Free English Language Courses
Why should you even learn English? If you are not based in an English speaking country, this question is a valid concern. If you are living in an English speaking country, you may still feel that the necessity for speaking proper English is overrated. But trust me, there are more reasons than simply improving a skill you already have and learning a second language.
With the arrival of the Internet and several advances in the fields of global communication, the world has become much smaller. The time of living in your small community is over. Even if you refuse to submit yourself to the global community the global community will come to you.
International travel has become an easier process. Several countries, like China, have opened their borders for trade and commerce. With easier travel and open borders, emigration and business with foreign investors has become a reality for today’s business communities. In this new global world, English plays a large part.
According to a study conducted by Pearson Education (2007), English is the second most widely spoken language in the world. English has around 514,000,000 speakers around the globe (Pearson Education 2007). The first on that list is actually Chinese. Though, one must take in account the population and size of China. They occupy a large space on the globe and there are a lot of them. The United States of America and England, on the other hand, are much smaller but still English remains a powerful force in language.
One must also note the difficulty associated in learning Chinese. There are several different types of Chinese, spoken in different areas. Some of the words in one dialect can mean an entirely different thing in another. Chinese also uses unique intonations for each word. Each word in their language has four intonations. So pronunciation is not the only thing to consider, you must also consider the intonation (if its steady, rising, falling, etc.) (Language for Travelers 2006). When saying one word with a falling intonation you can mean entirely different thing. These are just some of the difficulties one may encounter if learning Chinese.
It is not that I particularly discourage learning a new language like Chinese. Doing so would defeat the purpose of an article such as this one. Learning any language is difficult. It is just that, using a practical approach, English seems like the most viable language one should learn if concerned with business and dealing with an international audience.
For years, English has been used as a lingua franca. In other words, English has been used as a common language between two speakers who do not have the same native tongue. And depending on your background, seems much easier to learn than Chinese.
Aside from the above stated, English is the number one used language on the Internet. According to a survey conducted by Miniwatts Marketing Group (2007), it is the top used language with the usage of at least 31.2% of all Internet users. It is then followed by China. This is very important.
Whether you conduct business online or simply used online-based chatting systems, English can be a very useful tool. Though most companies nowadays try to cater to all languages, there may be cases when you will need to speak to an English speaking customer or an English speaking customer service agent and they do not know your native tongue. And even if you already speak a little English, depending on your skill, the language barrier can break down effective communication.
With all this taken into account, one must realize the importance of English is today’s modern age. This article hopes to give the reader an idea on what is available to them online and offline. The article will give several reviews of available courses on the topic of English learning and will also show cheaper alternatives to the expensive language courses that are seen more often. The article will give the reader several tips and tricks to guide the reader in the process of learning English. Whether you are learning English as a second language (ESL) or learning it to improve skills you already have, this article may serve as a useful tool, very much like the nature of English, to achieve your goals and endeavors.
GETTING STARTED (TEST YOURSELF)
You may want to begin your journey into the world of English by testing yourself. This way, you can have an idea on where you stand in the world of English. This also may give you an idea on what you need to improve on and what your objectives or goals are when learning English. These things could include: grammar, writing, creativity, business English, etc. It is good to know what you need to learn before you go learn it.
There are several available online tests that won’t cost you anything. These tests are not always 100 percent accurate but they can still give you and idea on what you need to improve on or what course you may need to take. It is good to know this especially when canvassing prices.
I have taken the liberty of providing the addresses of several online tests so that you can get started. I have taken some of these tests and have made reviews of them. Each review will contain information about the test and its possible grading system. Here are the reviews:
http://www.aei.dli.com/
This is the homepage of an English learning institute. They provide English courses for various levels at different fees. On this homepage you can find a link to their online placement test. It is free and can be found easily online. The page requires shockwave flash but you can easily obtain this program for free online. If you feel it is too much of a hassle than this site may not be the one for you. The test categorizes you into which of their courses is best for you. Their courses and their corresponding prices are as follows:
Executive English (6 months) US$ 425.00
Executive English Complete (8 months) US$ 1125.00
Executive English Platinum (8 months) US$ 499.00
General English - Level I (4 months) US$ 315.00
General English - Level II (4 months) US$ 315.00
General English - Level III (4 months) US$ 315.00
General English Level III (30-Day Trial) US$ 99.99
TOEFL Mastery (1 month) US$ 99.00
TOEFL Mastery Plus (2 months) US$ 125.00
As you may notice, these courses are a bit on the expeansive side. But if you browse through their site and are interested, they offer trial classes.
http://www.dse.ie/index.php?module=vquiz&func=run&quizid=5
This website contains a simple free grading test. It contains 50 items. The problem with this test is that it has no time limit. Time limits sometimes can also help with measuring one’s skill on a particular subject. The grading scale for this tests is as follows:
Score Class Level
0 - 8 Beginner
9 - 16 Elementary
17 - 25 Pre-Intermediate
26 - 35 Intermediate
36 - 44 Upper Intermediate
45 - 50 Advanced
http://www.test-my-english.com/
This test measures English proficiency. The actual concept of the test is very interesting but I also found it very time consuming (this is for a native English speaker). One of the advantages of this test is that it promotes listening and focus on the task at hand.
Unlike most other tests, this test is audio-based. The first four parts check your listening and comprehension. It is mostly structured as “Question” then choose “Proper Response”. The test also contains your ability to check errors and reading comprehension. The problem is to receive the results you must input your e-mail address at the end of the test. So, if you don’t want to register to anything or receive newsletters then this test is not the one for you.
http://www.english-test.net/
Finally we have English-test.com. This website is not actually a test per se. This website is a resource for several available tests. If you have the patience to look through it then this site may be good for you.
It has over 900 tests to choose from. These tests vary from beginner to intermediate to advanced. The tests include topics like verb usage and idioms. The site even has English-specific tests for health and economics. If you want a more secialized English test this site is for you.
LET’S GET TO THE LEARNING!
Next thing you need to do is look for a course, a school or a teacher that suits you, because each student has different needs. Most schools will have their own way of assessing you (through interviews or tests). When you tell them your skill is at an intermediate level and they still give you an assessment test don’t feel discouraged or feel that your English is not satisfactory. This test is common. They conduct tests similar to these to see how you fair using their standards of judgment (i.e. tests, interviews, etc.)
If you have not already done so, try looking through your community board for postings about learning English. Who knows? You might get lucky and find free classes! If not you may find free trial classes to see if you really want to continue learning the language.
Sometimes it is best to deal locally. The way most scams work is that they work in remote locations where the customer (you, the student) cannot get to them. So by the time you pay them for a course, they are long gone before even finishing any work. So try first to find a teacher or school near your community.
If you simply don’t have the time to travel, online learning can be an option. The problem with online learning is the limitations. Communication and interaction with other English speakers is a key tool to developing your skills in the language. Some online courses may not offer this opportunity. Another problem is finding the right school or course for you. There a lot of sites that claim that they can teach English but not all of them can provide you with excellent service. You should be careful before choosing anything. Later in this article, I will provide a list of Free Online Courses to choose from. Each course will have a corresponding review.
One way to check the credibility of a school or teacher is to check their credentials. If they have a good history then the school or teacher most probably can deliver on their promises. When picking a teacher you should check on whether or not s/he has completed relevant courses and has enough experience to teach you English. Many scams start with you believing the con artist without proof. Don’t be shy to ask for a reference or a certification.
There are several types of certification available for English teachers. The more common ones were mentioned briefly earlier in this article. Some of the more common certifications are TEFL and TESOL. TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language while TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of a Foreign Language. To acquire these certifications, a teacher must undergo a test that evaluates their skill in the English language. Having this type of certification is a good indicator for their ability to teach English.
But please note, not all good teachers have to have this certification. Do not dismiss a teacher simply because they do not have the certification. An English tutor or teacher with over 3 years of experience for example, may still not have the certification but still has the ability to teach you the language. Experience and credentials should also be taken into account.
FREE ONLINE COURSES
This section of the article contains several reviews and information on available free online courses. I do suggest that you look for a qualified teacher but if you don’t have the resources then I have suggested some free alternatives. Remember you usually get what you pay for.
http://www.livemocha.com/
This site seems like a very interesting way to learn the English language, any foreign language for that matter. It has a unique program that combines online lessons with practical communication through chat. It runs very much like an online social network (i.e. Friendster, Myspace, Facebook). It requires you to sign up and create a profile on their website. Your profile will contain your current skill level in the language you are learning and the your current skill level with the languages you already speak.
The website contains several online courses and shows you your progress (publicly) through your profile. After completing a few courses, you have the opportunity to chat with other learners or native speakers. Here you can practice what you have learned in previous lessons and gain feedback from those who are more experienced than you. Here, you can also do your part by chatting with people who are less experienced than you in any other language that you currently speak.
They are currently in their beta stages so all the services are, for a LIMITED TIME ONLY, free! After it moves to its alpha stages, only certain sections of the site will remain free. You check an overview of their services on their online help page.
http://www.english-online.org.uk/course.htm
This website contains several courses and tests (including a self-assessment test). The courses have visual aids and images to help you during the course. The courses are divided into beginner (11 parts), intermediate (6 parts) and advanced (6 parts).
Though the site is free, the website’s layout is quite difficult to follow. If you like things organized, this may not be the best thing for you.
Another thing I found difficult with this site is that the course does not provide a timeline. It does not tell you when to take what. This is particularly common with free online courses. This free online course though, rectifies the situation by providing a test to check your progress. By checking this often, you can tell which parts that you may need to repeat.
The homepage can also direct you to pronunciation and certification courses.
http://www.english-the-easy-way.com/
This website is not actually a set course but can still help as a guide for learning. The website is more of a guide for proper English usage. This site provides overviews of grammar and tenses. They also have tips on pronunciation and writing. The site also provide a list of common errors committed, by studying this, you can avoid these mistakes. The site all and all helps as a general overview.
http://www.englishonline.net/
This site requires you to sign up. With your registration, several courses including (but not limited to) writing essentials, business and resume writing, and technical writing, become available They also have free daily listening practices and quizzes.
http://www.free-ed.net/free-ed/Humanities/ModernLanguages/ESL/ESL01_VOD.asp
This course focuses on teaching English as a Second Language. It is an online video course that is now actually available on DVD. The instructional video series is called “Connect With English”. It touches on the life if an aspiring musician named Rebecca. It deals with various life issues. The series tries to use a practical approach by slowing down dialogues and explaining the use of certain words. In this way, the student is experiencing the situation as s/he would experience it in the real world but with a teacher to help guide them through the process. For more information on the series you can go to: http://www.learner.org/resources/series71.html#
http://www.free-ed.net/free-ed/Humanities/EnglishG&C/default.asp
This website contains to very text heavy English guides. One of them is on English grammar and mechanics.
This site also contains a similar DVD series as above. The courses are available through online video and best of all they are free!
The video series tries to introduce basic principles and strategies for communication in writing. It tries to improve on basic skills. It contains several professionals who are not only authors, journalists, and teachers, but also musicians, judges, nurses, engineers, scientists, and athletes.
They will discuss how they write with a specific audience in mind. You can find more information on the series at: http://www.learner.org/resources/series128.html#
http://esl.about.com/c/ec/2.htm
This is a link to an online e-mail course. By giving your e-mail address, you being receiving beginner’s courses like the following:
Unit 1 - Building Blocks: Basics, ABC's, Numbers
Unit 2 - Family, Time, Prices and the IPA
Unit 3 - Simple Present, Countable and Uncountable, This, That, These and Those, Some and Any
Unit 4 - Present Progressive, Adjectives, Prepositions Listening Exercises
Unit 5 - Past Forms, 'A' 'An' and 'The', Listening Comprehension
Unit 6 - Usage of 'in' / 'at' / 'on' , Adverbs
Unit 7 - Future with Will, The Weather, Listening Comprehension
Unit 8 - Review, Ordering Food in a Restaurant
http://esl.about.com/c/ec/1.htm
This is another e-mail course. It aims at improving vocabulary. So this site can help as a supplement to any other grammar lessons that are already in progress. It contains 8 lessons. They are:
1. Building Your Vocabulary: Tips and Strategies
2. Collocations: Words that Go Together
3. Vocabulary Groups: The Most Important Nouns Grouped by Theme
4. Idiomatic Language
5. Phrasal Verbs
6. Confusing Words: Common Problem Pairs
7. On-The-Job Vocabulary
8. British and American English: Vocabulary Differences
http://esl.about.com/c/ec/20.htm
This course is by e-mail as well. It is an intensive grammar workshop used to brush up or review on your grammar knowledge. They will send you studysheets and quizzes. The outline of the course is as follows:
1. Grammar Terminology, Basics, Present Tense
2. Preposition Use I
3. Adjectives and Adverbs
4. Past Simple / Present Perfect
5. Modals Forms I / Gerund or Infinitive
6. Preposition Use II
7. Prepositions II
8. Future Tenses / Question Forms Review
9. The Passive Voice / Reported Speech
10. Conditionals / Modal Verbs of Probability
11. Clauses
12. Review I
13. Review II
http://www.1-language.com/englishcourse/index.htm
This is a very comprehensive set of courses. Beginning at starter it moves to elementary, pre intermediate and upper intermediate. The course contains 70 units with audio. The courses also have exercises that contain a grading function. The home page contains various resources including English games and a chat room.
http://www.eslgo.com/classes.html
Like livemocha.com this site contains a practice chat room. You can sign up for 45 free online ESL classes. They are focused on the use of grammar and vocabulary. One of the good options is the chatting function which allows you to chat with other users.
According to their website, the free English classes are rated for difficulty:
High beginner/low intermediate lessons are level 1 and level 2 English classes.
Intermediate English lessons are level 3 classes.
Upper intermediate/advanced lessons are level 4 and level 5.
If you are more interested in the content of the courses rather than the level they have:
English for business classes
English for technology classes
English for travel classes
English listening classes
English writing classes
Learning any language is hard. This site admits that the course is hard but says that it is for your own progress.
WHAT ARE MY OTHER ALTERNATIVES?
Well if you don’t want something expensive and you want better quality than those of which that are available free online, you can try the more bargain finds. Online, there are several online stores that sell cheaper audio courses. Trying sites like e-bay or Amazon.com is a good idea. These sites can sometimes lead you to good finds.
You can also try englishmaze.com. The fee can go as low as 2.50 U.S. dollars a week and the courses are dynamic. They put you in real life situations and have exercises for online practice.
CONCLUSION AND TIPS
As mentioned earlier, learning a language can be hard. But don’t be discouraged. Just remember these few tips and you should be fine:
1. Don’t be shy. Don’t be shy to direct any questions to those who are more experienced. They can help you learn. Don’t be shy to consult references like dictionaries or thesauruses. These are helpful tools in any language learner’s arsenal. And don’t be shy to try new things.
2. Be open to criticism. If you are mistaken take it as a learning experience. Remember, Socrates once said, “All I know is I know nothing.” This man was known as the wisest person on earth. If he didn’t know anything, you still have something to learn.
3. Practice, practice and practice! Practice is the key to learning any new language. If you study all the courses and don’t put it to use, you will never learn.
I hope this page has assisted you in your journey towards better English.
With the arrival of the Internet and several advances in the fields of global communication, the world has become much smaller. The time of living in your small community is over. Even if you refuse to submit yourself to the global community the global community will come to you.
International travel has become an easier process. Several countries, like China, have opened their borders for trade and commerce. With easier travel and open borders, emigration and business with foreign investors has become a reality for today’s business communities. In this new global world, English plays a large part.
According to a study conducted by Pearson Education (2007), English is the second most widely spoken language in the world. English has around 514,000,000 speakers around the globe (Pearson Education 2007). The first on that list is actually Chinese. Though, one must take in account the population and size of China. They occupy a large space on the globe and there are a lot of them. The United States of America and England, on the other hand, are much smaller but still English remains a powerful force in language.
One must also note the difficulty associated in learning Chinese. There are several different types of Chinese, spoken in different areas. Some of the words in one dialect can mean an entirely different thing in another. Chinese also uses unique intonations for each word. Each word in their language has four intonations. So pronunciation is not the only thing to consider, you must also consider the intonation (if its steady, rising, falling, etc.) (Language for Travelers 2006). When saying one word with a falling intonation you can mean entirely different thing. These are just some of the difficulties one may encounter if learning Chinese.
It is not that I particularly discourage learning a new language like Chinese. Doing so would defeat the purpose of an article such as this one. Learning any language is difficult. It is just that, using a practical approach, English seems like the most viable language one should learn if concerned with business and dealing with an international audience.
For years, English has been used as a lingua franca. In other words, English has been used as a common language between two speakers who do not have the same native tongue. And depending on your background, seems much easier to learn than Chinese.
Aside from the above stated, English is the number one used language on the Internet. According to a survey conducted by Miniwatts Marketing Group (2007), it is the top used language with the usage of at least 31.2% of all Internet users. It is then followed by China. This is very important.
Whether you conduct business online or simply used online-based chatting systems, English can be a very useful tool. Though most companies nowadays try to cater to all languages, there may be cases when you will need to speak to an English speaking customer or an English speaking customer service agent and they do not know your native tongue. And even if you already speak a little English, depending on your skill, the language barrier can break down effective communication.
With all this taken into account, one must realize the importance of English is today’s modern age. This article hopes to give the reader an idea on what is available to them online and offline. The article will give several reviews of available courses on the topic of English learning and will also show cheaper alternatives to the expensive language courses that are seen more often. The article will give the reader several tips and tricks to guide the reader in the process of learning English. Whether you are learning English as a second language (ESL) or learning it to improve skills you already have, this article may serve as a useful tool, very much like the nature of English, to achieve your goals and endeavors.
GETTING STARTED (TEST YOURSELF)
You may want to begin your journey into the world of English by testing yourself. This way, you can have an idea on where you stand in the world of English. This also may give you an idea on what you need to improve on and what your objectives or goals are when learning English. These things could include: grammar, writing, creativity, business English, etc. It is good to know what you need to learn before you go learn it.
There are several available online tests that won’t cost you anything. These tests are not always 100 percent accurate but they can still give you and idea on what you need to improve on or what course you may need to take. It is good to know this especially when canvassing prices.
I have taken the liberty of providing the addresses of several online tests so that you can get started. I have taken some of these tests and have made reviews of them. Each review will contain information about the test and its possible grading system. Here are the reviews:
http://www.aei.dli.com/
This is the homepage of an English learning institute. They provide English courses for various levels at different fees. On this homepage you can find a link to their online placement test. It is free and can be found easily online. The page requires shockwave flash but you can easily obtain this program for free online. If you feel it is too much of a hassle than this site may not be the one for you. The test categorizes you into which of their courses is best for you. Their courses and their corresponding prices are as follows:
Executive English (6 months) US$ 425.00
Executive English Complete (8 months) US$ 1125.00
Executive English Platinum (8 months) US$ 499.00
General English - Level I (4 months) US$ 315.00
General English - Level II (4 months) US$ 315.00
General English - Level III (4 months) US$ 315.00
General English Level III (30-Day Trial) US$ 99.99
TOEFL Mastery (1 month) US$ 99.00
TOEFL Mastery Plus (2 months) US$ 125.00
As you may notice, these courses are a bit on the expeansive side. But if you browse through their site and are interested, they offer trial classes.
http://www.dse.ie/index.php?module=vquiz&func=run&quizid=5
This website contains a simple free grading test. It contains 50 items. The problem with this test is that it has no time limit. Time limits sometimes can also help with measuring one’s skill on a particular subject. The grading scale for this tests is as follows:
Score Class Level
0 - 8 Beginner
9 - 16 Elementary
17 - 25 Pre-Intermediate
26 - 35 Intermediate
36 - 44 Upper Intermediate
45 - 50 Advanced
http://www.test-my-english.com/
This test measures English proficiency. The actual concept of the test is very interesting but I also found it very time consuming (this is for a native English speaker). One of the advantages of this test is that it promotes listening and focus on the task at hand.
Unlike most other tests, this test is audio-based. The first four parts check your listening and comprehension. It is mostly structured as “Question” then choose “Proper Response”. The test also contains your ability to check errors and reading comprehension. The problem is to receive the results you must input your e-mail address at the end of the test. So, if you don’t want to register to anything or receive newsletters then this test is not the one for you.
http://www.english-test.net/
Finally we have English-test.com. This website is not actually a test per se. This website is a resource for several available tests. If you have the patience to look through it then this site may be good for you.
It has over 900 tests to choose from. These tests vary from beginner to intermediate to advanced. The tests include topics like verb usage and idioms. The site even has English-specific tests for health and economics. If you want a more secialized English test this site is for you.
LET’S GET TO THE LEARNING!
Next thing you need to do is look for a course, a school or a teacher that suits you, because each student has different needs. Most schools will have their own way of assessing you (through interviews or tests). When you tell them your skill is at an intermediate level and they still give you an assessment test don’t feel discouraged or feel that your English is not satisfactory. This test is common. They conduct tests similar to these to see how you fair using their standards of judgment (i.e. tests, interviews, etc.)
If you have not already done so, try looking through your community board for postings about learning English. Who knows? You might get lucky and find free classes! If not you may find free trial classes to see if you really want to continue learning the language.
Sometimes it is best to deal locally. The way most scams work is that they work in remote locations where the customer (you, the student) cannot get to them. So by the time you pay them for a course, they are long gone before even finishing any work. So try first to find a teacher or school near your community.
If you simply don’t have the time to travel, online learning can be an option. The problem with online learning is the limitations. Communication and interaction with other English speakers is a key tool to developing your skills in the language. Some online courses may not offer this opportunity. Another problem is finding the right school or course for you. There a lot of sites that claim that they can teach English but not all of them can provide you with excellent service. You should be careful before choosing anything. Later in this article, I will provide a list of Free Online Courses to choose from. Each course will have a corresponding review.
One way to check the credibility of a school or teacher is to check their credentials. If they have a good history then the school or teacher most probably can deliver on their promises. When picking a teacher you should check on whether or not s/he has completed relevant courses and has enough experience to teach you English. Many scams start with you believing the con artist without proof. Don’t be shy to ask for a reference or a certification.
There are several types of certification available for English teachers. The more common ones were mentioned briefly earlier in this article. Some of the more common certifications are TEFL and TESOL. TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language while TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of a Foreign Language. To acquire these certifications, a teacher must undergo a test that evaluates their skill in the English language. Having this type of certification is a good indicator for their ability to teach English.
But please note, not all good teachers have to have this certification. Do not dismiss a teacher simply because they do not have the certification. An English tutor or teacher with over 3 years of experience for example, may still not have the certification but still has the ability to teach you the language. Experience and credentials should also be taken into account.
FREE ONLINE COURSES
This section of the article contains several reviews and information on available free online courses. I do suggest that you look for a qualified teacher but if you don’t have the resources then I have suggested some free alternatives. Remember you usually get what you pay for.
http://www.livemocha.com/
This site seems like a very interesting way to learn the English language, any foreign language for that matter. It has a unique program that combines online lessons with practical communication through chat. It runs very much like an online social network (i.e. Friendster, Myspace, Facebook). It requires you to sign up and create a profile on their website. Your profile will contain your current skill level in the language you are learning and the your current skill level with the languages you already speak.
The website contains several online courses and shows you your progress (publicly) through your profile. After completing a few courses, you have the opportunity to chat with other learners or native speakers. Here you can practice what you have learned in previous lessons and gain feedback from those who are more experienced than you. Here, you can also do your part by chatting with people who are less experienced than you in any other language that you currently speak.
They are currently in their beta stages so all the services are, for a LIMITED TIME ONLY, free! After it moves to its alpha stages, only certain sections of the site will remain free. You check an overview of their services on their online help page.
http://www.english-online.org.uk/course.htm
This website contains several courses and tests (including a self-assessment test). The courses have visual aids and images to help you during the course. The courses are divided into beginner (11 parts), intermediate (6 parts) and advanced (6 parts).
Though the site is free, the website’s layout is quite difficult to follow. If you like things organized, this may not be the best thing for you.
Another thing I found difficult with this site is that the course does not provide a timeline. It does not tell you when to take what. This is particularly common with free online courses. This free online course though, rectifies the situation by providing a test to check your progress. By checking this often, you can tell which parts that you may need to repeat.
The homepage can also direct you to pronunciation and certification courses.
http://www.english-the-easy-way.com/
This website is not actually a set course but can still help as a guide for learning. The website is more of a guide for proper English usage. This site provides overviews of grammar and tenses. They also have tips on pronunciation and writing. The site also provide a list of common errors committed, by studying this, you can avoid these mistakes. The site all and all helps as a general overview.
http://www.englishonline.net/
This site requires you to sign up. With your registration, several courses including (but not limited to) writing essentials, business and resume writing, and technical writing, become available They also have free daily listening practices and quizzes.
http://www.free-ed.net/free-ed/Humanities/ModernLanguages/ESL/ESL01_VOD.asp
This course focuses on teaching English as a Second Language. It is an online video course that is now actually available on DVD. The instructional video series is called “Connect With English”. It touches on the life if an aspiring musician named Rebecca. It deals with various life issues. The series tries to use a practical approach by slowing down dialogues and explaining the use of certain words. In this way, the student is experiencing the situation as s/he would experience it in the real world but with a teacher to help guide them through the process. For more information on the series you can go to: http://www.learner.org/resources/series71.html#
http://www.free-ed.net/free-ed/Humanities/EnglishG&C/default.asp
This website contains to very text heavy English guides. One of them is on English grammar and mechanics.
This site also contains a similar DVD series as above. The courses are available through online video and best of all they are free!
The video series tries to introduce basic principles and strategies for communication in writing. It tries to improve on basic skills. It contains several professionals who are not only authors, journalists, and teachers, but also musicians, judges, nurses, engineers, scientists, and athletes.
They will discuss how they write with a specific audience in mind. You can find more information on the series at: http://www.learner.org/resources/series128.html#
http://esl.about.com/c/ec/2.htm
This is a link to an online e-mail course. By giving your e-mail address, you being receiving beginner’s courses like the following:
Unit 1 - Building Blocks: Basics, ABC's, Numbers
Unit 2 - Family, Time, Prices and the IPA
Unit 3 - Simple Present, Countable and Uncountable, This, That, These and Those, Some and Any
Unit 4 - Present Progressive, Adjectives, Prepositions Listening Exercises
Unit 5 - Past Forms, 'A' 'An' and 'The', Listening Comprehension
Unit 6 - Usage of 'in' / 'at' / 'on' , Adverbs
Unit 7 - Future with Will, The Weather, Listening Comprehension
Unit 8 - Review, Ordering Food in a Restaurant
http://esl.about.com/c/ec/1.htm
This is another e-mail course. It aims at improving vocabulary. So this site can help as a supplement to any other grammar lessons that are already in progress. It contains 8 lessons. They are:
1. Building Your Vocabulary: Tips and Strategies
2. Collocations: Words that Go Together
3. Vocabulary Groups: The Most Important Nouns Grouped by Theme
4. Idiomatic Language
5. Phrasal Verbs
6. Confusing Words: Common Problem Pairs
7. On-The-Job Vocabulary
8. British and American English: Vocabulary Differences
http://esl.about.com/c/ec/20.htm
This course is by e-mail as well. It is an intensive grammar workshop used to brush up or review on your grammar knowledge. They will send you studysheets and quizzes. The outline of the course is as follows:
1. Grammar Terminology, Basics, Present Tense
2. Preposition Use I
3. Adjectives and Adverbs
4. Past Simple / Present Perfect
5. Modals Forms I / Gerund or Infinitive
6. Preposition Use II
7. Prepositions II
8. Future Tenses / Question Forms Review
9. The Passive Voice / Reported Speech
10. Conditionals / Modal Verbs of Probability
11. Clauses
12. Review I
13. Review II
http://www.1-language.com/englishcourse/index.htm
This is a very comprehensive set of courses. Beginning at starter it moves to elementary, pre intermediate and upper intermediate. The course contains 70 units with audio. The courses also have exercises that contain a grading function. The home page contains various resources including English games and a chat room.
http://www.eslgo.com/classes.html
Like livemocha.com this site contains a practice chat room. You can sign up for 45 free online ESL classes. They are focused on the use of grammar and vocabulary. One of the good options is the chatting function which allows you to chat with other users.
According to their website, the free English classes are rated for difficulty:
High beginner/low intermediate lessons are level 1 and level 2 English classes.
Intermediate English lessons are level 3 classes.
Upper intermediate/advanced lessons are level 4 and level 5.
If you are more interested in the content of the courses rather than the level they have:
English for business classes
English for technology classes
English for travel classes
English listening classes
English writing classes
Learning any language is hard. This site admits that the course is hard but says that it is for your own progress.
WHAT ARE MY OTHER ALTERNATIVES?
Well if you don’t want something expensive and you want better quality than those of which that are available free online, you can try the more bargain finds. Online, there are several online stores that sell cheaper audio courses. Trying sites like e-bay or Amazon.com is a good idea. These sites can sometimes lead you to good finds.
You can also try englishmaze.com. The fee can go as low as 2.50 U.S. dollars a week and the courses are dynamic. They put you in real life situations and have exercises for online practice.
CONCLUSION AND TIPS
As mentioned earlier, learning a language can be hard. But don’t be discouraged. Just remember these few tips and you should be fine:
1. Don’t be shy. Don’t be shy to direct any questions to those who are more experienced. They can help you learn. Don’t be shy to consult references like dictionaries or thesauruses. These are helpful tools in any language learner’s arsenal. And don’t be shy to try new things.
2. Be open to criticism. If you are mistaken take it as a learning experience. Remember, Socrates once said, “All I know is I know nothing.” This man was known as the wisest person on earth. If he didn’t know anything, you still have something to learn.
3. Practice, practice and practice! Practice is the key to learning any new language. If you study all the courses and don’t put it to use, you will never learn.
I hope this page has assisted you in your journey towards better English.
posted by Lisa Ewing at
4:19 PM
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