Thanks Mikal and all! These resources are extremely helpful and I appreciate all of the responses 
and suggestions.


~neil



> 

> From: "Steinbacher, Mikal" <msteinbacher at cascadia.ctc.edu>

> Date: 2006/11/28 Tue PM 12:44:06 EST

> To: "The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List"

> 	<englishlanguage at nifl.gov>

> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 857] Re: Request for software advice

> 

> I'll give it a try.

>  

> 

> Useful Web Sites for Practicing English

> 

> Compiled by: Vibrance Mitchell                                                        *updated 9/21/06

> 

> Supplemented by :  Mikal Steinbacher                                       

> 

> http://myefa.org <http://myefa.org/>    English for All

> 

>  

> 

> Video Episodes

> 

> -listen to video (with text if desired)

> 

> -listen to a single word for discrimination of sounds

> 

> -answer comprehension questions

> 

> -learn meaning of key vocabulary

> 

> ________________________________________________________________________

> 

>  

> 

> www.thewclc.ca/edge  The Learning Edge

> 

>  

> 

> An Interactive Newspaper on Life Skills

> 

>  

> 

> Practice:

> 

> -reading

> 

> -listening

> 

> -vocabulary quizzes

> 

> -comprehension quizzes

> 

> -writing (students can email their story to the web site)

> 

>  

> 

> Topics: On my own-classified ads, missing work, consumer aware, health feature, street safety, 

paying a utility bill, *plus back issues!

> 

> ________________________________________________________________________

> 

> www.eslcafe.com <http://www.eslcafe.com/>    Dave's ESL Café

> 

>  

> 

> -Quizzes (geography, grammar, history, idioms, slang, words, people, reading comprehension, 

science, world culture, writing)

> 

> -Quotes

> 

> -Slang 

> 

> -Phrasal Verbs

> 

> -Idioms

> 

> ________________________________________________________________________

> 

>  

> 

> www.manythings.org <http://www.manythings.org/>    Interesting Things for ESL Students

> 

>  

> 

> -quizzes

> 

> -crosswords

> 

> -games

> 

> -listening

> 

> -etc.

> 

> www.nwlinks.org/nwlinksweb/student.htm    Northwest Links Student Study Page

> 

> ______________________________________________________________________

> 

>  

> 

> http://a4esl.org   Activities for ESL Students

> 

>  

> 

> Quizzes (grammar, vocabulary, idioms, homonyms, places)

> 

> Bilingual Quizzes

> 

> Crossword Puzzles

> 

> Scrambled Words

> 

> ________________________________________________________________________

> 

>  

> 

> http://english-zone.com <http://englishzone.com/>    English Zone

> 

>  

> 

> -Quizzes (grammar, verbs, spelling, vocabulary, reading) *some include explanations

> 

> -Study Skills

> 

> -Writing

> 

> -Conversation -chose the best response and see what happens

> 

> -Idioms

> 

> -Fun Stuff- games, jokes, funny pictures

> 

> -Teacher Resources

> 

> **Must choose activities marked FREE or pay for membership to have full access. 

> 

> ________________________________________________________________________

> 

>  

> 

> www.literacynet.org/cnnsf   Learning Resources - News Stories

> 

>  

> 

> Reading Comprehension

> 

> -vocabulary

> 

> -word selection

> 

> -multiple choice

> 

> -sequencing events

> 

> -conclusions

> 

> -your turn - give your own thoughts about the problem

> 

> ________________________________________________________________________

> 

>  

> 

> kids.learn2type.com   Typing Program

> 

>  

> 

> Typing lessons, games, and tests

> 

> ________________________________________________________________________

> 

>  

> 

> www.easytypetest.com <http://www.easytypetest.com/>    Typing Program 

> 

>  

> 

> Typing lessons, games, and tests

> 

>  

> 

> *has some glitches in the program

> 

>  

> 

> http://www.eslcafe.com/idioms/ <javascript:ol('http://www.eslcafe.com/idioms/');>  is a site for idioms

> 

>  

> 

>  

> 

>  

> 

> http://eleaston.com/listen.html   English Online -Materials for Teaching and Learning

> 

>  

> 

> Business English <http://eleaston.com/biz/bizhome.html> , Grammar <http://eleaston.com/

gram.html>  <http://eleaston.com/quizzes.html> , Quizzes & Tests <http://eleaston.com/quizzes.html> , 
Test Your English <http://eleaston.com/tye.html> , Dictionaries <http://eleaston.com/vocabulary.html> , 
<http://eleaston.com/gram.html> English around the World <http://eleaston.com/world-eng.html> , 
English for Speakers of... <http://eleaston.com/espeak.html> , Etymology <http://eleaston.com/
etymology.html> , Pronunciation <http://eleaston.com/pronunciation/>  <http://eleaston.com/
spellqz.html> , Reading <http://eleaston.com/../reading.html> , Writing <http://eleaston.com/
writing.html> , Listening <http://eleaston.com/listen.html> , Speaking <http://eleaston.com/../
speaking.html> , Spelling <http://eleaston.com/spellqz.html>  <http://eleaston.com/listen.html> , 
Language Classroom <http://eleaston.com/lgclass.html> , Classroom Mgmt <http://eleaston.com/
classmgmt.html> , Teaching Methods <http://eleaston.com/methods.html> , Why Study Languages 
<http://eleaston.com/why.html> ... , Distance Education <http://eleaston.com/dist-ed.html> , Internet for 
Teachers <http://eleaston.com/teach-online.html> , Key Pals <http://eleaston.com/keypal.html> , Mail 
Lists <http://eleaston.com/mail-lists.html> , Language Jobs <http://eleaston.com/jobs.html>  <http://
eleaston.com/keypal.html>  , Art <http://eleaston.com/artqz.html> , Country Studies <http://
eleaston.com/countrymat.html> , Currency <http://eleaston.com/monmat.html> , Flags <http://
eleaston.com/flagmat.html> , Geography <http://eleaston.com/geoqz.html> , Government <http://
eleaston.com/govmat.html> , History <http://eleaston.com/hismat.html> , Holidays <http://
eleaston.com/holidays.html> , Humor <http://eleaston.com/humor.html> , Law <http://eleaston.com/
biz/law.html> , Libraries <http://eleaston.com/libmat.html> , Maps <http://eleaston.com/mapmat.html> , 
Math <http://eleaston.com/mathqz.html> , Medicine <http://eleaston.com/medvoc.html> , Military 
<http://eleaston.com/milmat.html> , Movies - Scripts <http://eleaston.com/movmat.html> , Museums 
<http://eleaston.com/libmat.html#mus> , Music-Lyrics <http://eleaston.com/music.html> , News
(papers) <http://eleaston.com/newsmat.html> , Politics <http://eleaston.com/govmat.html> , Radio-
Audio <http://eleaston.com/listen.html#rad> , Religion <http://eleaston.com/religion.html> , Science 
<http://eleaston.com/scimat.html> , Sports <http://eleaston.com/sportmat.html> , Terrorism <http://
eleaston.com/terrorism.html> , Time <http://eleaston.com/timemat.html> , Transportation <http://
eleaston.com/transvoc.html>  , Travel <http://eleaston.com/travel.html> , Weather <http://
eleaston.com/weathermat.html> 

> 

>  

> 

> ________________________________________________________________________

> 

>  

> 

> www.esl-lab.com <http://www.esl-lab.com/>     Listening Quizzes

> 

>  

> 

> Pre-listening questions

> 

> Listen to a script 

> 

> Answer comprehension questions

> 

> Post-listening questions

> 

> ________________________________________________________________________

> 

>  

> 

> www.englishclub.com <http://www.englishclub.com/>     English Exercises

> 

>  

> 

> Lessons on:

> 

> -Grammar

> 

> -Pronunciation

> 

> -Vocabulary

> 

> -Listening

> 

> -Speaking

> 

> -Reading

> 

> -Writing

> 

> -Games

> 

> -Quizzes

> 

> -Jokes

> 

> -etc.

> 

>  

> 

>  

> 

> www.thebeehive.org <http://www.thebeehive.org/>  All sorts of activities.  Click on middle school or 

high school and explore!

> 

>  

> 

> www.ask.about.com/library/listening/blminimal/htm   Practice pronunciation of minimal pairs of 

sounds that are similar, but sooooo different when it comes to saying a work correctly.  The 
ask.about.com site has a lot of different sites.  Explore! 

> 

>  

> 

> esl.guide at about.com  Lots of different areas to practice all English Skills.  Explore!

> 

>  

> 

>  

> 

> (http://www.esl-lab.com/guide.htm) Lots of listening activities!

> 

>  

> 

> http://esl.about.com/od/englishvocabulary/ig/Visual-Dictionary---Sports  Pictures of sports, the verbs 

used with them and sample sentences.  Good vocabulary and grammar information.

> 

>  

> 

> Article practice sites:  

> 

>  

> 

> http://www.learn4good.com/languages/evrd_grammar/articles.htm <http://lwtc.edu/exchweb/bin/

redir.asp?URL=http://www.learn4good.com/languages/evrd_grammar/articles.htm> 

> 

>  

> 

> http://towerofenglish.com/writingcenter.html <http://lwtc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://

towerofenglish.com/writingcenter.html> 

> 

>  

> 

>  

> 

> Learning from Katrina: Tough Lessons in Preparedness and Emergency Response, it's now 

archived at: http://publichealthgrandrounds.unc.edu/katrina/webcast.htm <http://
owa.cascadia.ctc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://publichealthgrandrounds.unc.edu/katrina/
webcast.htm> 

> 

>  

> 

> http://esl.about.com/od/vocabularyadvanced/a/a_wordforms5.htm  This one has word lists showing 

the parts of speech of many words, e.g.:  

> 

>  

> 

> Concept noun   Personal Noun   Adjective    Verb

> 

>  Baking    baker                              baked          bake

> 

>  

> 

> esl.guide at about.com  Lots of different areas to practice all English Skills.  Explore!

> 

>  

> 

> Practice for the TOEFL

> 

>  

> 

> http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_toefl1.htm

> 

>  

> 

> http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_toefl2.htm

> 

>  

> 

> http://esl.about.com/od/grammarquizzesandtests/ 

> 

>  

> 

> http://www.englishclub.com/business-english/index.htm <javascript:ol('http://www.englishclub.com/

business-english/index.htm');> 

> 

>  

> 

> http://www.geocities.com/kurtracy/ <javascript:ol('http://www.geocities.com/kurtracy/');>  This is a link 

to ESL Business English website. 

> 

>  

> 

>  

> 

> Below is a great listening comprehension site with 3 levels of reading and listening exercises and 

quizzes on a variety of real life activities.

> 

>  

> 

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

> 

>  

> 

>  

> 

> computer stuff

> 

> 

> ________________________________

> 

> From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Lynda Terrill

> Sent: Tue 11/28/2006 5:40 AM

> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List

> Subject: RE: [EnglishLanguage 849] Request for software advice

> 

> 

> Hello, all,

>  

> Mikal, could you please resend your list of Web sites to the list again as part of the body of your 

email rather than as an attachment? Not everyone was able to access the attachment from their email 
programs.  

>  

> Thanks and thanks as well to others for sharing software programs or Web sites that have worked 

with adult English language learners  

>  

> What criteria do you all use to decide what programs or sites are effective learning tools--because 

the learners like them, because they mesh well with other parts of  the lesson, because content and 
activities seem to move learners along towards their language or lifeskills goals, or for other reasons? 

>  

> Lynda Terrill

> Adult English language discussion list moderator

> lterrill at cal.org <mailto:lterrill at cal.org> 

> 

> ________________________________

> 

> From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Steinbacher, Mikal

> Sent: Mon 11/27/2006 5:01 PM

> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List

> Subject: RE: [EnglishLanguage 849] Request for software advice

> 

> 

> Neil, I have a list of websites that has grown over the years.  It was started by an Amicorp voluteer 

and I've been adding to it as time passed.   Some may be defunct by now .. some day I'll find the time 
to check it out .. but many are still alive and well.  I use the About website a lot and like Dave's ESL 
Cafe too.  I've attached the list for your pleasure!  Have fun!

> 

> ________________________________

> 

> From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Neil Rigole

> Sent: Sat 11/25/2006 7:36 AM

> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List

> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 849] Request for software advice

> 

> 

> Hi all,

> Recently I was asked to provide some advice related to ESL software (I am the Instructional 

Technology Director for a small k12 system without an ESL background and with limited ESL 
technology-based resources in our system). We have had a family from Russia move in to our system 
this year (with two elementary age children), and although we are providing resources for the kids 
(we have an ESL teacher providing services as well), I have been asked if I could find some software 
or web-based resource recommendations to assist their parents. Thanks in advance for any advice or 
recommendations!

>  

>  

> Neil

>  

>  

> Neil Rigole

> Director, Instructional Technology

> Monroe County Schools

> Forsyth, GA

> rigolen at monroe.k12.ga.us

> www.monroe.k12.ga.us <http://www.monroe.k12.ga.us/> 

>  

>  

> 

>