context when viewed alone, but are intended to be combined in the students own work to create virtual seminars. (Be careful how you use the sources and where you present your work most of it is copyright-protected.) The site structure encourages the development of something called Path Creation Schemes, a method of collecting and combining diverse yet related material so that a common theme emerges. A quote on the main page of this section references the fascinating must-read article of Vannevar Bush, As We May Think (Atlantic Monthly, July 1945), that literally predicts the invention of personal computers and the development of the Internet. This site will appeal to students with an interest in World War I history and a desire for media-enhanced learning material. You will need RealPlayer, QuickTime, and/or Windows Media Player to access all the formats presented here.

Internet Directory

59

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

118

World Wide Words


http://www.worldwidewords.org/

ESL | READING | VOCABULARY | WRITING ART AND IMAGES | HISTORY AND CULTURE | SOCIAL SCIENCE

World Wide Words is an essential site for anyone who wants to learn more about the English language. Michael Quinion answers questions from Internet fans, and writes articles about the origins of popular expressions and new or strange words that may not have made it into dictionaries. This is an excellent site for language learners but, because Quinion writes from a British perspective and uses a lot of wordplay and strange expressions, it may be more appropriate for intermediate and advanced students.

119

Zero Bio: Online Biology Quiz and Games Site


http://www.execulink.com/~ekimmel

READING | VOCABULARY SCIENCE | TECHNICAL LANGUAGE

In Qubec, students study advanced science, biology, physics, and chemistry by Grade 11 for entry into Health Science, Pure and Applied Science, and Modied or Preparation for Science college-level programs. This website, intended to support students in Grade 9 Science, Grade 11 Biology, and Grade 12 Biology in the rest of Canada, may prove to be an excellent tool for Qubec Cgep students who are interested in studying the science disciplines and need to improve their English language skills to do so. Without even trying, youll improve your technical vocabulary and pick up a wealth of information on your chosen eld. There are some ingenious browser-based and Flash activities related to typical science problems that parallel the classroom curriculum. Dont miss the virtual Dissection Lab! (Warning: NOT for the squeamish or sensitive. While saving many frogs, this activity contains photographs and videos of actual dissections. On the other hand, it also addresses some common ethical concerns and answers questions many students are too shy to ask before an actual dissection.) The activities on this site load quickly, even if your system and browser are not state-of-the-art. You will need Flash Player, Windows Media Player, and Internet Explorer to use all the available multimedia.

Internet Directory

60

www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

119

of the best sites on the Web for English learners


Alphabetical Analytical Categorical Lexical Grammatical Pedagogical Practical Technological Topical

http://www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

You might also like