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Can Learn English is a Canadian content, "Canadian English" website hosted by a Canadian teacher named Dana (a TESOL trained and qualified teacher). You'll find a YouTube channel with well-produced videos, a Facebook page, podcasts, free E-textbook, and also an Academy: Online courses with academic lessons referenced to the CLBs. Intended for intermediate/advanced learners: Choose from a variety of courses starting at $10.
This valuable resource from the University of British Columbia's Linguistics Dept. provides a very viewer-friendly overview of the IPA. It includes three introductory videos on articulatory phonetics; an explanation of the IPA; an introduction to the sounds of the world's languages; as well as a "Pronunciation Station". The use of ultrasound technology allows you to view what is happening with throat, lips, tongue etc. while specific phonemes are being produced by native speakers of various target languages.
This is an online dictation tool that uses voice recognition technology to transform voice into digital text. This may be a very useful adaptive tool for leaners with special needs, who need assistance with keyboarding.
It functions with Google Chrome. Users can narrate emails, essays and long documents into text without typing. To begin, users must connect a microphone to the computer and click the Start Dictation button. The app uses the browser’s local Storage to automatically save transcribed text. The program will work with several languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Malay.
The app can also be used as a pronunciation tool. It corrects text based on context, but does not overcorrect.
Free access:
https://dictation.io/
A language learning website that uses gaming to keep learners motivated. Easy to navigate lessons are personalized, immediate feedback is provided, "rewards" are handed out as levels are mastered. Can be used for independent practice, or in a lab setting. The learning program is based on language-acquisition research and makes the claim: "34 hours of Duolingo are equal to 1 university semester of language courses".
This site may also be of interest to teachers interested in acquiring another language. There are 33 languages to choose from, including Klingon - not kidding!
This website is a great resource for teachers and students alike to understand phonemic differences within different dialects of English. The clickable accent chart allows you to hear a multitude of words pronounced by English speakers in various regions of Canada, the U.S., England, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland and Ireland, as well as by speakers of world Englishes from countries such as India, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Trinidad and more. The clickable accent map will open links to ultrasound video recordings of speech samples from various regions around the world.
ELLLO - English Listening Lesson Library Online. ELLLO has over 3,000 free listening lessons for all levels! Most lessons have audio or video, a transcript, vocab support and interactive quizzes.
ELSA is an award-winning app that that uses artificial intelligence to discern pronunciation mistakes made by English language learners. It consists of dialogues and games that allow for practicing all English phonemes, and provides immediate feedback. (I am a native speaker of English, and I tried the activities and was rated as 'native-speaker like' with scores ranging from 86-100%). The designers have created an information page within their site containing resources and ideas on using ELSA in the ESL classroom . There is a free downloadable app on Google Play and the App Store, but monthly/quarterly/annual rates provide upgrades that include a considerable number of additional features.
English Central is a self-directed English learning platform intended for adults who wish to improve their spoken English. The platform has 20,000 captioned videos, organized into Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced levels. The platform provides different ways for learners to interact with the same video to reinforce their learning, such as clicking on a word in the caption to read a definition or filling in the blanks. There is also a live tutor option, but it is part of the subscription that must be purchased to access all the content. Signing up for a free trial will give learners access to a variety of videos on a diverse number of subjects.
Last reviewed June 2023
English Media Lab: ESL, English grammar exercises, video lessons, quizzes, vocabulary exercises.
eNunciate is a project created by Department of Linguistics at the University of British Columbia. The site will be useful for teachers interested in a review of the International Phonetic Alphabet. The Pronunciation Station will allow allow them to see videos using ultrasound to demonstrate both consonant and vowel production. The site also consists of self-directed modules for learning articulatory phonetics of Japanese, Cantonese, Mandarin, German, French and Spanish; as well as a collection of research and case studies on ultrasound based pronunciation instruction.
ESL Lounge is complete with ESL Games, lessons plans and other support materials for teachers. Some free lessons.
ESL-Galaxy: Free ESL Worksheets, English Teaching Materials, ESL Lesson Plans (esl-galaxy.com)
This online game is sponsored by the United Nations World Health Organization. Learners can choose from 60 levels of vocabulary. By selecting the correct meaning for the selected word, 10 grains of rice are donated to a country in need.
There is built-in audio to hear the correct pronunciation of the word as well. If a learner makes an error, the word is added back into rotation. Learners can play individually or teams can be set up for competition. It is a free log-in system.
This YouTube quiz plays 22 different audio clips of native speakers of regional varieties of Englishes (British, New Zealand, Australian, Canadian, Singaporean, Jamaican, Welsh, Indian, South African, Irish etc). It is a really effective way to demonstrate to students that native speakers of English can sound very different from one another, and that there are many unique varieties of English spoken around the world, (even within different regions of the same country). Have your students take the quiz for fun, or better yet, have them watch you take the quiz!
This course addresses fundamental concepts in the teaching of pronunciation, teaching the pronunciation of consonants, teaching the pronunciation of vowels, teaching word stress, teaching rhythm, and teaching intonation. In-class delivery of 30 hours over 10 weeks on the Newnham Campus of Seneca College.
For more information:
http://www.teslontario.org/ptct-how-teach-pronunciation-esl-students
All PTCT courses are listed under Post TESL Certificate Training.
The Khan Academy is an American non-profit educational organization that provides free lessons, courses and practice for students on a variety of topics. Additional resources are available for educators. Their "A Brief Introduction to Grammar" course teaches parts of speech, punctuation, syntax and style through videos (with transcripts) and knowledge assessment challenges. This course would be a useful supplement to in-class teaching, and could be recommended to students for independent learning.
LANTERNFISH contains printable teaching resources for language arts, TESOL, TEFL and ESL.
Lingthusiasm is an outstanding podcast about linguistics in general. You can choose episodes by topics such as phonetics, morphology, phonology, syntax and more! For example, in Episode 13: What Does it Mean to Sound Black?, the host Gretchen McCulloch interviews Dr. Nicole Holliday, an Assistant Professor of linguistics at Pomona College about her work on the speech of American black/biracial young men, prosody and intonation, and what it means to sound black.
This listening activity playlist compiled by the University of Oregon's Centre for Applied Second Language Studies is ideal for independent learning for students both outside and inside the classroom. The YouTube videos consist of the following nine topics:
- Summarize What You Heard with A Friend;
- Research a Topic Before Listening ;
- During Listening: Document What You Understand ;
- After Listening: Listen Again and Again ;
- Familiarize Yourself with Sounds - Listen While Reading a Transcript ;
- Pay Attention to What you Know and Need to Know ;
- Slowing Down Online Videos ; Listening Strategy: Predict What You Will Hear ; and
- Connecting Sounds to Written Language .
While geared toward the language learner, the content of these videos is also a helpful refresher for teachers planning listening activity lessons.
This highly engaging podcast is hosted by an English language learner: Daniel Goodson, a German speaker from Switzerland. He interviews linguistics scholars, polyglots, travelers and other English language learners to discuss, tips, challenges, vocabulary, accents, motivation and research. His podcasts are accompanied by a blog and links to his social media accounts. The episodes could be used as listening exercises to prompt in-class discussion, or as inspiration to create a class podcast.
This is an American news website is designed for mainstream classrooms, but is adaptable for English learners (5 reading levels) and set for designed for distance learning; it allows teachers to assign online learning activities to classes. The content includes news stories and articles about law, science, sports, opinion and arts and culture. Support for educators is offered. Teachers without a subscription may access news stories only.
Teachers and English learners can access Oxford University Press’s high quality sample materials for free. The Bookshelf offers e-books for use on iPad and tablets for Android, as well as computer access online and via desktop apps. Students can use their preferred device. There is a selection of coursebooks and Graded Readers for different student levels and interests. An access code is required. Teachers can use the Bookshelf to create classes and monitor student progress, assign e-books, set up Reading Circles, and provide materials for independent study. Registration is required.
Learn English with EF podEnglish, bite-sized 5 minute English lessons. Perfect for beginners, intermediate and advanced students, these video lessons are as good as having an English teacher in your pocket! Created by EF, the world's largest language school with over 400 schools in 50 countries worldwide.
Video on how to pronounce words.
The TESL Journal Archives contain a treasure trove of links to a wide variety of resources. The links are separated into groups for students and teachers. You'll find games, podcasts, quizzes, pronunciation guides, speaking, spelling, and professional development materials. (Be aware that there are several broken links.)
Free access:
Making It Clear presents concise guidelines for teaching pronunciation to CLB levels. (No activities provided.) It contains a list of recommended resources.
These HTML-only "self-study" quizzes should work on any computer that is able to access the Web. These quizzes DO NOT require JavaScript, Java or a special plugin such as Flash.
There are about 1,000 of these "HTML-only quizzes" on our Activities for ESL Students website. All of these quizzes are also linked from our "grammar" and "vocabulary" menus.
For a limited time, teachers and students will have free access to Spelling City. (Use code: VSCFree90. ) This website provides interactive vocabulary and spelling activities for English learners and mainstream students. Spelling City allows teachers to create and customize their own spelling/vocabulary lists for classes, which are turned into enjoyable learning activities for student practice. The activities were designed to meet the needs of all learners, including those with learning challenges. The website also has pre-set lists and games that students can also access. Premium accounts can be purchased schools. Free basic memberships with limited access are also available.
This British storytelling website contains audio and text for each story. The intended audience is children; however, the stories are universal and applicable to English learners of all ages. The site includes myths and tales from around the world, plus audio chapter books including the Wizard of Oz and Sherlock Holmes. Suitable for intermediate and higher level students.
This is a site for teacher-created resources to be purchased and downloaded by other teachers. Prices are reasonable (e.g. $4.00 for a conversation activity on 'annoying things' that consists of an editable powerpoint slide deck, teacher notes and 2 student worksheets for reproducing. Lessons and materials are available for K-12 as well as for adults. This link will take you directly to the adult ESL section secondary level materials as many would be suitable for adult classes as well.
This pronunciation course is for TESL Ontario accredited instructors. The course will cover several topics, including linguistic systems, phonetic alphabets, vowels and consonants, rhythm, intonation and linking. The course will also cover unique features of Canadian accents, pronunciation problems common to particular language groups, planning with CLB documents and integrating pronunciation with other language skills.
Assessments include quizzes, reflective journal entries and a lesson planning assignment.
Participants may start at any time but must complete the course within a 6-month timeframe.
Blended delivery: 20 hours online, 5 hours in class. Skype option for participants 100 km from Mississauga.
Self-paced – completion in 6 months
$350
All PCTC courses are listed under Post TESL Certificate Training.
For more information:
https://canadiancollegeofeducators.ca/canadian-tesol-certificate-program-with-practicum-125-hrs/
This site helps students and teachers polish their skills.
Using English provides Online English as a Second Language (ESL) tools & resources for students, teachers, learners and academics, covering the full spectrum of ESL, EFL, ESOL, and EAP subject areas.
Developed by Cambridge University Press, this textbook series is correlated to CEF (Common European Framework) rather than CLBs, however it is adaptable to PBLA settings. The Venture series comes highly recommended; it contains six-levels and is standards based, designed for adult and young-adult English learners. The series integrates language skills, with six clearly developed lessons for each unit. It is suitable for continuous intake programs. (A free sample lesson can be ordered.) The series includes a teacher's guide, student workbook and audio CD. There is a cost to access these resources.
This American website provides material at three levels: basic, intermediate and advanced. There are multimedia lessons covering a variety of topics such as English in a Minute and Everyday Grammar, as well as features on health and lifestyle, arts and culture, science and technology and more.
Learning English is Voice of America’s (VOA) source of digital news and information for English learners worldwide. VOA is a news network and radio station that broadcasts a wide range of programming around the world. The video and audio resources, which are drawn from current news, are separated into beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. There is also a free assessment that will help English language learners determine their level of English proficiency. The various resources that are available on the website work well for group work or independent learning. There are also a variety of teaching materials that instructors will find useful for lesson planning. These resources are free to use.
Last reviewed August 2023
This free podcast on Linguistic Discrimination is available through the Radio Public app (a free download through Google Play or the App Store). You can also listen to it directly through your browser at https://vocalfriespod.com/. Transcripts for most episodes are also available.
The creators provide a list of topics that are ideal for the classroom including the following:
1) Why foreign accents are judged harshly
2) Accent and Identity
3) Bilingual Brains
4) Black English
and
5) "Rez" English.
Vocaroo is a simple voice-recording app that can be used in a computer lab or by individual students. It can be used for pronunciation practice. Messages can be played on a variety of devices, but recording is not currently available on smartphones or other devices. Recorded messages are not permanent. The site requires Adobe Flash download.
Free access:
http://vocaroo.com/
