Online Resources for Students
I hope these sources will be helpful for your English learning endeavors!
Mixed Skills
Learn American English Online
Find lessons, quizzes, videos, advice, and exercises for individual practice. There are seven levels (blue, red, yellow, green, purple, orange, and violet) available.
Categories include grammar, vocabulary, reading, American idioms.
Real English
Provides lessons and video clips with authentic and comprehensible speech. Quizzes are categorized by grammar level. They also have a YouTube channel.
USA Learns
A great resource with videos and activities for independent study. The target level is beginning to intermediate. This site is fully funded but requires its users to register.
ESL Lounge
Provides guides and exercises for listening, reading, vocabulary. grammar. and games for independent practice. Tasks are categorized according to levels (elementary, pre-intermediate, intermedate, advanced).
EFLNet
This interactive website offers tutorials and quizzes for grammar, vocabulary, listening, and reading. Each activity specifies the target level of students.
ESL Independent Study Lab
Contains over 250 internet resources for English learners, covering multiple skills and topics including grammar, writing, games, and the TOEFL. All resources are categorized by the target skill and language level (four levels total).
Live Mocha
This is a language immersion website for learners who want to learn and practice their English language skills with others. You can practice conversations via text, video, or audio chat with native speakers. The main target skills are speaking, vocabulary, grammar.
Learn American English Online
Find lessons, quizzes, videos, advice, and exercises for individual practice. There are seven levels (blue, red, yellow, green, purple, orange, and violet) available.
Categories include grammar, vocabulary, reading, American idioms.
Real English
Provides lessons and video clips with authentic and comprehensible speech. Quizzes are categorized by grammar level. They also have a YouTube channel.
USA Learns
A great resource with videos and activities for independent study. The target level is beginning to intermediate. This site is fully funded but requires its users to register.
ESL Lounge
Provides guides and exercises for listening, reading, vocabulary. grammar. and games for independent practice. Tasks are categorized according to levels (elementary, pre-intermediate, intermedate, advanced).
EFLNet
This interactive website offers tutorials and quizzes for grammar, vocabulary, listening, and reading. Each activity specifies the target level of students.
ESL Independent Study Lab
Contains over 250 internet resources for English learners, covering multiple skills and topics including grammar, writing, games, and the TOEFL. All resources are categorized by the target skill and language level (four levels total).
Live Mocha
This is a language immersion website for learners who want to learn and practice their English language skills with others. You can practice conversations via text, video, or audio chat with native speakers. The main target skills are speaking, vocabulary, grammar.
Reading
News in Levels
News articles are adapted into three levels (beginner, intermediate, advance). An audio clip is provided for each news article, so you can read and listen to the news. You can also test your reading level here.
Time for Kids
Although the articles on this site are meant for children, they are also great for high-beginning and early-intermediate English learners. The language and the length of the articles is not too overwhelming, so they're great for extensive reading.
Bee Oasis
You can access different stories and articles for multiple levels while keeping track of your reading speed. This is great if you want to work on extensive reading.
Linguistadores
You can learn English with real news, videos, and songs in your level. The content was made by natives for natives, so the content is as authentic as it can get. You can read articles, access translations, and save and memorize vocabulary words you come across as your learn. Here is their blog. (Free and paid accounts available)
News in Levels
News articles are adapted into three levels (beginner, intermediate, advance). An audio clip is provided for each news article, so you can read and listen to the news. You can also test your reading level here.
Time for Kids
Although the articles on this site are meant for children, they are also great for high-beginning and early-intermediate English learners. The language and the length of the articles is not too overwhelming, so they're great for extensive reading.
Bee Oasis
You can access different stories and articles for multiple levels while keeping track of your reading speed. This is great if you want to work on extensive reading.
Linguistadores
You can learn English with real news, videos, and songs in your level. The content was made by natives for natives, so the content is as authentic as it can get. You can read articles, access translations, and save and memorize vocabulary words you come across as your learn. Here is their blog. (Free and paid accounts available)
Vocabulary and Grammar
Free Rice
You may be confused by the title, but this site is quite brilliant. You can practice your vocabulary and grammar while helping to end world hunger! For every correct answer, Free Rice donates 10 grains of rice through the World Food Programme.
Activities for ESL Students
A site managed by The Internet TESL Journal (iteslj.org) that offers quizzes, tests, exercises, and puzzles for English language learners. There are some bilingual quizzes as well. (Vocabulary and grammar)
Test Your Vocab
Check how many words you know! The site will ask you to click on words you know the definition for (broad and narrow vocabulary levels) and fill out a short survey before determining the vocabulary size.
Vocabulary.com
This site also checks how many words you know, but goes further and helps you improve your vocabulary. Learn new useful words and track your progress. (Geared towards academic and business success)
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Provides thorough grammar explanations with charts and diagrams, as well as resources for writing. Interactive quizzes also available.
Common Mistakes and Tricky Choices
Provides explanation for certain word choices and addresses common misuse of words and phrases. Learners can search through a list of words and phrases categorized in alphabetical order.
Dave’s ESL Café
This site includes lessons on various grammar structures and addresses words and concepts that are confusing for many ESL/TEFL students. Lessons are categorized in alphabetical order.
English Forums
A large ESL network where learners can ask grammar questions on forums to receive help from teachers and moderators online. Also lists exercises, games, and articles which students can study independently.
Learn English: Grammar and Vocabulary
An interactive site with grammar and vocabulary exercises, games, and references.
Free Rice
You may be confused by the title, but this site is quite brilliant. You can practice your vocabulary and grammar while helping to end world hunger! For every correct answer, Free Rice donates 10 grains of rice through the World Food Programme.
Activities for ESL Students
A site managed by The Internet TESL Journal (iteslj.org) that offers quizzes, tests, exercises, and puzzles for English language learners. There are some bilingual quizzes as well. (Vocabulary and grammar)
Test Your Vocab
Check how many words you know! The site will ask you to click on words you know the definition for (broad and narrow vocabulary levels) and fill out a short survey before determining the vocabulary size.
Vocabulary.com
This site also checks how many words you know, but goes further and helps you improve your vocabulary. Learn new useful words and track your progress. (Geared towards academic and business success)
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Provides thorough grammar explanations with charts and diagrams, as well as resources for writing. Interactive quizzes also available.
Common Mistakes and Tricky Choices
Provides explanation for certain word choices and addresses common misuse of words and phrases. Learners can search through a list of words and phrases categorized in alphabetical order.
Dave’s ESL Café
This site includes lessons on various grammar structures and addresses words and concepts that are confusing for many ESL/TEFL students. Lessons are categorized in alphabetical order.
English Forums
A large ESL network where learners can ask grammar questions on forums to receive help from teachers and moderators online. Also lists exercises, games, and articles which students can study independently.
Learn English: Grammar and Vocabulary
An interactive site with grammar and vocabulary exercises, games, and references.
Writing
*Purdue Online Writing Lab
I recommend this website to many students. This site provides tips, descriptions, worksheets, and handouts on different issues in writing. Categories include grammar and mechanics, plagiarism, and citation.
Paraphrasing Practice to Improve Writing
I noticed that paraphrasing is often a problem area for many English learners. This site offers six paraphrasing activities and you can check your work with a model answer. This is a great way to prepare for TOEFL essay writing.
Confessions of an English learner
You can practice your writing and actually get feedback and comments from the journalist staff of Voice of America (VOA). Prompts are posted regularly, and you can also comment on other people's writing. The prompts are fun and engaging,
University of Wisconsin Writer’s Handbook
A student writer’s handbook with tips on writing style and essay development, as well as grammar and punctuation.
*Purdue Online Writing Lab
I recommend this website to many students. This site provides tips, descriptions, worksheets, and handouts on different issues in writing. Categories include grammar and mechanics, plagiarism, and citation.
Paraphrasing Practice to Improve Writing
I noticed that paraphrasing is often a problem area for many English learners. This site offers six paraphrasing activities and you can check your work with a model answer. This is a great way to prepare for TOEFL essay writing.
Confessions of an English learner
You can practice your writing and actually get feedback and comments from the journalist staff of Voice of America (VOA). Prompts are posted regularly, and you can also comment on other people's writing. The prompts are fun and engaging,
University of Wisconsin Writer’s Handbook
A student writer’s handbook with tips on writing style and essay development, as well as grammar and punctuation.
Listening and Speaking
Podcasts in English
You can listen to different podcasts categorized into three levels. The podcasts are free, but other resources including vocabulary tasks and transcripts require paid membership.
ELLO
There are many recorded conversations you can choose from, supplemented with transcripts and audio notes. You can find different lessons, videos, and games.
Note: there are some typos (misspellings) in the transcripts!
Ted Talks
Offers talks on different topics with supplementary transcripts. Students can use this for extensive listening practice.
Learning English (Voice of America)
News articles with audio are available in two levels. You can find videos imitating TV news, and videos about learning English (e.g., learning non-count nouns). Appropriate for intermediate-advanced learners.
This American Life
A weekly public radio show broadcast that you can stream online or download as a podcast. The show chooses a theme and presents different stories on that theme. Useful for extensive listening. Suitable for advanced learners and above.
National Public Radio (NPR)
NPR is very accessible, and there is great variety in the type of news and talks they offer. The pace of the talks are well moderated, so English language learners can listen to clear English while still being exposed to different dialects of English. This would be suitable for advanced learners and above.
Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab (Quizzes)
Offers a collection of listening quizzes, ranging from general to academic English. There are pre-listening, listening, and post-listening tasks.
Voxopop
A voice-based e-learning tool. The fun talkgroups helps learners develop their speaking skills. You can think of this as a online message board in audio form! You can start your own talkgroup or join an existing one. Talkgroups can be made public, restricted, or private.
Podcasts in English
You can listen to different podcasts categorized into three levels. The podcasts are free, but other resources including vocabulary tasks and transcripts require paid membership.
ELLO
There are many recorded conversations you can choose from, supplemented with transcripts and audio notes. You can find different lessons, videos, and games.
Note: there are some typos (misspellings) in the transcripts!
Ted Talks
Offers talks on different topics with supplementary transcripts. Students can use this for extensive listening practice.
Learning English (Voice of America)
News articles with audio are available in two levels. You can find videos imitating TV news, and videos about learning English (e.g., learning non-count nouns). Appropriate for intermediate-advanced learners.
This American Life
A weekly public radio show broadcast that you can stream online or download as a podcast. The show chooses a theme and presents different stories on that theme. Useful for extensive listening. Suitable for advanced learners and above.
National Public Radio (NPR)
NPR is very accessible, and there is great variety in the type of news and talks they offer. The pace of the talks are well moderated, so English language learners can listen to clear English while still being exposed to different dialects of English. This would be suitable for advanced learners and above.
Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab (Quizzes)
Offers a collection of listening quizzes, ranging from general to academic English. There are pre-listening, listening, and post-listening tasks.
Voxopop
A voice-based e-learning tool. The fun talkgroups helps learners develop their speaking skills. You can think of this as a online message board in audio form! You can start your own talkgroup or join an existing one. Talkgroups can be made public, restricted, or private.
Dictionaries and Concordances
Cambridge Dictionaries Online
Offers different types of dictionaries (learner, advanced, British, etc.); the learner’s dictionary is geared towards intermediate level students. Gives clear, concise definitions; gives the American and British pronunciation of searched word; gives different contexts for use; shows how word is used in idioms; mentions when use is informal.
Note: There aren’t many sample sentences (usually one per definition/category)
COBUILD Advanced British English Learner’s Dictionary
Offers different translations. Gives simple and concise definitions that are very accessible to learners; shows idioms; shows different word forms; mentions if it’s a British definition; definitions listed clearly by part of speech
*Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (my go-to online dictionary!)
Gives concise definitions; mentions if it’s British English/American English; shows related topics (context); shows collocations (exp. "special": special agent, special delivery, the Special Olympics); different word forms (exp. "hot": comparative hotter, superlative hottest); mentions if certain definitions are informal/formal/spoken.
Note: a long list of different uses/definitions may be overwhelming, but I think they are still helpful.
The Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA)
A corpus where you can explore language variations, frequency of words, phrases, and collocations.
Word and Phrase
This corpus is more user-friendly than COCA. You can insert text and check for academic words, definitions, and collocations. This is a great tool for directly linking vocabulary with the text, emphasizing on context.
Cambridge Dictionaries Online
Offers different types of dictionaries (learner, advanced, British, etc.); the learner’s dictionary is geared towards intermediate level students. Gives clear, concise definitions; gives the American and British pronunciation of searched word; gives different contexts for use; shows how word is used in idioms; mentions when use is informal.
Note: There aren’t many sample sentences (usually one per definition/category)
COBUILD Advanced British English Learner’s Dictionary
Offers different translations. Gives simple and concise definitions that are very accessible to learners; shows idioms; shows different word forms; mentions if it’s a British definition; definitions listed clearly by part of speech
*Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (my go-to online dictionary!)
Gives concise definitions; mentions if it’s British English/American English; shows related topics (context); shows collocations (exp. "special": special agent, special delivery, the Special Olympics); different word forms (exp. "hot": comparative hotter, superlative hottest); mentions if certain definitions are informal/formal/spoken.
Note: a long list of different uses/definitions may be overwhelming, but I think they are still helpful.
The Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA)
A corpus where you can explore language variations, frequency of words, phrases, and collocations.
Word and Phrase
This corpus is more user-friendly than COCA. You can insert text and check for academic words, definitions, and collocations. This is a great tool for directly linking vocabulary with the text, emphasizing on context.