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Useful Grammar SitesDave’s ESL CafÈ on the Web www.eslcafe.com This is the ultimate ESL resource. Dave’s web site includes quizzes, hints of the day, and many links to other ESL web sites, including a link to a list of ESL books available through Amazon.com/ (mlp) English Grammar Links for ESL Students http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~kpokoy1/grammar1.htm This web site has exercises and quizzes for all levels of ESL. Some of the results (right or wrong answers) are immediate, some are by e-mail and some have the correct answers right there. It appears to cover a wide range of grammar points and looks promising. (lll) ESL Grammar Notes http://www.fairnet.org/agencies/lca/grammar1.html (The numbers 1,2,3 in the address change for different sites) This site has an Azarian-like explanation for the use of articles, count/non count nouns and verb tenses. Nothing new or different here. (lll) The site has grammar explanations for articles, coun/noncount nouns, and verb tenses. They’re okay, but there are no activities or special features. (mlp) English Structure for Academic Purposes http://deil.lang.uiuc.edu/class.pages/Structure1/Salzmann_index.html This site has the complete course description and syllabus of an advanced ESL grammar class given at the University of Illinois. It offers a full range of grammar explanations, exercises, and activities. In addition, it has suggestions for discovering grammar in authentic English texts available on the World Wide Web (called grammar safari). A student could come here for extra practice with difficult grammar points he or she is having in class. Looks pretty good, lots more time could be spent examining it. (lll) ESL Help Center This feature of Dave’s ESL CafÈ site allows students to send a question to a teacher and get an answer. (mlp) Fun with Randomly Generated Sentences http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~itesls/rs/sv.html This site is a handbook on line with grammar rules on a variety of topics. The level seems to be intermediate. It’s not very interesting and it doesn’t have any activities. (mlp) Grammar Central http://www.on.ca/clta03.htm (clta = Centre for Language Training and Assessment, Ontario) (titled: Crazy English Grammar Central Canadian Corner Terribel Teacher What? USA) Has culture, grammar, fun, listening, reading sites. Levels 1-4. Of special interest is a "ESL Slanguage" website where you learn regional slang for cities throughout the English-speaking world as well as other languages. There is no Austin site so I tried to add "The Drag" as a slang term for Austin. http://www.clta.on.ca/grammmar.htm - Grammar, vocabulary, idioms, slang for Levels 1-4. http://www.clta.on.ca/teacher.htm (Terrible Teacher) A new web site that has exercises in which students find the grammar errors (supposedly made by the "Terrible Teacher"). Each week a new exercise is added with the concentration on different grammar points such as pronouns, verbs, confusing words, etc. Possibly useful, but nothing really exciting here. (lll) Grammar On-Line http://online.ohlone.cc.ca.us/~mlieu/ - This web site looks really good. It has explanations and exercises on the passive, adjective clause and verb participles. What’s great about it is how the exercises have special color icons so that for each test item you can choose help either by a review of the grammar or by getting the answer with an explanation. (lll) It has explanations + exercises for three grammar points: adjective clauses, passive voice, and verb participles. (After mlieu the address is adjclause or passive or participles/what h.html.) The explanations are very thorough and clear. There are a number of exercises and they are varied. I hope they add more topics. This web site would be a good one for students to get extra help with difficult grammar points. (mlp) Grammar Safari http://deil.lang.uiuc.edu/web.pages/grammarsafari.html This looks interesting if complicated. It’s a way for students to search examples of a structure in real documents on the Web. The premise is that students should look at "real" documents in addition to ESL materials to see the complexity in our use of different structures. The directions were so complicated, however, that I lost interest in trying it out. (mlp) Guide to Grammar and Writing http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ This site is quite impressive. It is divided into the sentence, paragraph and essay levels for grammar points, structure, and principles for writing compositions. For teachers, it has grammar and terminology explanations that provide a reference check or even an approach to teaching specific grammar. For students (albeit, at least high intermediate or advanced), there are also explanations and quizzes. The quizzes are quite good and entertaining at the same time. I would recommend spending time at this site and experimenting with using some of the grammar presentations and quizzes. (lll) Interactive English Language Exercises www.ilcgroup.com/interactive/ - Not bad practice for choosing the right words and tenses in sentences. It’s rather fun because it’s interactive and the student gets immediate feedback and some comments on specific errors they made. There is also a series of quizzes on matching countries with their national flags. (One bonus — there’s a magic trick that is quite ingenious.) (lll) Internet Aided Language Learning (INTALL) http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/5724/test.html 13 links (some listed below) http://www-eng.tp.ac.sg/tcs/front.htm The Writing Lab http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/5724/test5.html Academic English http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/5724/test6.html Academic Vocabulary (Tricky Grammar Quiz) This site has a quiz on "tricky" verb choices. It’s kind of fun to do. As you answer by typing in your answer, it lets you know immediately if the answer is right or wrong. At the end of the ten questions, you receive a score (although there was a malfunction when I did it and the score did not appear). It tests knowledge of correct tense and meaning of two-word verbs, but it’s definitely for the more advanced student. (lll) The Internet Tesl Journal http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/ This is the monthly Internet TESL Journal web site. Not only does it have research articles and teaching tips/techniques, but it also leads you to many other web sites for suggested activities in the classroom. It has web sites for many different types of quizzes, e.g. grammar, idioms, slang, vocabulary, trivia, culture, sports. In addition, it has crossword puzzles, treasure hunts and selected links for ESL students. (lll) .Below are links to additional sites within the Tesl Journal. Grammar Quizzes http://www.aitech/ac/jp/~iteslj/quizzes/js/grammar.html (This is a part of The Internet TESL Journal's Self-Study Quizzes for ESL Students) This site has lots of grammar quizzes for students; most of them are in the easy or medium range. Grammar points covered from articles, plurals, prepositions to sentence structure, word choice and word order. Answers available by clicking a button. (mlp/lll) http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring? Ring=esloop;index Daily page for S’s proverbs, word, idiom of the day and hint of the day — a specific g lesson for the day — Tag Q Games and Activities for the ESL Classroom (http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~ckelly/sub/games.html Games that help generate interaction, conversation and debate. Most of these suggested activities would make better speaking/listening activities than activities for improving grammar. Interactive Javascript Quizzes http://www.aitech/ac/jp/~iteslj/quizzes/js All kinds of quizzes where the students get immediate feedback and corrections on quiz items and also a percentage grade as they work the quiz. Quizzes http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/class/material/quiz/ This site has multiple-choice quizzes on grammar. There are no levels, but the items seem to be in the intermediate range. The student just reads the question and clicks on the answer to find out the answer. There is a hint that the student can click on to help the student to focus on the key point being tested in the question. (mlp) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OTHER SITES Antagonyms http://www-personal.umich.edu/~cellis/antagonym.html (On Dave’s ESL CafÈ this site is called "Common Errors in English" which seems inappropriate.) It has a list of words and a few phrases that have 2 different meanings that contradict each other. For example: cool (something in the negative sense or something in the positive sense) and hysterical (being out of control or being very funny). The author calls these antagonyms — a name he made up. The majority of these variations in meaning would be wasted on most of our students, except for the very advanced ESL student. (lll) The Grammar Lady http://www.grammarlady.com This site is based on a column done by a lady in Pittsburgh. It is designed for native speakers. You can call (toll-free) or e-mail her to ask a question. It doesn’t seem very useful for most of our students, but the questions might be interesting to advanced students (e.g. Is "ain’t" a word?). mlp International House Barcelona: Student Resources http://www.ihes.com/Sresource/selfstudy.html This is the site of a language school in Barcelona. It has lessons on several grammar topics but no exercises. Not particularly useful. Mlp Name That Star http://www.elfs.com/Movietalk1.html. You must choose the correct grammar for questions/ answers about actors and their movie roles.. After you choose the correct answer, you listen to the actor speak. http://www.elfs.com/A2-Tytl.html |
Most recent update: October
6, 2000 |
