Extra Resources

I always strive to provide my students with opportunities to experience the English language authentically.  I've compiled a list of interesting online resources to give my students constant access to these opportunities.

Listening

 NPR is a great free news source from the United States.  NPR stands for National Public Radio.  The website features both articles and radio programs.  Most radio programs come with a transcript that you can use to follow along, if you'd like.  

TED talks are great listening practice.  They feature different speakers  on a variety of topics, so you're sure to find something that interests you.  Beware, though, some of the presenters have very exotic accents in English, so sometimes the subtitles button will be your friend!

 Lyrics Training is a really fun site to practice listening if you enjoy music in English.  You need to sign up, but it's free!  Find a song that you like, and choose your level.  Soon, you'll be following along to the music and practicing parts of grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension.  The music slows down or speeds up in rhythm with your answer speed.  Songs from the U.S., the U.K., and Canada are available.  Very fun!

Reading

 Al Jazeera is a reliable news source with informative articles about current events.  They also have videos, often with easy-to-understand British and American accents.

TIME is a classic U.S. news source, with interesting articles as well as videos regarding current events. 

 Buzzfeed is a fun website for small articles, but don't expect hard news unless you actually click the news section.  In other articles, expect to see a lot of slang and pop culture references.  

Vocabulary

 Study Stack is a great resource for practicing vocabulary words that you want to improve.  You need to sign up to use it, but it's free.  You can create your own sets of flash cards, and there are other tools to generate other practice activities and tests.