I also know that many of you do not have regular access to Internet.  Do your best to go with friends and print some of the activities on a printer…that way, you can share.

Many thanks to Leonel Duran, Sam Harrington and the rest of the teachers from the Wuhan University Summer Intensive English Program who contributed information for this page.

Speaking and Pronunciation

Dave's ESL café

http://eslcafe.com/

This is one of the most well-known websites for ESL students (and teachers). You can chat with others, ask questions, take quizzes, learn vocabulary, etc.  I use this web site all the time for ideas.

The English Club’s English Speaking Page

http://www.englishclub.com/speaking/index.htm

The English Club's Pronunciation Page
http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/index.htm

The English Club has many pages of useful information for English students.

Here is some general information about the site, written by its authors:

The English Club comes to you from Cambridge, England. It is written mainly in British English, taking the the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English as a reference. But we have pages about other varieties of English such as American or Canadian. Don't be surprised if you see a word that you think is wrongly spelled! Some words are spelled
differently in British English and American English. "Colour", for example, is British English. In American English it is "color". We try to make this clear when it is important. As a reference for American English we use Webster's New World College Dictionary.

My Broken English

http://www.mybrokenenglish.com/

Listen to and learn the phonetic alphabet online.  The web site makes learning difficult parts of English speaking easy and fun to learn.

American English Pronunciation Practice
http://www.manythings.org/pp/

This is a useful site for self-guided practice in pronunciation and listening comprehension, dealing with individual speech sounds that give many learners trouble.

English Pronunciation/Listening
http://international.ouc.bc.ca/pronunciation/

This site is Canadian, but the differences in pronunciation between Canadian and American English are rather subtle.

The Conversation Zone

http://english-zone.com/index.php?ID=94

This site has conversational activities from The English Zone.  Note, paid registration is required for some areas…if there is a sunglass icon by the activity you are allowed to do it without paying money.

Public Speaking: How to Speak Better in Public

http://www.effective-public-speaking.com/

This site gives you tips on an important part of communication – public speaking – which you will have to do some time in your life.  I taught this class in the United States and cannot stress enough that you should know how to do this.  Plus it’s a great way to build confidence in speaking English!

The Strategic Communication Resource Library

http://www.strategiccomm.com/resources.html

This site features articles on how to speak in public and run effective business meetings and presentations…might be useful to you in the future.

Vocabulary & Idioms

200 Vocabulary Exercises Canadian English Website

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/200/vocab/index.htm

Canadian English site featuring vocabulary exercises on furniture, school and office, home appliances, kitchen utensils, clothes, animals, Canadian coins and food.

Language Guide Javascript Hangman

http://www.languageguide.org/english/esp/

Features speed words, word mixer, crossword puzzles and more.

Learning Vocabulary Can Be Fun

http://www.vocabulary.co.il/

The site features the following:  Word Search, Crossword Puzzles, Hangman, Matching Games, Jumble and Quizzes.  You might notice some of the words on the web site are in a different language…interesting huh?

Using English

http://www.usingenglish.com/

Grammar lessons and activities, PDF printable handouts, idioms, lesson plans.  Note:  free registration is required. 

Eclectic English Grammar

http://www.eclecticenglish.com/

 This cool site features interactive exercises, student forums, vocabulary quizzes, worksheets, activities.

Daily English

http://www.englishdaily626.com/

The site features TOEFL Vocabulary, Common Mistakes in English, Proverbs, Slang, and Grammar Explanations.  Note: I was having trouble loading this web site in China, but keep trying!

Focusing on Words

http://www.wordfocus.com/

An advanced vocabulary web site focusing on Latin and Greek roots of words. Oxymora, pleonasms, proverbs, legal terms, mottoes, quizzes, vocabulary activities.

Listening

NPR (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/

This is an excellent resource where you can listen to (or read) news, sports, and entertainment about the U.S. and the world.  I often get my news from this news source.

Online Listening Resources

http://www.clet.ait.ac.th/sall.htm

Contains links to many sources for online listening. You can find links to the BBC, CNN, PBS, the Discovery Channel, and more!  Note:  Some web sites might not work in China.

Advanced Listening Practice
http://esl.about.com/od/advancedlistening/

This page contains articles and resources specifically for advanced ESL students looking for practice in listening. You can also browse the column along the left-hand side of the page to see other topics for ESL students (including pronunciation).

English Listening Room

http://www.manythings.org/el/

Go here for some fun practice with listening. Exercises include listening to songs and filling in missing words, which is always a good way to enjoy learning the language.

Phonetics: The Sounds of American English
http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/english/frameset.html

Using audio and video, this site shows you in detail how the sounds of American English are produced.

American and British Diphthongs and Triphthongs
http://www.paulmeier.com/ipa/diphthongs.html

This site allows you to see and hear the differences between certain British and American vowels, most notably, the differences in words containing an "r" after a vowel.

Grammar and Writing Resources

English as 2nd Language

http://esl.about.com/

This site has an amazing number of resources for ESL students of all levels. When you go there, you may feel a little overwhelmed by all the choices. I suggest that you look along the left-hand side where it says "Articles and Resources" and choose the level you want. That will take you to grammar lessons, explanations, and self-study quizzes.

Grammar Online
http://online.ohlone.cc.ca.us/~mlieu/gronline/index.html

This site has explanations and exercises for adjective clauses, the passive voice, verb participles, noun clauses, and comparatives.

Self-Study Quizzes for ESL Students

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

There are a lot of quizzes here for various grammar concepts.

The Daily Grammar Archive
http://www.dailygrammar.com/archive.shtml

This website has a multitude of grammar lessons, exercises, and quizzes that you can use to review and practice English grammar. In fact, you may find this site useful when preparing your "Teaching a Grammar Concept" assignment.

The Blue Book of Grammar

http://www.grammarbook.com/

Click on the links for Grammar and Punctuation on the left side of the page to practice various grammar concepts.

Dictionary Links

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

http://www.m-w.com/

If you just want a quick answer about the definition, spelling, or pronunciation of a word, try this site.

Note: Other versions of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (such as the Collegiate and the Unabridged) can be accessed through this free site, but they require a subscription.

OR

Dictionary.com at http://dictionary.reference.com/

Another quick and easy online dictionary accessible for free! This site searches for results from several dictionaries and compiles them for convenience.  I use this all the time.

The Phrase Finder: Meanings and Origins of Phrases and Sayings
http://www.phrases.org.uk/

This site, found at is especially useful if you are curious not only about the meanings, but also about the origins of phrases, sayings, idioms, etc.

Dictionary of Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/

This site offers meanings for a large number of idiomatic expressions in English.
(This dictionary is part of a larger site with many resources for ESL students and teachers).