User:Pamisesl

Through researching some helpful ESL websites for students, my first thought was, ‘How did we ever exist without the internet?’ My second thought was that students today are so fortunate to always have internet access and I hope they do not take it for granted because the internet provides such a wealth of information that this free and easily accessible. It is truly amazing how technology and the World Wide Web have shaped the way we can learn and teach. What are some other awesome ESL websites for students? Here are 10 that I found to be really interesting and fun!

1.) Brain Pop http://www.brainpop.comThis website is fantastic! It is bright, fun, colorful and interactive. It is loaded with activities, quizzes, and games for students to work on subject matter such as antonyms, synonyms, homophones, five paragraph essays, nouns, public speaking, and writing processes. It does require member access however there are plenty of freebies.

2.) Listening Activities http://www.manythings.org/ppThis website features listening lessons for students to practice word pairs with similar sounds such as said/sad, made/mad and climb/crime for students to listen, practice and quiz themselves. There are also songs, poems and tongue twisters. This is a fantastic website that is full of listening exercises that will require Flash Player.

3.) Translation Site http://dictionary.reference.com/translate/Students can use this website to translate words from English to their native language. The translator will not produce exact translations, however it is a substitute for a proficient human translator especially when a teacher is not present.

4.) ESL Bears http://eslbears.homestead.com/This website is awesome! It was created for 1st year immigrant students. It has so many useful links and activities for all ranges of language development that includes vocab, listening, reading, grammar and writing. This is definitely great for students as they move up the ESL proficiency ladder.

5.) Kid’s Lab http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/palmasola/SRW.htmThis website if for students grade K-3. The students can select their grade level and choose a story to read, or work on a skill building tutorial, such as vocab, word endings, contractions, etc. There is also quizzes and printable material. This is a great website for students, teachers and parents.

6.) Starfall http://www.starfall.comThis is a seasonally designed website for students to practice their alphabet and prep students to read. After the students have practiced, they may choose from plays, nonfiction, and comics. This website also contains student friendly word hunts and interactive games.

7.) Story Place http://www.storyplace.org/preschool/other.aspThis is a website full of activities to explore. It is theme based which includes animals, babies, colors, fishes, etc. Here students will pick a theme and then select from reading an online story with additional access to printable materials. There is also suggested readings and parent activities as well.

8.) Printable Games http://pbskids.org/lions/games/coloring.htmlThis website allows students to print out coloring pages. They can also watch video clips, read stories and participate in game playing. This website is very student and parent friendly.

9.) Raz-Kids http://www.raz-kids.comThis website is organized just like a library for students to select an online book based on levels AA (beginner) to Z (advanced). The students can choose between listening, reading, quizzes and worksheets.

10.) Game Goo http://www.earobics.com/gamegoo/gooey.htmlThe name sounds icky but students will have fun using this website that features fun games and activities based on cognitive concepts such as antonyms, spelling, poetry, letter sound correspondence, etc. Students can also choose from beginner, intermediate and advance level so they will never have the same learning experience twice.