This is a guest post written by Karen Schweitzer
20 Free Resources to Practice and Learn English
Anyone can learn English, but it is often much easier and much more fun to practice and learn online. The web offers many different resources for people who want to study vocabulary, learn from a native speaker, or obtain practice through word games and discussions. Here are 20 free resources for English learners to explore:
VerbaLearn – Designed specifically for people who want to practice and learn English vocabulary, VerbaLearn allows students to customize their study experience so that they don’t waste any time working on words they already know.
Cramberry – Cramberry is a free online flashcard site that can be used to create or study pre-made English vocabulary flashcards. The site tracks your progress and helps you study more effectively.
Popling – This unique web app displays a “pop-up” question on your computer as often as you choose so that you can study English while you work on other things. You can create your own questions using Popling or select pre-made pop-ups.
WordAhead – This site’s free vocabulary videos makes it easy to learn a new English word every day. WordAhead also provides a study room, word lists, and other learning resources.
Merriam-Webster – Although most people use this site as an online dictionary, Merriam-Webster has much more to offer. The site provides spelling practice, word games, a word of the day and other features that would be useful to English students.
VisuWords – VisuWords is a wonderful place to get definitions to English words. The site defines words and displays other words that are associated with the original word.
Google Translate – Google’s free translator can translate text, web pages, and documents into English–perfect for students who are trying to expand their English vocabulary.
FreeRice – FreeRice is a United Nations World Food Program site that is the ultimate solution for people who want to do a good dead while practicing and learning English vocabulary. The site donates 10 grains of rice to hungry people every time you get a vocabulary question correct.
LingoPass – LingoPass is a free language exchange system that allows you to share your knowledge of a language and receive free language lessons in return.
iTalki – This language learning social network is an excellent place to practice and learn English online. Users can find a teacher, practice with language partners, discuss English learning with other students, get answers to vocabulary and grammar questions, and find other free resources around the web.
Livemocha – Similar to iTalki, Livemocha is a social language learning site for students of any language. Livemocha provides language partners and language lessons to anyone who signs up for a free account.
Busuu – Busuu provides students with the opportunity to learn English from native speakers around the world. The site also provides free interactive English learning materials.
Babbel – Babbel is an online portal for learning English and other languages. Site offerings include interactive online courses, free vocabulary and phrase packages, and a community forum to practice with real partners.
English as a 2nd Language – This About.com site provides free articles, lesson plans, email courses, a blog, community forums, and other resources to help students practice and learn English online.
EnglishForums.com – EnglishForums.com is one of the world’s largest online EFL/TEFL communities. The site provides a place to chat, ask questions, take practice tests, and view educational videos.
Activities for ESL Students – This site provides more than 1,000 materials and activities that can be used for self-study.
LanguageGuide.org – LanguageGuide.org is a great website for beginning English students. The site offers audio pronunciations and a text guide for hundreds of common words.
ESL Robots Project – This site’s robotic online tutors provide interactive practice for English language learners. The robots are capable of learning and are able to read your writing and point out grammar problems and mistakes.
Talk a Lot Spoken English Course – This 168-page PDF for teachers is designed for use in an English classroom. The course focuses on spoken English and provides quizzes as well as worksheets so that students can assess their progress.
EnglishPage.com – EnglishPage.com provides advanced English lessons, interactive exercises, and other activities for adult ESL students.
Guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes for OnlineCollege.org.