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The Internet Directory
for English Language
Improvement
2008–2009
Second Edition: September 2008
© Centre collégial de développement de matériel didactique
6220 Sherbrooke Street East, Suite 416

Montréal, Québec H1N 1C1
For information or to comment:
Véronica Gill
Tel.: (514) 873-3781
Fax: (514) 864-4908
Email: vgill@ccdmd.qc.ca
Website: www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en
ISBN 978-2-89470-241-3
Produced by the English-Language division of the CCDMD through contributions from the Canada-
Québec Agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction
Copy Editing: Veronica Schami Editorial Services
Graphic Designer: Projet Bleu
Internet Directory 4 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

Introduction
The English-Language division of the CCDMD proudly presents the second
edition of The Internet Directory for English Language Improvement.
Based on the model of its highly popular French-Language companion,
the paperback guide is also available in printable PDF on the CCDMD
website at:
http://www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en
This updated collection of basic through advanced resources is for students
learning English or using the language for academic purposes. The Directory
includes information for English as a Second Language (ESL) students
and students writing term papers, among others. It also lists many sites
that offer resources for teachers.
Most of the sites are Canadian or Québécois in origin. Some very good
American, British, and international sites have been included, but only if
their content is appropriate for the Canadian milieu.
Preference has been given to sites with multimedia tools that are free,
easy to use, and possess demonstrable educational value. Sites with a
number of grammar and spelling errors or broken links have been excluded.
Because the Internet is in constant evolution, we appreciate receiving your
feedback if you discover any problems as you explore.

Using the Directory
29 Collegial Centre for Educational Materials

1. Title
Development (CCDMD)
2. Site Address http://www.ccdmd.qc.ca
3. Icons 4. Stamps
5. Keywords ESL | Grammar | Listening | Reading | Speaking | Vocabulary |
a. Objectives Writing
b. Themes Literature
The CCDMD designs and develops educational materials for teachers and
students throughout the Québec Cégep system. To accomplish this, the Centre
6. Annotation offers administrative, technical, financial, and instructional support to college
professors so that they may produce their own educational materials.
1. Title
The Directory is organized alphabetically according to the title of each
website.
2. Address
The short version of the site address follows the title.
3. Icons
Image icons describe the format of the materials you will find in
each site.
Reference
• Dictionaries
• Research
• Indexes
• Translation
• Citations
Discussion
• Chat
• Exchange
• Pen Pals
• Blogs
• Forums

Search Engine
Tests
• Quizzes
• Preparing for Exams
– English Exit Exam
– English Proficiency Exams
Activities
• Exercises
• Games
Multimedia
• Podcasts
• Technology
• Audio
• Video
4. Stamps
Stamps identify websites that include specific resources for teachers
or information on government resources, associations, training
programs, and free language courses.
For Teachers
Government Resources, Associations, Training Programs,

and Language Courses, including:
• Benchmarks
5. Keywords
Keywords help students quickly find websites with specific information.
Keywords are grouped into two categories: objectives and themes.
a. Objectives
Objectives are English-language skills that improve your learning,
comprehension, and ability in core competencies.
ESL, including:
• Official Languages

Grammar, including:
• Punctuation
• Parts of Speech
• Sentence Structure
Listening, including:
• Practice and Comprehension
Reading
Speaking, including:
• Pronunciation
Vocabulary, including:
• Spelling
Writing
b. Themes
Themes are topic areas for students with diverse interests and
enrolled in different disciplines.
Art and Images
History and Culture
Literature, including:
• Poetry
• Quotations
• Song Lyrics
• Jokes
News
Science
Social Science
Sports
Technical Language, including:
• Business English

6. Annotations
The annotations are brief notes that describe what you will find when
you visit a site. These notes refer to elements of each site that are most
relevant for college students and English learners in general. We hope you
will find much more as you explore your own interests.
The annotations also include references to browsers and players you will
need to use the site’s multimedia. Sites that require a software purchase
are generally not included in the Directory. We have tried to present a bal-
ance of high-tech and low-tech sites so that, no matter what platform you
use, you will be able to find tools and activities to fit your needs.
Here is a list of some of the technology encountered:
Players Documents
• Flash Version 7+ • HTML
• Windows Media Player • Rich Text
• RealMedia • PDF
• RealAudio • Zip
• RealPlayer • Microsoft Word
• iTunes
Other
• MP3
• RSS Feeds
Browsers • Podcasts
• Internet Explorer
• Firefox
• Safari

1 A+ Research and Writing for High School
and College Students
http://www.ipl.org/div/teen/aplus/
ESL | writing
If you are new to essay writing, this site will help you get organized. The
content is a good introduction to basic academic writing and the external
links are well chosen. The site covers choosing and developing your topic,
gathering information, forming a thesis statement, writing the paper, and
revising your writing.
2 Academic Skills Centre (Dawson College)

http://dept.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/lc/
ESL | Grammar | Vocabulary | Writing
Dawson College’s Academic Skills Centre provides Cégep students

with resources to improve their writing and to pass Québec’s Ministerial
Examination of College English (English Exit Exam). In the English
section, scroll down to Grammar Handouts to learn more about word
pairs, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. The guide also has many links
to extra information.
3 Adbusters
http://adbusters.org/the_magazine/
Reading
History and Culture | News | Social Science
Use this site to work on reading comprehension or to research writing top-

ics related to corporate media. Adbusters is a non-profit organization that
publishes a magazine about the impact of advertising on our culture and
environment. The articles take a clear stand on controversial issues and,
whether you agree with them or not, they make for an interesting read.

4 Airborn
http://www.airborn.ca/
Reading
Literature
Kenneth Oppel provides interesting content for reading practice. Set in

the near past, his recent award-winning book Airborn follows the adven-
tures of the crew and passengers aboard the luxury airship Aurora. Have
fun reading as you follow the links to newspaper articles describing the
adventures of the crew and passengers of the Aurora.
5 AlphaDictionary
http://www.alphadictionary.com
Grammar | Reading | Speaking | Vocabulary | Writing

Technical Language
The site provides links to almost 300 language dictionary sites and more
than 120 subject-specific dictionary sites under Specialty Dictionaries.
Of particular interest is the link to Alpha Agora, where you can register for
an active online discussion group to discuss topics found on the site. You
can also make suggestions or ask questions, talk to other learners, and
read what they have to say.
6 Anglik
http://www.anglik.net
ESL | Listening | Reading | Speaking | Vocabulary | Writing

Art and Images | History and Culture | Literature | News
This site lists more than 30 links to innovative and unusual language im-
provement tools, such as learning from song lyrics, newspapers, British
art and the Monarchy, word games, slang, jokes, quotations, and films, to
name a few. The site’s British origins limit its use for Canadian students, but
it’s fun and out of the ordinary. There is also an easy and free opportunity
to make pen pals worldwide.


7 Antimoon.com: How to Learn English
http://www.antimoon.com/
ESL | Reading | Speaking
Under Motivation, Antimoon features a good discussion about how to

be an effective English-language learner, including how to become and
stay motivated. This is a commercial site, but there is enough free content
here to make the site useful. Notably, the review of dictionaries is helpful.
For a fee, you may download an application to practise and improve your
pronunciation.
8 Babel Fish Translation

http://babelfish.altavista.com

Grammar | Reading | Vocabulary | Writing
This translation tool is one of the better free services available online. You
can translate a block of text or an entire website, depending on your needs.
Babel Fish translates English into 9 other languages, as well as 12 languages
into English. A word of caution: Any automatic translation tool will make
errors, particularly in sentence structure and grammar, and will entirely miss
certain subtleties of the language. Use Babel Fish as a starting point when
you are having difficulty, and then cross-reference the results with another
tool, a native English speaker, or a good, old-fashioned dictionary.
9 Best Source for Canadian Science

http://www.science.ca
Reading | Vocabulary
Art and Images | News | Science
It claims to be the best, and we wouldn’t be surprised: This site definitely

contains a vast amount of information, activities, and references to everything
related to science in Canada. There are profiles of scientists, and many
links to other science sites, publications, and institutes. You can even ask
a scientist a question when you can’t find the answer elsewhere. (Make
sure you look around first!) The numerous activities and quizzes tackle fairly
advanced technical vocabulary and topics. Beam me up, Scotty!

10 BBC World Service: Learning English
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
ESL | Grammar | Listening | Reading | Vocabulary

Literature | News | Social Science | Technical Language
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) offers ESL students a web-

site based on the news of the day. Each page provides imaginative and
interesting content with opportunities to write, read, and listen to English.
This is a British site, so the accents are usually (although not always) Brit-
ish. The content and presentation are excellent, and there is a good link
for teachers. The Radio Player requires RealPlayer.
Check out the following sections:
• Business English covers topics such as writing a resumé, interview
techniques, phoning the boss, and renting a car.
• Communicate allows you to chat, participate in projects, and learn about
others studying English around the world.
• Learning English Webcast is a link to a weekly live podcast that supports
English-language learners. You can listen live or listen to last week’s
broadcast in three segments. Topics are varied, and there are games
and quizzes to participate in by email or by telephone.
• News English is a section where you can learn new vocabulary and read
current news. There are news stories with explanations and definitions of
the important words used in them. The vocabulary is British English.
• Quizzes are changed weekly and archived.
11 Breaking News English: Ready-to-use ESL Lessons

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/
ESL | Listening | Reading | Vocabulary

News
Breaking News English offers the opportunity to improve listening com-

prehension and reading with news stories of the day. There is a variety
of related exercises under Warm-ups, Before Reading/Listening, While
Reading/Listening, and After Reading/Listening. Lessons, in Microsoft
Word or PDF, are available for different levels of expertise. Follow the
Podcast link at the top of the page to find an archive of other news sto-
ries. Keep in mind that this is a European site; most of the speakers have
a clearly British accent.

12 British Council: Learn English Central
http://www.britishcouncil.org/central.htm
ESL | Grammar | Reading | Vocabulary
Improve your English with exercises and games, or by reading current and
archived articles in the online magazine. Visitors are encouraged to respond
in writing to theme-based articles, and the responses are posted. There are
useful links to sites related to the current weekly theme, and links are updated
as the themes change. You can test your English-language level with Cam-
bridge ESOL Exams and find links to other online grammar exercises.
13 Cambridge Dictionaries Online

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
ESL | grammar | Vocabulary
A dictionary is an essential tool for any writer. Here, users can choose the
dictionary that interests them and search for a word or phrase. If a word
cannot be found in one dictionary, the other dictionaries are automatically
searched. There is also a spelling feature that provides the user with possible
alternative spellings. Canadian and American spellings are both represented
here. The Activities link provides online activities and worksheets.
14 Campus Access
http://www.campusaccess.com/
ESL | reading | Vocabulary
International and ESL students can practise their English skills on this site
while researching a college career in Canada. One of the main portals for
Canadian students, you will find all kinds of information here on schools,
financial aid, academic life, internships, and even fun stuff (like quick recipes,
fashion, fitness, and student art). There is a job database and information on
teaching English abroad, as well as an extensive listing of reference tools.


15 Canada: A People’s History
http://history.cbc.ca
Art and Images | History and Culture | Science | Social Science
This site explores an award-winning television series produced by the

CBC that describes the history of Canada. Unfortunately, video clips are
no longer available on the site, but there is still plenty of reading material
as well as a History Crossword Puzzle, a game about being a Viking, and
an extensive bibliography that was used to create the television program.
The historical timeline at the top of the page is interesting, singling out
important moments from 12,000 B.C. through 1990. Effective English
practice for the avid Canadian history buff!
16 Canada in the Making

http://www.canadiana.org/citm
If history is your interest, and reading is your pleasure, there is no end to

the wealth of knowledge and material available on this site.
The site marries original narrative texts with primary historical documents
to tell the history of Canada in the words of its people. You can explore
specific topics, maps, images, biographies, and many documents related
to Canada’s Constitution, pioneers, immigrants, and Aboriginal treaties and
relations. There are presently 25 lesson plans available for teachers, and
more in the works. The comprehensive glossary is available in four formats:
PDF, Word, RTF, and Plain Text.
Make sure to consult the How to Use This Site menu at the top of the page. It
will help you, both in your studies as well as in your navigation of the site.


17 Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers
http://www.caslt.org
ESL | Reading
Art and Images
This site is geared toward teachers and CASLT members, but it is an important
resource for any ESL student living in Canada. As a student, joining a major
association in your field is always a good idea because you will gain access
to learning materials, email bulletins, newsletters, conferences, and special
offers. When you become a member of the CASLT, you can take advantage of
benefits and added resources. For students enrolled in a Faculty of Education,
there is a one-year free membership. Students who are members of provincial
language associations may become Affiliate Members for only $15.
If you are not a teacher, you can still use the selection of diverse and ex-
cellent links in the General Resources section. Here you will find games,
puzzles, printouts, test databases, dictionaries, search engines, and classroom
exchange sites.
18 Canadian Encyclopedia
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com
Listening | Reading | Writing
This site is a great resource for working on reading comprehension and

researching writing topics about Canada. A search box to the site is pro-
vided on the Home page. Try the links under Interactive Resources, includ-
ing Games and Learning, English-French Phrases, and French-English
Phrases.
19 Canadian History on the Web

http://canadianhistoryontheweb.ca
This site is full of links to everything and anything related to Canadian his-
tory on the Web. Maintained by Dr. Susan Nylan, Professor of History at

Wilfrid Laurier University, the site is essentially a repository of resources, and
there will be the occasional link that does not work.
However, what does function (and there is lots of it) is impressive. You can
search alphabetically according to topic, or under the general headings of
Historical Documents, Historical Graphics, Museums, Heritage Sites and
Archives, Fun and Games, and Other Resources.
20 Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials

http://www.cicic.ca
Reading
History and Culture
Developed as a part of CMEC, CICIC has a mandate to advocate wider

recognition of higher education and professional qualifications. As a centre,
it collects, organizes, and distributes information on studying and working
in Canada, studying abroad, foreign credentials recognition, and education
in Canada and abroad.
The website is divided into easy-to-follow sections, each providing a vast
amount of information and other relevant sources. Find everything you ever
wanted to know about education in Canada and abroad at CICIC.
21 Canadian Language Benchmarks (Manitoba)

http://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/immigrate/eal/
ESL
History and Culture
Manitoba has just changed ESL to EAL, which means English as an Addi-
tional Language. This is in keeping with the theory behind TESOL (Teaching
English to Speakers of Other Languages), since we know that in Canada,
many students learning English for the first time already have advanced
knowledge of one or more other languages.
The site focuses quite a bit on Canadian language benchmarks, and provides
links and downloadable PDF material to help you both evaluate your own
language level and practise self-study. (Language benchmarks describe a
task, such as reading, writing, speaking, or listening, and how well you can
do it.)

22 Canadian Olympians (Library and Archives Canada)
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/olympians
Art and Images | History and Culture | Social Science | Sports
This is a searchable image database of Canadian Olympians from the early

1900s through 2004. Each image is accompanied by a short, precise
description that is perfect for beginner and intermediate English students.
2006 Olympians appear on a separate site: http://www.olympic.ca.
You can browse by athlete, sport, Olympic year, or medal. The site includes
a lengthy essay on the history of the Canadian presence in the Olympics.
The Educational Resources area contains two lesson plans, an idea bank,
and a crossword puzzle in HTML, RTF and PDF, the standard formats
included on all Library and Archives Canada sites.
23 CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
ESL | LISTENING | Reading | Vocabulary

History and Culture | NEWS | SCIENCE | Social Science | Sports
Archives
http://archives.cbc.ca
The CBC offers a large collection of free radio and television clips to
help you improve your listening comprehension. Enter search terms or
browse the following categories: People, Conflict and War, Arts and
Entertainment, Politics and the Economy, Life and Society, Disasters and
Tragedies, Science and Technology, and Sports. You can also choose a
timeline with entries that are colour-coded by subject. The quality of the
language used by CBC journalists is first-rate, and there is an impressive
variety of topics to explore.
CBC Email Newsletters

http://membercentre.cbc.ca
Current news stories are good reading practice, and are often useful for
research projects. The CBC offers a variety of daily newsletters delivered
free to your desktop. The service requires a free membership sign-up.

CBC ESL
http://www.cbc.ca/ottawa/esl/lessons.html
There are 10 lessons on these pages to help you learn to speak and read
English. Each lesson has preparation activities, an audio or video file, and
exercises in comprehension and vocabulary. While you are visiting the CBC
website, check the Archive for a vast collection of free radio and television
clips from Canada’s past.
24 Celebrating Women’s Achievements

(Library and Archives Canada)
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/women
arts and images | History and Culture | Science | Social Science
Another theme-based resource, this website chronicles the lives and

achievements of exceptional Canadian women. Divided into topic menus
according to the women’s major contributions, the fields are diverse and
include film, theatre, arts, sport, activism, science, and many others. Each
piece includes a photograph or drawing of the individual, biographical
information, and a list of additional suggested readings.
In the Educational Resources area, two lesson plans, a bank of ideas for
teaching and writing, and a crossword puzzle have been prepared to ac-
company the biographies, but the site is primarily text-based and best used
for developing intermediate and advanced reading skills.
25 Center for History and New Media: Tools

http://chnm.gmu.edu/tools
Listening | Reading
Art and Images | History and Culture | Literature | news |
Social Science
This site showcases a unique and imaginative selection of free tools for Inter-
net research in history, including Zotero (which helps you to collect, manage,
and cite research sources in Firefox), Syllabus Finder, Web Scrapbook for
storing a variety of media items, Survey Builder, and Scribe (a cross-platform
note-taking application), as well as several others.

The CHNM home page is also pertinent for English students with an interest
in modern and ancient history. In the Resources area, you will find essays,
blogs, famous episodes in history, and an amusing section called Sidelights. In
the Projects area, you will find issues of topical interest, including the leading
digital repository of materials related to September 11, the Hurricane Digital
Memory Bank, and various other collections of rare and endangered media
related to American and World history.
Sanity note: You may wish to take a snack break while waiting for some of
these heavily laden sites to load.
26 Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks

http://www.language.ca
ESL
History and Culture | technical language
The CCLB develops national standards for the development of benchmarks,

and promotes programs to assist immigrants in attaining these standards.
(Language benchmarks describe a task, such as reading, writing, speak-
ing, or listening, and how well you can do it.) The site provides information
on language proficiency, approved CLB tests, specific placement exams,
workplace assessment, and assessment centres.
There are some excellent brochures available throughout the site in PDF.
Be patient if they take a few minutes to load.
Professionals may be interested in the entire site, but English students
should check out the Learner Gateway first.
27 Churchill House School of English Language

http://www.churchillhouse.com/english/learners.html
This commercial site offers free online exercises indexed by level. Choose a
level and then choose the activities you would like to try. Based in England,
the site is accredited by the British Council.

Try the following links:
• Dr. Grammar is a discussion forum that answers student grammar
questions.
• Exam Preparation lists and describes standardized ESL exams for
students, teachers and translators.
• For Teachers offers downloadable verb exercises in PDF, and other
interesting links.
28 Citizenship and Immigration Canada

http://www.cic.gc.ca/
ESL
History and Culture
The Government of Canada, along with partners at the provincial and

community levels, provides free language training for adult permanent
residents. Before spending unnecessary money on private courses, see if
you qualify for the CLIC program in Québec (LINC in the rest of Canada).
The site has a list of offices across the country, many official publications,
application forms for immigration, detailed policy and regulation statements,
and general statistics.
29 Collegial Centre for Educational Materials

Development (CCDMD)
ESL | Grammar | Listening | Reading | Speaking |

Vocabulary | Writing
Literature
The CCDMD designs and develops educational materials for teachers and
students throughout the Québec Cégep system. To accomplish this, the Centre
offers administrative, technical, financial, and instructional support to college
professors so that they may produce their own educational materials.
The Centre is subsidized by the Québec Ministère de l’Éducation, du
Loisir, et du Sport, and is managed by Collège de Maisonneuve. In 2005,
the CCDMD broadened its collaborative efforts to include Anglophone
colleges, as part of the Canada-Québec Agreement.

A diverse collection of printed, digital, and online materials is produced
for a wide range of courses and programs. Students will find translated
materials for various subject areas in the Resources by Discipline section
of the CCDMD website, as well as materials specifically designed for the
Anglophone college community. In the Learning Centre portion of the site,
there are innovative multimedia tools for improving English language skills,
and exercises to prepare for the English Exit Exam.
Check out the new ECO software, designed for anyone who wants to create
Internet exercises for learning a language by listening to and pronouncing
sounds and short phrases. This free, user-friendly authoring software al-
lows teachers to create and manage libraries of audio files, and develop
pronunciation exercises. The exercises can be published in the form of a
website that students can access to hear the audio files, record their own
voices and self-assess pronunciation through graphic comparisons of
recordings with control sounds.
So as not to miss out on new and developing resources, students should
bookmark the CCDMD site and visit often!!
30 Concept Maps
http://classes.aces.uiuc.edu/ACES100/Mind/CMap.html
Writing
A concept map is a helpful tool for students trying to organize a project

or essay.
This site provides a definition of concept maps, discusses their purpose, and
describes how to choose and use them. It offers downloadable diagrams
to help you design your own maps. The site is very easy to navigate. Follow
these links: Tips on Making Your Own Concept Maps, Kinds of Concept
Maps, and Concept Map Bank.
31 Council of Ministers of Education, Canada

http://www.cmec.ca
reading
HISTORY AND CULTURE
Since education in Canada is the exclusive responsibility of each province

and territory, it is sometimes difficult to find resources that present informa-
tion on the nation’s education system as a whole. This site, produced by
the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), does just that.

The site provides a vast array of reliable references for citizens and new
arrivals to Canada. It includes information on studying in Canada, foreign
credential recognition, and even links to interesting research and statistics
on education in Canada.
32 Criteria for Evaluating Internet Sources

http://www.library.ubc.ca/home/evaluating/
Writing
Anyone who has a computer and access to the Internet can put together a
website, so it’s important to know how to evaluate Internet sources before you
use them in a research paper. This site provides a list of questions to help you
sort the reliable sites from the rest. Each category of questions has a So What
button that explains why it is important to ask the questions. The links to biased
information and parody sites are fun, and the external links are helpful.
33 Critically Analyzing Information Sources

http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill26.htm
Writing
The questions on this page will lead you through a thorough assessment of
print sources and help you decide whether they are appropriate for essays and
research papers. This process is also great practice in critical thinking.
34 Curricular Resources and Materials for ESL

http://www.cln.org/subjects/esl.html

This little page is a straightforward listing of resources and sites for ESL
learning. There are curricular resources, instructional materials, and a theme
pages area (which for now only includes a theme on Listening). Regarding
the links, it’s a mixed bag, but most of them were functional at the time of
writing. A word of caution: We did not check every site listed here, so you

will need to evaluate their learning potential for yourself or ask your English
teacher what he or she thinks of a particular resource.
The page is part of a larger site called Community Learning Network, a
BC-based site designed to assist K–12 teachers with integrating technol-
ogy in the classroom: http://www.cln.org/.
35 Daily Grammar Lesson Archive

http://dailygrammar.com/
ESL | Grammar
This site offers more than 400 sequential grammar lessons. Work at your own
pace, choosing lessons from the archive. Although once a provider of free daily
email lessons, this service has been suspended due to technical problems.
36 Dave’s ESL Café

http://www.eslcafe.com
ESL | Grammar | Listening | Reading | Vocabulary | Writing
Dave Sperling’s popular ESL site is found in almost every ESL directory.
The Café offers a large number of links to material for students and teach-
ers. Many links are commercial. Students have free access to grammar
exercises, a helpline, and chat pages. Some links work intermittently,
perhaps due to high traffic on the site.
37 Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online

(Library and Archives Canada)
http://www.biographi.ca
Art and Images | History and Culture | Literature | Science |
Social Science
This website is being continually updated and expanded, and already con-
tains more than 20 volumes beginning with the year 1000 (yes, you read
it correctly – the year 1000). You can search by volume, keyword, identity,
profession, or geographic region. You can also look up an individual by

name, or browse by the first letter of the last name. As this site develops,
it will be possible to connect to portraits (where available), link to related
stories and biographies, and connect to virtual exhibitions and search
tools in order to find primary source material and supplemental information
related to the biographies.
38 Dictionary of Events, Places, People,

and Times in Canadian History
http://www.edunetconnect.com/cat/candict
This sweet little number is categorized alphabetically according to topic:

Click on a letter in the alphabet and get a very narrow offering of information
related to selected topics in Canadian history. The material is illustrated
where possible and attractively presented, but there are not copious
amounts of it. Quality versus quantity definitely applies here.
39 e-anglais
http://www.e-anglais.com/
ESL | Grammar | Reading | Vocabulary | Writing

News | Technical Language
As its name suggests, this site is designed for French-speaking students

who wish to learn English, and provides the option of reading the instruc-
tions for each activity in the student’s first language. The titles and instruc-
tions are also provided in English, so the site is not of exclusive interest
to French students.
There is an extensive list of links to vocabulary sources, magazines, news-
papers, television, radio, and virtual books. Several online dictionaries and
translation tools are listed. At the top of the page, menus written in French,
such as Cours, Exercices, Tests, and Lectures, point to excellent activities,
exercises, and resources.

40 Early Canadiana Online
http://www.canadiana.org/eco
Art and Images | History and Culture | Social Science
This is a database of more than 2 million early Canadian texts that have
been digitized (let’s hope they didn’t throw out the originals). The texts
are organized into collections that are searchable according to topic, title,
keyword, and year of publication. Teachers will appreciate the Lesson Plans
area, as well as the fact that the site provides access to an Evaluation
Report of its educational sites and resources.
41 Edufind.com: Online English Grammar

http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar
ESL | Grammar | Writing
You will find interesting and well-presented material for studying English
on this site. There is such a variety that it is difficult to describe in a few
sentences. There are headings related to Punctuation, Writing Tips, and
English Tests. You can complete a free assessment and then subscribe
to more learning activities from OEG, or just use what’s available on the
site (which is a lot).
If you happen to be building a website for ESL or other students, there is
free content available here.
42 Edunetconnect
http://www.edunetconnect.com/
Reading | Speaking | Vocabulary

Art and Images | History and Culture | News | Science |
Social Science
This Canadian site, geared to teachers, offers weekly awards to the best
sites providing educational content. The Learning Categories menu presents
a vast array of websites that lead to endless hallways of learning opportuni-
ties in many subject areas. The frequently updated features centred on the
home page target the learner’s curiosity, but the site is literally hemmed

in by commercial links. If you are Internet-savvy, you will have no problem
ignoring these areas, but they may be distracting for some.
43 English as a Second Language

http://www.rong-chang.com/
ESL | Grammar | Listening | Reading | Speaking | Vocabulary |

Writing
This is a great site for ESL learners. The site provides material of its own, as
well as links to other useful sites. Interesting features include a Pronounc-
ing Dictionary of Common English Names, an ESL Chat Community, and
ESL Writing Blogs.
Follow the link to 100 Free Short English Stories for ESL Learners to listen
to stories as they are read aloud. The reader speaks slowly and clearly,
making it easy to follow as you read the text on the screen. Try the grammar,
comprehension, and dictation exercises that accompany the stories. This
is an excellent resource for improving your pronunciation. You will need
RealAudio or MP3 capability to hear these files. Just be advised that there
are many advertisements on this site.
44 English, Baby!
http://www.englishbaby.com
Grammar | Listening | WRITING

HISTORY AND CULTURE | TECHNICAL LANGUAGE
In addition to English, this site is offered in Traditional Chinese, Simplified

Chinese, Japanese and Spanish. The spelling is American. The focus is
on the student understanding English in context (mostly pop culture and
daily usage of English), primarily through reading and listening to dialogue
of real people. Each listening activity is accompanied by a short quiz and
a space for users to make comments.
This online English learning community allows you to create a free member-
ship and maintain a personal profile that can be shared with other members
from around the world. There are forums, chat, and instant messaging features
that members can use to keep in touch. In this way, the site encourages
people to communicate and learn from each other. The comments are often
written with the informal language of text messaging, so be warned that the
accuracy of their English spelling is questionable.

Members can save their lessons by using the My Lessons feature and any
vocabulary words in My Vocab. They can also tag lessons, so others can
search for them. People can also create their own lessons, but must first
register as a “teacher.”
This is a busy site, which makes it difficult to use if you are looking for spe-
cific content. However, if you like to participate in a casual, contemporary
learning environment with interesting, youth-oriented topics, this site is a
fun and original option.
45 English Club
http://www.englishclub.com

Writing
Art and Images | History and Culture | Literature | News
This excellent and thorough site originates in Cambridge, England, and is

free, although there are links to commercial sites. The site uses the Concise
Oxford Dictionary of Current English as a reference, but includes pages
from Canadian and American English sources, and points out the differ-
ences where applicable. This feature may resolve some of the confusion
between different word spellings.
46 English Department
http://the_english_dept.tripod.com/

Writing
Art and Images | History and Culture | Literature | News |
Social Science
This page is a subsection of a site that addresses the needs of EFL (English
as a Foreign Language) students. Based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the creator,
Barbara Dieu, is an EFL teacher for secondary-level students. The site has
an international, contemporary flavour. On the home page, you will discover
interesting facts about English, its growth, and its place in the world, as
well as anecdotes from English students.
To get a sense of the scale of this site, check out the unique Site Map
that you can access from the main Go To drop-down menu. The titles are
clickable and you can search almost any topic, including lesson plans,

writing activities, media, quizzes, English-speaking countries, chat, slang,
horoscopes – each area leads you to a new page, where you will find many
excellent and entertaining educational links for learning English. Note that
you may wish to enable your pop-up blocker before entering this site!
47 English Exit Exam (Ministerial Examination

of College English)
http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/ens-sup/ens-coll/
Eprv_uniforme/Anglais/Welcome.asp
If you are looking for information about Québec’s English Exit Exam for
Cégep students, this is the place to start. This site of the Ministère de
l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport provides a general introduction to the
exam, explains the criteria for passing it, and posts the exam schedule.
There are links to past exam questions (the readings cannot be provided
because of copyright rules) and to an FAQ document called All You Need
to Know: A-Z. The Marking Guide contains several sample student essays
with explanations of how they were graded.
48 English Language Centre: Study Zone

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/
ESL | Grammar | reading | Vocabulary | Writing
Widely acknowledged as one of the best English-language study sites

available, the University of Victoria’s English Study Zone has exercises in
reading, writing, grammar, and games. Indexed by level, individual pages
offer exercises in different categories. Exercises are varied and imaginative,
and they increase in the degree of difficulty. The last lesson in a series
often provides review and self-testing. Simple design, easy links, and useful
exercises make this a very user-friendly resource. Bookmark it right now!
The following is a brief summary of each level:
• Level 200 contains simple texts and grammar exercises.
• Level 330 contains stories, exercises, and comprehension questions.
There are also many grammar exercises as well as some on punctuation.

• Level 410 offers a chance to read stories and write summaries of what
you have read. There are also grammar exercises in both the reading
and grammar sections.
• Level 490 has five readings with grammar, comprehension, and writ-
ing exercises. Readings and exercises are arranged from easiest to
most difficult.
• Level 570 contains reading exercises, including one on critical reading.
You will also find more advanced grammar exercises. The page ends
with a web-based scavenger hunt and a writing assignment.
The Extra Materials section contains an Index to Grammar Exercises as
well as a section called Choosing the Correct Article.
49 English Language Institute

http://learningresources.eli.ubc.ca/

The English Language Institute (ELI) of UBC contains some of the high-
est quality free material on the Internet for learning English as a second
language. It’s probably better than a lot of the commercial material as well.
The layout and design are great and completely ad-free. Some sections
require textbooks used by students and files at the ELI, but you’ll find plenty
of free content on the rest of the site. Each section provides external links
as an additional resource.
The site is divided into five sections:
• Using Corpora has external links that teach you how to use language da-
tabases to learn the different ways words and phrases can be used.
• Reading offers levels 400 to 600 with pre-reading material, texts, and
exercises. This is a great resource for building vocabulary and, at the
advanced level, learning about some aspects of grammar.
• Writing contains exercises on understanding collocations (words fre-
quently used together), combining sentences, constructing paragraphs,
and using phrasal verbs.
• Speaking and Listening contains transcripts, exercises, and external
links organized by level for beginning to advanced speakers.
• Exam Courses is designed to help you with the TOEFL (Test of English
as a Foreign Language). This section will also help students who want to
improve their vocabulary. It contains exercises on word meanings, commonly
confused words, phrasal verbs, idioms, opposites, and word forms.

50 English Lessons and Tests
http://www.englishlearner.com
Grammar | Reading | Vocabulary | Writing

With a nice conversational tone and a sense of humour, this site provides
many simple and effective lessons and tests for the beginner to advanced-
level English student. You can subscribe to receive free lessons by email
and, if you don’t have an email address, you can get one through this site.
On the home page, there is an online dictionary search, a poll function,
games, and a book shop. You can sign yourself up on a mailing list to meet
other English students (virtually) and receive tips on resources.
51 English Now: An Online Tutorial (Vanier College)

http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/languageschool/Potatoes/home.htm
This site offers an intensive and comprehensive review of verbs, with great
material to help you learn how and when to use each of the English verb
tenses. The tutorial also covers reading comprehension, vocabulary, and
listening skills. The concepts are presented in stories or texts written by
Vanier students, and the exercises are carefully sequenced. The themes are
international and multicultural, and many of them also focus on current events
in and around Montréal, for young students who are new to the city.
The site is best viewed with a recent browser. There is a wide variety of
options for audio players, but make sure the volume on your computer is
turned way up!
52 English Online (Université de Franche-Comté)

http://ressources-cla.univ-fcomte.fr/english/index_s.htm
ESL | Grammar | Listening | Reading | Writing
This website is highly interactive; all the learning takes place through ex-
ercises and activities divided into categories. Each category has diverse
activities that take different and interesting approaches to practising Eng-
lish. For example, in Listening, there are audio and video clips that are
accompanied by incomplete texts. Students listen and type as much as

they can understand, checking progress periodically. Correct information
then appears in the appropriate place in the text, while errors are left out,
allowing students to replay the audio and reconstruct the text word by
word if necessary.
Speakers in the listening exercises have different accents, which gives an
international flavour to the site and may assist the ESL student in training
the ear to different tones and contexts.
53 English Pronunciation and Listening

http://international.ouc.bc.ca/pronunciation/
ESL | Listening | speaking
There are 13 units at this excellent site to help second-language learners

improve their pronunciation and listening skills. Each unit focuses on a group
of sounds and includes practice exercises. The most difficult sounds have
QuickTime video files to show you exactly how to pronounce them. There
are links to download all the software you need to use the site.
This is some of the best free pronunciation material available. If you would
like to invest in some other tools, there are a few links to good commercial
sites at the bottom of the home page.
54 ESL Monkeys: English as a Second Language

Online Resources
http://www.eslmonkeys.com
ESL | Listening | reading | Speaking | vocabulary | writing
This charming ESL directory is divided into sections: For Teachers, For
Schools, and For Students. Many free resources are available. The site is
frequently updated, so we won’t give you too much information on specif-
ics, as things may change by the time you get there. However, the layout
is easy to navigate and the content is never boring. There are also useful
little tools on each page, such as the Word Look Up feature.
The downside of the site is that most of the multimedia functions only if
you have Microsoft Internet Explorer as your browser, if you have Adobe
Acrobat Reader, and if your pop-up blocker is disengaged. Those of you
with this lucky combination, however, won’t be disappointed.


55 ESL Notes Presents: The English
Learner Movie Guide
http://www.eslnotes.com/
ESL | Listening | Reading | Speaking
What a great idea! With the emergence of DVDs and the capacity to watch
movies with subtitles in the language of your choice, sitting down in front of the
TV has never been such an educational experience for language learners.
At this site, a multitude of guides provides plot summaries of popular films,
character lists, glossaries, and brief discussions of cultural references. This
is a fun way to practise reading, and an excellent way to work on listening
comprehension. Each film entry may be downloaded in PDF, HTML, or
Microsoft Word.
The catch is that you need to buy or rent the movie yourself! Don’t expect to
find a free version on the site. If you want to, you can order it online.
56 English Tests, Etc.

http://www.english-test.net
ESL | grammar | Reading | Speaking | Vocabulary | Writing

Literature | social science | technical language
The home page of this site lists easily accessible online tests pertaining
to various English grammar topics, special themes, and TOEFL-style exam
preparation. Most tests are organized into levels of difficulty (Elementary,
Intermediate, and Advanced). The site is densely packed with stimulating
and original activities that are fully functional, within which you will be hard-
pressed to find a punctuation or grammatical error.
The language and themes tend to have an American bias, but the creators
of the site seem to have been brought together virtually, rather than through
any geographic connection. To “meet” these people, just click on an image
under the site logo. You will be treated to a detailed history of each instruc-
tor’s professional experience, and, in most cases, you will find links to learning
materials developed by the instructors as well as articles they have written.
The group seems to be a bit of a cooperative, a very interesting and innovative
approach to teaching English. The best part is that (for now), it’s all free.
Take advantage of this great site before the authors implement their com-
mercial plans!


57 English Trailers
http://www.english-trailers.com/
ESL | Listening | Reading | Speaking | Vocabulary
This little package, presented by DreamWorks, makes a good partner to the

English Learner Movie Guide, and actually provides trailers on-site. Improve your
listening comprehension by watching movie trailers (commercials for hit movies).
You can search for films by title, actor, genre, or the year it was released. There
is also an in-house dictionary database at work behind the scenes.
The site is designed and maintained by English teachers, and contains warm-
up activities, scripts of the trailers, and exercises. Many activities are designed
for use with a partner or group. The site provides a link for QuickTime in the
Welcome area, where you will also find detailed animated instructions on
using the site. To maximize your experience, you can create a user account
that gives you access to more trailers and bonus features of the site, includ-
ing quizzes that allow you to save your scores. Teachers can also use this
functionality to supervise and grade their students’ performance.
There are a few typos, unfortunately, but the overall concept is good,
so this site gets a pass. Fresh and fun!
58 eSpindle
http://www.espindle.org
Reading | writing | Vocabulary
This website started from a parents’ initiative to improve tutoring practices

for their children in English spelling conventions. The non-profit organization
offers a free trial of their innovative, independently developed tutoring program
that improves memory and learning associated with reading and spelling.
The program is designed as comprehensive, ongoing tutoring support that
allows efficient and systematic progress at the level of the learner. Hints and
sample sentences are linked to a database of 100,000 words.
Each paying membership is matched by the organization in the form of a
free subscription for a disadvantaged student.

59 eWorkshop: Ontario’s Education Foundation Programs
http://www.eworkshop.on.ca

Writing
Art and Images | Social Science
The Education Foundation program involves teacher training and the devel-
opment of teacher guides in printed form. The eWorkshop site represents a
natural progression of the Foundation’s work into technology and multimedia,
providing online learning modules and teaching resources.
The literacy modules offered here are carefully planned and education-
ally sound. Although designed for primary-level students, many are easily
adapted for adult use. The division of material into Emergent, Early, and
Fluent reader levels helps the student to understand the process of learn-
ing to read. Printable material is available in PDF format.
The many high-quality, fast-loading Flash videos are intended primarily to
guide teachers in their instruction strategies. However, these can be fun
to watch, and they provide helpful hints for effective solo learning.
60 First Among Equals

http://www.collectionscanada.ca/2/4/
The site profiles every Canadian prime minister and also focuses on five
main themes related to the office throughout history. A special plus is that
the site includes transcripts of official speeches, categorized according
to political topic. The material is text-based and suited to intermediate and
advanced readers.
If the material is too difficult or if you would like to learn along with your
children, there is a kids’ version of the site. Based on the same content,
this site is more colourful, and includes period photographs, a fact sheet,
and a helpful keyword feature.
There is a Fun section with simple yet effective trivia, matching games, and
a great Picture Gallery that features prime ministers in places and with
people you might not expect! There is also a link for teachers.

61 Focus on English
http://focusenglish.com/
ESL | Listening | Speaking | Vocabulary
The site focuses on listening to native speakers discuss a variety of top-

ics, and introduces useful idioms and common expressions. The site of-
fers unique, simple, and interesting visuals, such as graphs and maps as
conversation starters, which are helpful for the solo student and would be
ideal for projection in an ESL classroom environment.
A link is offered to install chat, but it is for personal use only and will not
match you up with students at this particular site. You will need RealPlayer
to hear the audio files.
62 Free Rice
http://www.freerice.com
Vocabulary
This website is initiated by the World Food Program. As soon as you enter
the website, the main page becomes a vocabulary quiz. The multiple-choice
quiz gives you a word and four options of potential meanings. Every question
that you get correct earns you 20 grains of rice that are donated to people
around the world. The website generates revenue through advertising
space, which makes the donation possible.
63 Globe and Mail

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Esl | listening | reading

History and Culture | Literature | News | Social Science
Reading newspaper articles every day is one of the best ways to build
your reading and writing skills. The Globe and Mail, a Canadian news-
paper, has a well-developed online edition that covers national and inter-
national news, as well as featuring sections on business and investing,
sports, arts, travel, technology, and health. These pages contain many
surprises, and subscribers have access to RSS feeds.

64 Government of Québec
http://www.immigration-Quebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/employment/looking-
finding/learn-english.html
ESL
History and Culture
This is an important site for new immigrants, as it provides valuable

information regarding settling in, housing, and language training. A few
organizations that offer free, low-tuition, or paid courses are featured on
the page. There is useful information on trades, job search, and language
requirements when looking for employment in Québec. The site provides
online government forms and electronic services.
65 Grand dictionnaire terminologique:

Office québécois de la langue française
http://www.olf.gouv.qc.ca/ressources/gdt.html
vocabulary | writing
technical language
You can look up words and phrases in French or English on the Québec
government’s website of the Office québécois de la langue française. This
is not a translation tool but a resource for finding correct terminology. It is
basically a database of lexicons and vocabulary that, though not exhaustive,
is constantly being updated.
You need to know some French to use the site to its fullest. Be careful to
interpret the definitions in context to ensure they are culturally appropriate
and reflect your intended meaning.

66 Guardian Unlimited
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
ESL | reading | writing

This is a well-organized site, rich in information and opportunities to improve

reading and writing skills. Based in Britain, the Guardian Unlimited has
interesting international content on a wide variety of topics. Sign up for the
alert service, and have articles about topics that interest you delivered free
to your desktop. A free software download is available and no registration
is necessary.
Click on Culture to find the Books link – it is of particular interest to the
English student. In Authors, you will find biographical information about a
large number of international writers, as well as articles and reviews. There
are links to extracts from books and, for the adventurous, there are writing
games and quizzes. There are also QuickTime audio links for selected news
stories. Note that the announcer will speak with a British accent.
67 Historical Voices
http://www.historicalvoices.org
Listening | Speaking
This site preserves and displays historical events and information in the
form of archival spoken-word recordings. Here, the student can listen to
interviews, press statements, court cases, and many other examples of
actual people caught on “tape.” Some of the audio recordings come with
a transcript so that you can follow the text while listening.
The sources are varied, and so are the formats. If a particular site doesn’t
work for you, check which media player is required. RealAudio is often
employed, as well as RSS feeds for podcasts, but it is not always clearly
mentioned, which can be frustrating for users.
The Education area presents excellent information for teachers, along with
lesson plans to accompany specific audio archives. A word of caution: Test
everything before presenting to your class!
This site has ambitious goals and objectives set out on its home page, but
it still has a ways to go before it lives up to all of these. Nevertheless, the
existing content, despite a few glitches, is worth a look.

68 How to Do Research on the Internet
http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/vl/www/wwwcon.htm
Writing
This is a straightforward introductory tutorial to research on the Internet. Even

if the student has extensive experience surfing and searching online, this site
will help clarify terminology, such as the differences between search engines
and subject gateways, the definition and structure of a URL, domain names
as clues to the type of organization represented by a website, etc.
Other tutorials on various topics in information technology are available
in the Subject Guide at the top of the page. Printable versions of all the
tutorials are offered on the site.
69 HyperGrammar
http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/
Grammar | reading | Vocabulary | Writing
This is an extensive grammar site offered by the University of Ottawa’s

Writing Centre. The site is indexed by topic, and there are links from each
lesson to related pages within the rest of the site. All these links can make
moving around a bit confusing; however, the content is useful, clear, and
very well written. The benefit of this method is that the student can navigate
according to his or her own train of thought.
As a linear approach to learning grammar is problematic on many levels,
this approach is refreshing and educationally sound, once you get into the
flow of it. A word of caution: It is highly recommended to start by reading
How to Use HyperGrammar, and not a bad idea to tackle this site early in
your day with a rested brain and fresh eyes.
70 Hypertext Writer’s Guide (University of Victoria)

http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/welcome.html
Every step of the essay-writing process is covered here. The Table of Con-
tents and Index make it easy to find exactly what you are looking for, and

the site is well designed. The information is easy to read, and the pages
load quickly. Use this site to plan and research your essay, to revise and
proofread your draft, and to prepare a bibliography of your sources.
Learn about different types of essays and the terms you need to write an
essay on literature. Amaze your friends and relatives by knowing the defini-
tion of the literary term zeugma (we bet even your teacher has to look it
up). This site is well worth a bookmark.
71 I Love Languages
http://www.ilovelanguages.com
Reading | Writing
History and Culture | Social Science
This award-winning site has been established in some form since 1994. It
has been quoted in both online and print media press on many occasions.
The site is primarily a catalogue of language-related Internet resources,
with many links that are not specific to English. One helpful aspect of the
site is that its commercial listings appear together and are accessible from
one menu, so the student is not obliged to sift through sites that are selling
products and services.
There are a large number of dictionaries, translation tools, and teacher
resources included in the Languages area. In the School area, the student
can find language camps, programs, and universities. There is also a Jobs
area with links to language-related employment resources.
72 Images Canada
http://www.imagescanada.ca/
Reading | Vocabulary | Writing

Photo essays are usually written by an archivist or historian to develop a

narrative on a specific theme and then enhanced with images. Using the
site’s search engine, you can collect and arrange your choice of images
to accompany a photo essay of your own or select an Image Trail to see a
prepared set of about 50 to 150 images on a particular theme.
Beautifully presented, the site is a great alternative for English students
who are visual learners or who are not ready for a lot of heavy reading.

73 Interesting Things for ESL Students
www.manythings.org
ESL | Grammar | Listening | Reading | Speaking

Literature
This site is included here because it has such a varied selection of amus-
ing and unusual offerings that employ diverse learning strategies. It will
appeal to different learners, and exercise multiple skills, including grammar,
vocabulary, listening, spelling, and pronunciation.
Two words of caution: There are a few errors on the site, and not every tool
works perfectly, or has much educational value. In addition, the games and
interactive activities have been designed for different platforms, including
Flash, JavaScript, and various players. Depending on your system, you may
not have success using all of them.
Nevertheless, the site owners should be congratulated on offering a truly
non-profit resource, where the student is never subjected to unwanted
advertising.
74 International Herald Tribune

http://www.iht.com/pages/index.php
ESL | Listening | Reading

This international newspaper includes original content as well as articles

from newswire services and major papers, like The New York Times. Articles
are presented with high-quality visuals, and there are always links to more
detailed information, as well as discussion groups and blogs.
Your choice of format and media: You can get streaming audio news here,
RSS feeds, and even downloads for your cellphone.

75 Internet Picture Dictionary
http://www.pdictionary.com
Vocabulary
This is a very simple website that teaches vocabulary by using pictures.

Good for beginners only, students can browse by letters or categories
(animals, transportation, or numbers) or search a word and a picture will
appear. However, since the content is so narrow, the search feature has
only limited value; when the word doesn’t exist in the list, unrelated words
that happen to start with the same letter are proposed.
A handful of activities are provided for students to review what they have
learned. In addition to English, the website provides the same words in
French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
For a more extensive picture dictionary, check out the Merriam-Webster
Visual Dictionary Online. The problem with both these resources, however,
is that the words most easily matched with images are nouns. Students
with no knowledge of a language can get an idea from these dictionaries
about basic names of objects, but the dictionaries do not help to improve
speaking or writing skills.
76 John’s ESL Community: English Interactive

http://www.johnsesl.com/

Literature
Follow the Students link for information, activities, exercises, and games
to challenge and improve your language skills. Many of the Listening
exercises are based on the American National Public Radio and National
Geographic articles. The site is easy to use and the links are reliable. The
listening exercises use RealAudio.
The site’s new design now also offers many resources for teachers, includ-
ing the possibility of setting up a password-protected class website.

77 LangCanada Portal Project
http://www.langcanada.ca

Art and Images | History and Culture | Science |
Social Science
This CASLT-managed site aims to be a one-stop Internet resource for

second official language learning. The site provides resources for both
English and French language learning, but its most original feature is the
possibility of search options in both languages. For instance, a French-
speaking student can locate English material using a French search engine,
and vice versa.
Three superb search engines focus on the separate areas of Educational
Resources, Training Organizations, and Research.
In the Educational Resources area, students can search according to topic
area or learning level (adult and child), type of language skill, or teaching
and learning resource. There is also a section devoted to Educational
Resources by Theme. Here you will find less common materials, such as
learning English through music and images.
The site is still under development, so visit often.
78 Language Sites on the Internet

http://www.verbivore.com/rllink.htm
grammar | Reading | Vocabulary

literature
This excellent Web directory of English language sites is one page in Rich-
ard Lederer’s Verbivore site. The Language Links are arranged by topic
in an index at the top of the page. Find links to Etymology, Grammar and
Usage, Language Columns/Online Magazines, Linguistic Links, News-
groups, Puns, Reference, Word Games, Word and Letter Play, and Word
Watching & Vocabulary Development. The links are of excellent quality.
This is an essential site for advanced ESL students, and for anyone who
has an appetite for language.

79 Learn English Search swicki
http://learn-english-search-swicki.eurekster.com
ESL
technical language
A wiki is a collaborative website where users can contribute and edit the
information. A swicki is a collaborative search engine. A swicki learns
from the interests of the community that uses it – the more users who
consult a certain topic area, the larger the keyword will appear in the list
of contents.
Used with prudence, it will lead to many unexpected places, and will
appeal to the curious. However, since the sites open in the same browser
window, it is easy to get lost.
This particular swicki is the creation of Steve Chadwick from http://www.
examenglish.com/ – a great resource for those preparing for an English
language exam, such as TOEFL, IELTS, and the Cambridge University
exams. Most of the major tests are described in detail so that you will
know exactly what to expect. There are free mini-exams offered, and you
can find testing centres, and purchase learning materials.
80 Learning Centre (Library and Archives Canada)

http://www.collectionscanada.ca/education
If this Directory has not yet convinced you that Library and Archives Canada
is quite simply a stroke of brilliance on the part of the educational powers
that be in government, visit this site.
We will not even introduce it here, as everything you need to know is clearly
stated on the home page. The visual design is quite a bit more contemporary
and colourful than the usual Archives fare, but the site is still just as rich
with Canadian history and educational resources.
There is something for absolutely every student and teacher. Go there,
NOW!

81 Learning Centre (Vanier College)
http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/tlc/
ESL | grammar | Vocabulary | writing
The English Exit Exam section contains everything you need to know to
pass Québec’s Ministerial Examination of College English, with tip sheets,
explanations of the marking criteria, and sample student essays. There is also
a link to the English Now online tutorial for second-language students.
82 Library and Archives Canada

http://www.collectionscanada.ca/
reading | Vocabulary
art and images | history and culture | sciencE |
social science
A huge repository where you can explore all kinds of historical documents
as well as special collections, including Canadian Genealogy, Multicul-
tural Resources, Aboriginal Resources, a Portrait Gallery, and an Online
Canadian Biography Dictionary. There are many sub-links within this site
so, to avoid missing anything, keep going back to the home page, where
you can access featured exhibitions and browse selected topics.
83 Library Spot: Dictionaries

http://www.libraryspot.com/
esl | reading | Vocabulary
This is an essential link for ESL students and for anyone looking for reference
material. Part of the Start Spot site, this is an excellent place to find the
dictionary you’re looking for. Find other Start Spot links, including Libraries,
Reading Room and Reference Desk on the left side of the page.


84 Listen to CBC Radio (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
http://www.cbc.ca/listen/
listening
Improve your listening comprehension and vocabulary with CBC Radio

One, listed by city (news and talk shows), or choose CBC Radio Two
(music with commentary) at the bottom of the page. The spoken English
is clear and of excellent quality. There is a table of contents to other CBC
Radio sites listed by topic.
85 Literature.org: The Online Literature Library

http://www.literature.org/authors/
Reading
literature
This small collection of public access literature provides full texts in a for-
mat that is relatively easy to read onscreen. The authors include Charles
Dickens, Leo Tolstoy, and René Descartes. It’s hard to imagine reading
an entire novel onscreen, but literature students may appreciate the ability
to copy the text, hear it read by a screen reader, and search for key pas-
sages and characters.
86 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online

http://www.ldoceonline.com/
esl | speaking | vocabulary
Second-language students will appreciate this learners’ dictionary. The

advantage of learners’ dictionaries is that the definitions are given in clear,
simple language, and many entries have pictures and audio pronunciation
files. The quality of the online content is high, and the site is free and easy
to use, but you must register first. The site contains a number of irritating
sales pitches for the full book/CD edition.

87 Look Way Up
http://lookwayup.com
Reading | Writing | vocabulary

technical language
This is an online dictionary and thesaurus with a spelling correction feature

that installs onto your browser. This is a free, useful, and efficient tool for
when you are working online. In most cases, you will not have to leave the
page you are on to check your favourite translation engine or hard copy
dictionary. Referring to a small space on your toolbar, just look words up
using this handy function. An added advantage is that the tool recognizes
the context of the word in question, thereby increasing your chances of
getting an accurate definition.
A word of caution: Use common sense. The dictionary cannot read your
mind, so look for clues, such as context, to help you decide which of the
offered definitions is correct. If you’re not sure, cross-reference it with the
usual suspects.
A bonus: The dictionary can change its orientation depending on whether
you are a teacher, student, writer, or lawyer.
88 Louvre Museum
http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en
Reading
art and images | history and culture
The Louvre website is very interactive and offers a lot to someone who
is learning English. It has many virtual tours where students can see all
kinds of artwork and read descriptions. Users can also click on the French
language option, which will lead them to the same point where they left
off in English.
Students can create their own personal spaces on the Louvre website to
develop albums of their favourite pieces. Content is organized according
to exhibitions, themes, and other types of activities. It’s a fun website to
explore for people who are interested in art.

89 McCord Museum
http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/
listening | reading
If you are looking for new ways to practise English, explore the McCord
Museum, Montréal’s premier Canadian history museum. Although this site
is not specifically for language instruction, it offers an enjoyable alternative
to other reading and listening sites.
Try these links from the home page:
• Keys to History – Games: Practise English with topics about Canada’s
history.
• Keys to History – Thematic Tours: Choose a tour and click on View the Movie
Clip, where you can watch and listen to movies about Canada’s history.
Most activities require an up-to-date version of Flash.
90 Media Awareness Network

http://www.media-awareness.ca
Reading | Writing
Art and Images | History and Culture | News | Science
This site is a media and Internet education resource designed for teachers
and parents, but it will appeal to young adults and children. It’s a terrific
way to improve English while looking critically at media, both the regular
information sources and the accompanying advertisements. Issues such
as media violence, stereotyping, online hate, and information privacy are
thoroughly addressed.
There are educational games, news, blogs, and a resource catalogue.
The Lesson Library in the Teacher’s Area is searchable and allows you to
search topics ranging from alcohol and tobacco use through body image,
diversity, gender portrayal, and ethics.
The attractive site design is well organized, with a colour scheme that
changes from page to page, to liven things up a little. A handy feature is
the Content Cart, which allows you to collect materials as you browse,
sort them, and print them all at once.

91 Medline Plus: All Easy-to-Read
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/easytoread/all_easytoread.html
listening | Reading | Vocabulary

technical language
This is an alphabetical listing of resources with excellent interactive materials

to help second-language students build their reading and listening comprehen-
sion for studies in the health care field. This public access site is a service of
the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
The information is designed to be easy to read and understand. There are
read-along audio tutorials supported by comprehension questions, as well
as access to a dictionary and an encyclopedia of medical terms. Translations
are in Spanish. The site is regularly maintained, and the links are reliable.
92 Merriam-Webster Learner’s
[Pronunciation] Dictionary
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/
ESL | Listening | Reading | Speaking | vocabulary | Writing
Merriam-Webster offers a separate dictionary of pronunciation designed

for ESL learners. There are no definitions; instead, this site contains audio
pronunciation files, a word-of-the-day feature, and a language help section
with tips on common word use problems. There’s also a helpful glossary
of grammar terms. In addition, you can improve your listening and speak-
ing, all while completing exercises. This is simply an excellent resource for
improving your pronunciation.
93 Merriam-Webster Online
http://m-w.com/
ESL | Reading | Writing | Vocabulary

Search Merriam-Webster’s dictionary and thesaurus, improve your vocabulary
with the word of the day, and challenge yourself with crossword puzzles
and word games. Many of the dictionary entries have audio files to help
improve pronunciation.

94 Montréal Botanical Gardens
http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin/
Reading | vocabulary
art and images | History and Culture | Science
This attractive site is a good way to read English while learning about botany
and gardening. The Outstanding Plants and Collections area contains
beautiful images, but most of the text information appears in French when
you click on the thumbnails. This is the case with several areas of the site,
and helpful only for French-speaking students!
Since most of the activities take place at the gardens themselves and not
on the website, we actually recommend you visit in person. An interactive
map on the Greenhouse and Gardens page prepares you for your visit by
providing a sense of the layout, scale, and a sneak peek at the collections.
Bring a good book to practise your reading in an environment of serenity, par-
ticularly in the off-season, when it is free to wander in and walk around.
Be sure to check out the educational signs and posters, where the text
appears in multiple languages. International students may find a taste of
home here, as well as receiving an introduction to the cultural diversity that
is Montréal. Many of the collections are dedicated to the city’s founding
communities and contain special materials, architecture, and, in some
cases, tributes, such as the Hiroshima Peace Bell designed by artist Katori
Masahiko for the Japanese Garden.
95 My (Virtual) English Tutor

http://www.myet.com/en/download.htm
ESL | Grammar | Listening | Reading | Speaking | Writing
This site provides a free download of a sophisticated application for learn-

ing English. All you need is a microphone and speakers or headphones,
and the program will perform like a personal tutor.
My ET has the capability of evaluating your speech capabilities, correcting
your pronunciation, pitch, rhythm, and emphasis, according to the accent
you select, and helps you learn how to express yourself effectively. My ET
also provides you with an online community, and content you can customize
and update according to your interests.
Beware Mac users and Open Source Technology users – My ET will only
work on a Windows system running Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher.

96 NetLingo
http://www.netlingo.com/
spelling | Vocabulary
technical language
This site is useful for those who need to keep up with the changing vocabulary
of the Internet. NetLingo is a Web dictionary that helps explain the online
world of business, technology, and communication. Terms are listed alpha-
betically, and by topics that are regularly updated. Check in often to access
new information, and stay on the cutting edge of language on the Web!
97 NPR: Podcast Directory

http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php

Use this site to improve your listening and reading skills, to research
essays, or to just have some fun. American National Public Radio offers
almost 300 podcasts organized in a topic index, along with supporting
written material.
98 Online Citation Styles Reference Guide

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citex.html
Writing
Citing research sources from the Internet is an ever-changing art that all
students who write essays and research papers need to master. Have you
ever wondered how to cite a Web page, an email message, or a discussion
board posting? Here you will find easy to follow, up-to-date information on
how to cite Internet sources in Modern Language Association (MLA), Ameri-
can Psychological Association (APA), Chicago, and other citation styles.

99 OWL (Original Site)
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/oldindex.html
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University is one of the very
best university English sites. Purdue makes its material on academic writ-
ing, grammar, spelling, and punctuation available free to English students
anywhere on the Web. There are handouts, PowerPoint presentations, a
newsletter, and lots more for you to discover here.
Note: This is Purdue’s original site. Purdue is working on a new site, and
the pages are listed in this Directory under The OWL Family of Sites.
100 The OWL Family of Sites

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
The OWL (Online Writing Lab) has been around since 1993. Created
at Purdue University, this is the granddaddy of sites offering help and
information to college and university writers. It is very well designed and
easy to follow.
The OWL website is divided into Suggested, Featured and Most Popular
resources. Here are some things you can learn from this website:
• Improve your writing by learning how to develop an outline, create a
thesis statement, and ways to avoid plagiarism
• Learn how to cite your reference sources according to Modern Language
Association (MLA) or American Psychological Association (APA) styles
101 Paradigm Online Writing Assistant

http://www.powa.org/
Paradigm’s interactive writer’s guide and handbook covers how to develop

topics for different types of essays, how to organize writing, and how to
edit for grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. It has a separate section

with tips to improve your spelling. The design is a little cluttered, but the
content is solid and the site is easy to navigate. Paradigm is actually less
commercial than it looks; the products to purchase are low-cost print or
software versions of the handbook.
102 Project Gutenberg: Free eBooks

http://www.gutenberg.org/
reading
literature
If you want to improve your English, you have to read, read, read. Project
Gutenberg, named for the inventor of the printing press, is an online project
dedicated to making books whose copyright has expired in the United
States free to readers. (It’s up to users to check a publication’s copyright
status in their own countries.) There are 17,000 free eBooks available in
almost 50 languages. The eBooks are organized using Library of Congress
Classification, and may be searched by author, title, or subject. Files are
available in HTML, Plain Text, or Zip. The site is continuously maintained,
and new material is added frequently.
Take the time to read the License and Trademark information before start-
ing, and try the following links: Online Book Catalog, Offline Catalogs,
and Authors.
103 Rabble Podcasts Network

http://www.rabble.ca/rpn/

If you want to improve your listening skills, Rabble.ca produces and com-
piles some of the very best in Canadian podcasts and online radio. The
podcasts are arranged by theme and are accessible from a list at the top
of the page. Some pages provide a “listen now” option; others require
iTunes to work. The download is conveniently provided with each podcast.
There is a definite slant to the left politically and socially.
Scroll down for brief descriptions of what you can find in each section.
There are too many sections to name them all here, but here is a short list
of offerings to whet your appetite:

• Rabble Rumble: Listen to debates.
• Redeye: Take a close look at today’s political, social, and cultural issues.
• Rabble Docs: Listen to documentaries.
• Radio Book Lounge: Hear author interviews, reviews, and readings.
• Healing the Earth: Learn about environmental issues.
Note that the podcasts may take some time to download.
104 Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab

http://www.esl-lab.com/
ESL | listening | Vocabulary
This site offers practical listening comprehension exercises indexed by

level and topic. Each lesson includes pre-listening, listening, and post-
listening exercises.
The site is divided into five sections:
• General Listening Exercises
• Listening Quizzes for Academic Purposes
• 20-Minute ESL Vocabulary Lessons
• Language Learning and Life Tips
• Long Conversations with RealVideo
The pronunciation is American. The audio is clear, and there is a transcript
so that listeners can read along if they wish. Mac and Open Source Tech-
nology users should note that the audio is only available in RealMedia or
Windows Player.
105 Research Guide for Students

http://www.aresearchguide.com/
Writing
This is an invaluable resource for anyone writing essays or making presenta-

tions. Add it to your favourites right now! Research and essay writing are
described in easy-to-follow chapters, all accessible from this page. You
will learn how to search for information, arrange it, present it, cite it, and
compile a bibliography of your sources. Scroll down to the bottom of the
page for a complete list of chapters and links.

106 Selected Sites for ESL and EFL Students
http://iteslj.org/ESL.html
esl
This is one of the very best directories of Web-based ESL material. The
site lists links that are interesting and useful, with a minimum of advertis-
ing and clutter. This is an essential and fun resource for students learning
English as a second language.
107 Self-Study Quizzes for ESL Students

http://a4esl.org/q/h/
ESL | grammar | vocabulary
There are more than 1,000 activities for ESL students here. There are
quizzes under the following topics: Grammar, Places, Vocabulary, Idioms,
Homonyms, Scrambled Words, and Miscellaneous. The quizzes require
no special software, and they are accessible on portable devices. The site
is a project of TESL Journal, and it uses teachers’ contributions.
108 Seven Steps of the Research Process

http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill1.htm
Writing
A leading American university takes you through seven steps in research-

ing an essay. This hypertext document covers how to identify a topic, find
and evaluate sources, and cite sources using standardized formats. The
subsections related to scholarly and non-scholarly sources are particularly
helpful. Some links are useful only for Cornell University students, but there
is enough content to make a visit to this site worth your time.


109 Shakespeare Illustrated
http://shakespeare.emory.edu/illustrated_index.cfml
Reading
Art and Images | History and Culture | Literature
Do you need help reading Shakespeare? Are you a visual learner? Here
is a site for you. You will find a wide range of art depicting the work of
Shakespeare, indexed under his titles as well as under the artist names.
The scenes depicted are annotated and linked to other images in the
collection.
110 Sounds of English, Spanish, and German

http://www.uiowa.edu/%7Eacadtech/phonetics/
ESL | Listening | Speaking
Many ESL students have trouble pronouncing particular sounds, and

repeating the same mistakes can be frustrating. This Internet resource
is the answer. Click the English icon in Choose a Language to load The
Sounds of American English.
For each sound, there is an animated diagram showing how to move the
jaw, lips, and tongue, and a video clip of a native speaker making the
sound. If you need to learn how to make individual sounds, it’s a great
resource – and it’s free.
You will need Flash Player Version 7 or higher to use this tool.
111 Speak Read Write

http://www.speak-read-write.com

This website, created by Sally Jennings, an ESL tutor based in British Co-
lumbia, is not to be passed up. At first glance, it may be tempting to do so,
because the site has an awkward visual design, without the special effects
that recent Flash and top-of-the-line browsers offer. All too often, however,
such sites are heavy on the glamour and low on instructional design.

This site is the complete opposite. Beginner to advanced adult English
students will find many hours’ worth of valuable exercises here that appeal
to diverse learning strategies and needs. All the major skills are addressed:
grammar, reading, writing, listening, speaking, and comprehension. The
examples and short stories are current and relevant to daily life. Several
activities focus on pronunciation and listening. The audio is lovingly provided
by Sally herself and, while it may be a little on the heavy side (file size), it is
clear, and presented in a very typical West Coast Canadian accent.
112 SQ4R: A Classic Method for Studying Texts

http://www.lib.uoguelph.ca/assistance/learning_services/
fastfacts/SQ4R.cfm
Reading
Improving your English means improving your reading, but it may not be
easy at first, especially if you are new to the language. SQ4R has been
around since the 1960s and is taught in many college and university study
skills programs. The method breaks down the task of reading into various
steps: It is a useful tool to help native speakers and ESL students improve
their comprehension of any non-fiction text.
Although time-consuming and intensive at first, once mastered, the SQ4R
method will usually take only a few moments. Ultimately, it will enable you
to restructure the way you think about the process of analyzing a text in
any language.
113 Thesaurus.com
http://thesaurus.com
Quickly look up words in a thesaurus, dictionary, or encyclopedia, browse

links on grammar and style, or use the Word of the Day feature. Note that
its translation engine is not highly recommended.

114 Topics: An Online Magazine for Learners of English
http://www.topics-mag.com/
ESL | Grammar | Reading | Vocabulary

History and Culture | Social Science
This international e-zine offers a place to exchange experiences, meet

people from all over the globe, and discuss issues particular to learning a
new language and living in a new culture. The Language Corner covers
topics such as vocabulary, idioms and expressions, and grammar. Rather
than offering exercises, readers are encouraged to submit writing based
on the topics being discussed. There are online projects, book and movie
reviews, and a travel section, all written by ESL students.
115 Using English for Academic Purposes:

A Guide for Students in Higher Education
http://www.uefap.com/
ESL | Listening | Reading | Vocabulary | Writing
This website is a complete course in using English for college and univer-
sity. Content is divided into the following sections: Accuracy, Assessment,
Background, Listening, Materials, Reading, Speaking, Vocabulary and
Writing. Most sections include an introduction, detailed instruction and
exercises for improving skills and confidence in each area. The content
is delivered in clear, informal language, for example: “If you are going to
get as many marks for speaking as writing, spend as much time on it as
your writing.”
This is one of the best sites in the Directory if you are using English for
academic purposes. Check out the sections on note-taking and what to
listen for in lectures – invaluable advice you may not find anywhere else.

116 Utne.com
http://www.utne.com/
Reading
Utne magazine provides interesting and challenging reading material to

help you improve your comprehension and vocabulary, and it’s a great
place to look for an interesting writing topic. The editors at Utne select
and reprint what they consider the best content from more than 2,000
alternative media sources.
You can subscribe to Utne, or take advantage of the many free links and
audio material in MP3 format. Many (but not all) articles are fairly short.
Each issue and its articles relate to a specific theme.
117 Virtual Training Suite

http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk

Art and Images | History and Culture | News | Science |
Social Science | Sports
The Virtual Training Suite is part of Intute, an online service developed by a

network of British universities and partners to provide free, high-quality Web
resources in education and research. The many tutorials are listed alphabeti-
cally within major subject areas. They focus primarily on job descriptions and
fields of employment, thus enabling college-level students to acquaint them-
selves with potential career paths while improving their reading abilities.
Each tutorial integrates text with listings of outside websites that offer additional
information on the specific job or field of study. There are few images included
other than the icons that indicate the different sections of each tutorial.
Check out Internet Detective in the Additional Tutorials section. It is a neat,
simple tool with a pleasing visual presentation and none of the problems you
will see described below.
This site has both its positive and negative aspects. While it is interesting,
content-rich, and supposedly interactive, there are some serious problems
with usability.
Individual tutorials follow similar, but not identical, paths through the specific
material they are presenting. The Welcome, Start, and Tour menus are repeti-
tive, and you may get bored of seeing the same information reappear over

and over again. The natural tendency is to skip ahead using the navigation bar
on the left, but, because the information is not presented in the same format
in each tutorial, the student may miss important steps or become confused.
In addition, websites listed in the tutorials are not linked, so the student is
obliged to use the Links Basket, a collection device which, although innova-
tive, is a slow way to work, and not one that most students are accustomed
to using. Finally, the tutorials do not open in a separate window, so it is tricky
to find your way back to the site’s home page.
This site will appeal to some, but not to others. It is worth taking a look, even
with its weaknesses, but be prepared to go at a slower pace than you may
be used to working online.
118 Visual Dictionary Online (Merriam-Webster)

www.visualdictionaryonline.com
Vocabulary
Art and Images
The dictionary contains 20,000 terms with contextual definitions in up to six

languages developed by terminology experts, along with 6,000 full-colour
images of a wide variety of objects. This website is designed to help you
find the right word at a glance.
By consulting the search function or lists of themes, you can match a word
to an image, useful especially when you know what something looks like
but not what it’s called, or when you know the word but can’t picture the
object.
The problem with picture dictionaries, however, is that the words most easily
matched with images are nouns. Students with no knowledge of a language
can get an idea from these resources about basic names of objects, but
the dictionaries do not help to improve speaking or writing skills.
119 Voice of America: VOA News – Special English

http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/daily_radio.cfm

Voice of America has developed a Special English site aimed at the ESL
learner. News stories are written in simple English, using a core vocabulary

of about 1,500 words. Sentences are short and simple, and stories are read
at a slow pace, allowing you to follow along as you listen to the broadcast.
The material is interesting and chosen from current news stories.
Follow the links on the left side of the page to find Our Word Book, Radio
Programs, Podcasts, and Games with Words. Don’t miss Wordmaster,
where you can read and listen to stories.
120 The Walrus Magazine

http://www.walrusmagazine.com/

Art and Images | History and Culture | Science |
Social Science
This Canadian literary magazine provides a wide variety of reading mate-

rial to improve your comprehension and vocabulary. Short fiction and
essays are featured. Columns like Field Notes and Culture are especially
interesting. Free registration allows users to access past and current is-
sues. Follow the link to The Walrus Interviews for access to more than
175 contemporary authors discussing their work. Read users’ comments
and add your own to the blogs. Word games can be found in each issue
under the heading Think Tank.
121 Wilfred Owen Multimedia Digital Archive

http://www.hcu.ox.ac.uk/jtap
ESL | Listening | Reading | vocabulary | writing

This site showcases primary sources with a focus on World War I poetry,
photographs, and contemporary video and audio clips of interviews with
veterans. Many of the clips are short visual essays that appear somewhat
out of context when viewed alone, but are intended to be combined in the
student’s own work to create virtual seminars. (Be careful how you use
the sources and where you present your work – most of it is copyright-
protected.)
The site structure encourages the development of something called Path
Creation Schemes, a method of collecting and combining diverse yet related
material so that a common theme emerges. A quote on the main page of

this section references the fascinating must-read article of Vannevar Bush,
“As We May Think” (Atlantic Monthly, July 1945), that literally predicts the
invention of personal computers and the development of the Internet.
This site will appeal to students with an interest in World War I history and
a desire for media-enhanced learning material. You will need RealPlayer,
QuickTime, and/or Windows Media Player to access all the information
presented here.
122 Word Central (Merriam-Webster)

http://www.wordcentral.com
vocabulary
Not a very content-heavy website and, at first glance, the graphics make it
appear to be more for a younger audience. There is a section called Daily
Buzzword that is simply the word of the day. Build Your Own Dictionary
encourages users to add words that they’ve invented.
There are three games: Robo-Bee (complete the sentences), BIGBot
(choose synonyms), and Jumble Kids (unscramble the letters given to
form a word). Do not be fooled by their slick appearance (which makes a
nice change from some of the older websites we’ve reviewed) – both the
learning and play components are quite challenging!
123 Word Mania

http://www.wordmania.org/
Reading | vocabulary
This website provides activities, games and puzzles for ESL students. It’s
divided into seven categories: Brainteasers, Trivia, Crosswords, Hangman,
Word Search, Kids’ Area, and Classic Books. These sections provide many
games and exercises dealing with vocabulary and comprehension.

124 World Wide Words
http://www.worldwidewords.org/
ESL | Reading | Vocabulary | Writing

World Wide Words is an essential site for anyone who wants to learn more
about the English language. Michael Quinion answers questions from Inter-
net fans, and writes articles about the origins of popular expressions and
new or strange words that may not have made it into dictionaries. This is
an excellent site for language learners but, because Quinion writes from a
British perspective and uses a lot of wordplay and strange expressions, it
may be more appropriate for intermediate and advanced students.
125 Zero Bio: Online Biology Quiz and Games Site

http://www.execulink.com/~ekimmel
Science | Technical Language
In Québec, students study advanced science, biology, physics, and chem-

istry by Grade 11 for entry into Health Science, Pure and Applied Science,
and Modified or Preparation for Science college-level programs. This
website, intended to support students in Grade 9 Science, Grade 11
Biology, and Grade 12 Biology in the rest of Canada, may prove to be an
excellent tool for Québec Cégep students who are interested in studying
the science disciplines and need to improve their English language skills
to do so. Without even trying, you’ll improve your technical vocabulary and
pick up a wealth of information on your chosen field.
There are some ingenious browser-based and Flash activities related to
typical science problems that parallel the classroom curriculum. Don’t miss
the virtual Dissection Lab! (Warning: NOT for the squeamish or sensitive.
While saving many frogs, this activity contains photographs and videos of
actual dissections. On the other hand, it also addresses some common
ethical concerns and answers questions many students are too shy to ask
before an actual dissection.)
The activities on this site load quickly, even if your system and browser
are not state-of-the-art. You will need the most recent version of Flash
Player, Windows Media Player, and Internet Explorer to use all the avail-
able multimedia.

125 of the best sites on the Web
for English learners
· Alphabetical
· Analytical
· Categorical
· Lexical
· Grammatical
· Pedagogical
· Practical
· Technological
· Topical

Internet Directory For English Improving Websites

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© Centre collégial de développement de matériel didactique

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Internet Directory 4 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

Internet Directory 5 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

29 Collegial Centre for Educational Materials

Internet Directory 6 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

Government Resources, Associations, Training Programs,

Internet Directory 7 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

Internet Directory 8 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

Internet Directory 9 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

2 Academic Skills Centre (Dawson College)

ESL | Grammar | Vocabulary | Writing

Dawson College’s Academic Skills Centre provides Cégep students

Use this site to work on reading comprehension or to research writing top-

Internet Directory 11 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

Kenneth Oppel provides interesting content for reading practice. Set in

Grammar | Reading | Speaking | Vocabulary | Writing

ESL | Listening | Reading | Speaking | Vocabulary | Writing

Internet Directory 12 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

ESL | Reading | Speaking

Under Motivation, Antimoon features a good discussion about how to

8 Babel Fish Translation

9 Best Source for Canadian Science

It claims to be the best, and we wouldn’t be surprised: This site definitely

Internet Directory 13 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

ESL | Grammar | Listening | Reading | Vocabulary

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) offers ESL students a web-

11 Breaking News English: Ready-to-use ESL Lessons

ESL | Listening | Reading | Vocabulary

Breaking News English offers the opportunity to improve listening com-

Internet Directory 14 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

ESL | Grammar | Reading | Vocabulary

13 Cambridge Dictionaries Online

ESL | grammar | Vocabulary

ESL | reading | Vocabulary

Internet Directory 15 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

This site explores an award-winning television series produced by the

16 Canada in the Making

If history is your interest, and reading is your pleasure, there is no end to

Internet Directory 16 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

Listening | Reading | Writing

This site is a great resource for working on reading comprehension and

19 Canadian History on the Web

Internet Directory 17 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

20 Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials

Developed as a part of CMEC, CICIC has a mandate to advocate wider

21 Canadian Language Benchmarks (Manitoba)

Internet Directory 18 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

This is a searchable image database of Canadian Olympians from the early

23 CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

ESL | LISTENING | Reading | Vocabulary

CBC Email Newsletters

Internet Directory 19 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

24 Celebrating Women’s Achievements

Another theme-based resource, this website chronicles the lives and

25 Center for History and New Media: Tools

Internet Directory 20 www.ccdmd.qc.ca/en

26 Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks