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ESL Resources

 
 
Resources

ESL Resources
 
 

New!: a database of ESL resources which have been funded and developed in Alberta!

The following is a collection of resources to assist ATESL members as they provide ESL instruction. The list below includes websites that individual instructors have found to be beneficial and is provided for information only. 

ATESL does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the following websites.  It does not recommend any specific sites for any particular purposes. Additionally, ATESL in no way endorses any products or services which may be advertised on those websites. Note: some of the sites below may not be entirely permanent -- where permitted, you are advised to download and save a copy of any material you hope to reuse!

Scroll through the list below, or click on one of the section titles below to head directly to that section. 

Key Resources

 

Directory of ESL Programs and Services This site includes a comprehensive list of Language Training services in urban centres throughout Alberta, published by the Language Assessment, Referral and Counseling Centre (LARCC) of the Catholic Social Services.

ESL Directory

This site includes a comprehensive list of ESL Programs and Services for Immigrants and International Students in Calgary, published by the Immigrant Language and Vocational Assessment-Referral Centre (ILVARC).

Alberta Education English as a Second Language Learning and Teaching Resources

This site includes ESL Kindergarten to Grade 9 Guide to Implementation; ESL Senior High School Guide to Implementation; authorized resources databases, and other materials for use with K-12 ESL learners.

Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB)

This site offers a wide variety of CCLB tools and resources to help ESL professionals:  CLB 2000: ESL for Adults, ESL for Literacy Learners, A Guide to Implementation, Theoretical Framework, Additional Sample Task Ideas; CLB database of resources; posters; Can do checklists; assessment tools (Summative Assessment Manual; Integrating Assessment into your ESL Classroom), sample CLB lesson plans, language training for the workplace, CCLB and community colleges, and others (see CLB for Professionals). In addition, the CCLB offers free online professional development modules: CLB Boot Camp Module, CLB for Lesson Planning, and CLB for Classroom Assessment. See the CLB Online Professional Development menu.

Coalition for Equal Access to Education
This site includes resources which would be of interest to teachers of both K-12 learners and adult ESL parents. These include: Toward Innovative Vision for Quality, Equitable ESL Education – Full Report; Toward Active Parental Participation: A Practical Guide to Working with Immigrants; Toward Cultural Competency: A Practical Guide to Facilitate Active Participation of Culturally Diverse Families in Schools; Immigrant Children in Focus: Maps of Needs, Strategies and Existing Resources, and others.

Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture

This site includes a discussion of how to meet the needs of ESL learners who are survivors of torture.  Some topics discussed include attendance, room setup, participation, concentration, self-esteem, depression, music, art etc.

CLB-referenced Curriculum Material and Lesson Plans

At Work Settlement.Org (for Newcomers to Ontario)

This page of the At Work Settlement.Org website includes links to a variety of resources for Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC).  

  • The “Life in the Family: A Newcomer’s Guide to Parenting Issues in Canada” link includes videos, handouts, and a curriculum guide addressing parenting issues of newcomers to Canada. 

The “LINC Documents” link includes a wide range of curriculum and instructional materials designed for LINC programs.  In particular, the following resources may be of interest:

  • LINC 1-4 Classroom Activities
  • LINC 1-5 Curriculum Guidelines.  This is an on-line curriculum resource which includes resources for planning (needs assessment tools, planning checklists, and much more) and 12 themes with 3 topics for each LINC level. Each topic includes: development ideas, strategies for learners, resources, R/W/L/S outcomes related to the CLB level, language focus, and sample tasks.
  • LINC 5-7 Curriculum Guidelines
  • Computer Assisted Language Learning: A Software Guide for the LINC Classroom

Immigrate to Manitoba, Canada: For EAL Teachers 

This page of the Immigrate to Manitoba website includes two particularly relevant resources: 
  • The “Module Bank” link includes CLB-referenced module plans and authentic materials for 12 subject themes. 
  • The “Resources” link includes teaching tips and activities (general tips for novice teachers, plus activities for LSRW, Assessment, strategies, and grammar), and Lesson Plans (Rural settlement; Staying Safe at Work).  

TESL Canada 

The Teachers’ Resource center has an assortment of resources including reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary worksheets which are referenced to the CLB.

Canadian Language Benchmarks/Essential Skills in the Workplace

The “Sample Lesson Plans” page of this website includes 25 ESL lesson plans related to a variety of occupations.  These lesson plans are referenced to both the CLB and Essential Skills.

Literacy and Essential Skills

Canadian Language Benchmarks/Essential Skills in the Workplace

This website provides information about Essential Skills and their relationship to the CLB.  On the website are resources for instructors as well as an Occupational Language Analysis database highlighting the skills and tasks which would be necessary for particular occupations.

Towes: How Do Your Skills Measure Up?

This website provides online activities for self assessment and practice of the following essential skills: Reading Text, Document Use, and Numeracy.  It also includes resources and activities which encourage students to explore a number of occupations.

Literacy Basics (Community Literacy of Ontario)

This website provides training for teachers in the use of Essential Skills for literacy instruction.

Literacywork International

The Resources page of this site includes the following literacy materials: pictorial scenarios, problem solving activities, literacy lessons and PowerPoint presentations.  It also includes an introduction to “ESL by Design.”

Easy Reading Job Profiles

This site includes a series of 24 Alberta occupational profiles written for adults with low literacy skills.  The resources can be used to enable learners to pursue their career goals.  Each profile includes the story of someone working in the occupation as well as the typical duties, working conditions, job requirements, pre-requisites, hourly wages (etc.) of that occupation.

Newcomer Finances Toolkit (OCLF/FECO)

This Newcomer Finances toolkit from Ottawa Community Loan Fund includes practical information that newcomers need to know about finances in Canada, along with suggested activities to explain the concepts and put them into practice.  It includes an instructor’s manual, worksheets, and online practice bank and debit machines.

Career Planning for Low Literacy Adults

The Career and Workplace Resources branch is pleased to announce three new career planning resources for low literacy adults:

  • Work and You Book 1: Make Some Job Choices. (workbook, Catalogue # 757714) This workbook helps clients with low literacy skills create a short list of one to three occupations. It takes clients through a brief self-assessment and introduces them to eight Easy Reading occupational clusters. To ease readability and reduce the amount of writing required, stories, checklists and exercises are used throughout. Clients are encouraged to start with Book 1.
  • Work and You Book 2: Decide on a Job. (workbook, Catalogue # 757715) This workbook helps clients with low literacy skills to research and evaluate the short list of jobs they created in Book 1. In the end, they will choose an occupational goal to pursue. Like Book 1, stories, checklists and exercises are used throughout.
  • Work and You: Help for Career Advisors. (online resource) This guide to the Work and You books includes objectives and strategies, discussion topics, supplemental activities and other resources to help career advisors support clients who have low literacy skills with their career planning. Like the other online resources in this series, Work and You: Help for Career Advisors has been formatted to allow for downloading, 3-hole punching and storage in a 3-ring binder. Since the products in this series are interdependent, a downloadable binder cover and spine has been created so you can store your copies of the Easy Reading Career Planning Series products together for easy access.

For your information: Work and You Book 1 and Work and You Book 2 provide a simplified career planning process in two consecutive workbooks for adults at a Grade 2 to 3 reading level. Because of the low literacy level, the books encourage clients to seek the support of a career advisor or tutor to help them with their career decision-making. We recommend that career advisors distribute the books directly to clients rather than displaying them on shelves for self-directed use. They can be ordered HERE

 

They are the latest additions to the Easy Reading Career Planning Series. Other products in the series include:

  • Easy Job Profiles
  • Job Profiles Dictionary
  • Job Profiles: Help for Career Advisors

 

Listening (radio, podcasts, dictations, film)

ESL: Learning English with the CBC

This website includes self-study lesson plans for ESL learners, based on video and audio clips from the CBC.  The lesson plans include before, while, and after listening activities, along with links for further information.  The topics introduce learners to key Canadian events, heroes, and topics.

Learning English with CBC Manitoba

This website includes listening lessons for weekly newscasts (referenced to CLB level).  Older lessons are not stored on the website, but each new lesson is timely and up-to-date.

Dictationsonline.com

This site has short dictations at different levels. Dictations (in British English) are read at normal speed as students listen for gist, then they are read slowly phrase by phrase, then read again so the student can check their work. Finally the written text is provided so students can check their work.  For classroom use, the dictations can be printed out and read to the students.

Elllo

This website includes listening texts of various lengths, accompanied by pictures, some transcripts, and comprehension quizzes.  It is very multi-cultural and includes a range of accents.

ESL Pod

This website includes podcasts that can be downloaded for listening practice. For a fee, an accompanying learning guide can be downloaded as well.

Cinema

This website links to many different movies for which ESL activities have been developed.

Reading

Adult Learning Activities, California Distance Learning Project

This website has a range of topics from which to choose. For each topic, the student can read and/or listen to the text. Some topics also include a video. Post-reading activities check comprehension and reinforce vocabulary.

Literacynet Story Archives

Both original and simplified versions of CNN and CBS stories are organized into general categories and accompanied by the following: a story outline; video/audio clips; vocabulary, sequencing, multiple choice, inferencing, and responding activities; and suggestions for further reading.

LoudLit.org  Literature for your eyes and ears

This website includes readings and accompanying recordings of children’s stories, poetry, novels, short stories, and historical accounts.

Reading Tower of English

This website has a selection of readings from which to choose. 

ESLFast

This site includes 365 short stories available for listening and/or reading practice. The site also includes over 2000 conversation topics. Appears to be for beginner and lower-intermediate language students.

English Express

This newspaper for adult learners of English in Alberta is published 8 times a year from September to May. It includes news reports, articles of relevance to newcomers, learners' stories, word games, and teaching notes for tutors and instructors. The articles are archived on a companion website, which provides listening practice and learning activities. English Express is available free of charge to educational programs for adults, to libraries and to agencies in Alberta. New subscriptions are not available to K to 12 schools.

Grammar, Pronunciation, Vocabulary & Idioms

About.com: English as 2nd Language

This website has links to many different topics as well as online grammar quizzes.

EnglishClub.com

This website offers clear explanations of a variety of grammatical points as well as other useful resources for ESL teaching/learning.

englishpage.com

This website includes tutorials, weekly lessons, as well as interactive grammar and vocabulary activities.

English as a Second Language, University of Wellington

Scroll down to Practice English Online. From here, there are links for interactive activities for grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, writing, etc.

English Pronunciation/Listening (Okanagan College)

This site has listening practice with minimal pairs and dictations, workbooks, videos, and tongue twisters focusing on sounds and words that cause difficulties for English language learners.

ESLTower.com

This site includes handouts and links to on-line grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation activities, with resources for both teachers and students. (Note: there is a long table of what’s available is shown on home page, but it’s much better to use the search function.)

Grammar Bytes! Grammar Instruction with Attitude

This website includes definitions of grammar terms, interactive exercises, handouts, PowerPoint presentations, and more.

The Idiom Connection

Idioms are organized both alphabetically and by topic. 

The sounds of spoken language (University of Iowa)

Designed for students of phonetics and linguistics, this website gives visual explanations of how we make different sounds in English. This site would be useful as an instructor resource, or for advanced students wanting to learn more about the English sound system.

TESL Canada 

The Teachers’ Resource center has an assortment of resources including reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary worksheets which are referenced to the CLB.

UsingEnglish.com

While this site has information on grammar, its English Idioms link is particularly useful. 

Pronunciation Power 1

PRONUNCIATION POWER 1 Target audience: - Beginner to Intermediate ESL (English as a Second Language ) learners - Individuals needing to improve basic reading skills Pronunciation Power 1 It is an excellent tool for students to learn the correct pronunciation of 52 sounds as they are used in the English language. It has an easy, effective design with numerous exercises for practice using visual and auditory feedback. The 8 in 1 English Dictionary is included in the program. The picture dictionary teaches the meaning of unknown words and will promote improvement in reading and spelling levels. All instructions and lessons are available in 12 different languages and the student can choose which language he/she prefers to use.

Pronunciation Power 2

PRONUNCIATION POWER 2 Target audience: - Intermediate to Advanced ESL (English as a Second Language ) learners - Individuals needing to improve basic reading skills Pronunciation Power 2 is an excellent tool for students to learn the correct pronunciation of sounds as they are used in the English language. The easy, effective design has numerous exercises for practice using visual and auditory feedback. For each of the 52 sounds there are three main components: Lessons, Speech analysis, Exercises.

8 in 1 English Dictionary

8 in 1 English Dictionary: The First Pronunciation Dictionary! 8 in 1 English Dictionary will teach you all the English words you will ever need. This dictionary will help you improve your pronunciation, reading comprehension, vocabulary and spelling abilities. It's many features include: * Translations in 12 languages* * Over 2000 pictures and graphics to help you learn * Listening to and recording over 7000 words including plurals of the nouns and conjugations of the verbs * Unique to 8 in 1 English Dictionary - 10 different ways to search for words: Choose from 39 themes (animals, colors, clothing etc.); Practice a sound in the beginning, middle or end of words; Search by alphabet letter or letter combinations; Choose only verbs or nouns.

Introductory Grammar with Colour Key

Introductory Grammar with Colour Key: Pronunciation Power presents a new free grammar and vocabulary program for beginner English learners. This program, which uses the unique Color Key, will help students learn and remember the English skills they need for basic communication in English. Every word has a Color for the part of speech that it represents. The students will be able to learn word position simply by remembering what part of speech each color represents! This interactive, user-friendly program is available in 10 languages. It contains 20 Units of grammar lessons, 690 words, 577 pictures and 235 exercises.

Elovivo

Elovivo: Free Multilingual Dictionary Pronunciation Power is please to announce their newest FREE product - elovivo.com. www.Elovivo.com is an authorable multilingual dictionary and language learning community. With a need to preserve the old while understanding the new elovivo.com strives to be a place for language preservation, understanding and growth. Elovivo is a user-collaborated multilingual dictionary and language learning resource that allows anyone to add words, definitions, sample sentences, translations and pronunciation in a multitude of languages. All the added content is then rated by the community to ensure that the top submissions can easily be found. Elovivo.com includes all of the content from Pronunciation Power's renowned 8 in 1 English Dictionary. Elovivo includes a Language Exchange feature where the users are able to list the languages they know, teach or are learning and then find compatible users for language exchange. As well as being able to contribute to the dictionary and find language exchange partners, members can also use features such as creating 'Favorites lists' of words they like or want to remember. There is also private messaging to contact other like minded linguists. To round out its offering Elovivo also incorporates tagged images for all languages, text-to-speech for select languages and automatically generated definitions for English words.

Canadian Content

Success stories: Citizenship and Immigration Canada

This page of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website includes success stories of immigrants to Canada.

Study in Canada.com

The About Canada link provides information on a variety of topics (e.g., education system, provinces & territories, climate, insurance, cost of living, transportation, culture, holidays, etc.).  It also includes a photo gallery of the country in the Provinces/Territory Section.

ESL: Learning English with the CBC

This website introduces learners to key Canadian events, heroes, and topics.  It includes self-study lesson plans for ESL learners, based on video and audio clips from the CBC.  The lesson plans include before, while, and after listening activities, along with links for further information.

English Express

This newspaper for adult learners of English in Alberta is published 8 times a year from September to May. It includes news reports, articles of relevance to newcomers, learners' stories, word games, and teaching notes for tutors and instructors. The articles are archived on a companion website, which provides listening practice and learning activities. English Express is available free of charge to educational programs for adults, to libraries and to agencies in Alberta. New subscriptions are not available to K to 12 schools.

Current Events

English Express

This newspaper for adult learners of English in Alberta is published 8 times a year from September to May. It includes news reports, articles of relevance to newcomers, learners' stories, word games, and teaching notes for tutors and instructors. The articles are archived on a companion website, which provides listening practice and learning activities. English Express is available free of charge to educational programs for adults, to libraries and to agencies in Alberta. New subscriptions are not available to K to 12 schools.

Learning English with CBC Manitoba

This website includes listening lessons for weekly newscasts (referenced to a CLB level).  Older lessons are not stored on the website, but each new lesson is timely and up-to-date.

Breaking News English

This British website includes ESL lessons on current events and the news. A new lesson is added approximately every 3 days. The lessons include warm-ups, before reading/listening, while reading/listening, after reading/listening, surveys, discussions, writing activities and homework suggestions. 

News English Lessons

This website is a simplified version of Breaking News English

Cultural information

Centre for Intercultural Learning (Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada)

Country Insights provides information on 211 countries (e.g., history, geography, culture, politics, economy, media). For selected countries with close ties to Canada, cultural interpreters provide local and Canadian perspectives on topics such as conversations, communication styles, religion, class, ethnicity, gender, hierarchy and decision-making, stereotypes, and recommended books, films, and foods. The site also publishes Intercultures magazine and provides articles, discussion papers, book review, readings on intercultural topics, and government publications.

Cultural Profiles Project (CIC and University of Toronto's AMNI Centre)

This site includes information on 105 countries (e.g., history, geography, family life, food, communicating, holidays, education, arts and literature). Designed to support CIC's Host Program, it also provides websites and reading suggestions on specific cultures. A link from the main page lists related websites (e.g., Immigration and Refugee Board, New Internationalist, Amnesty International, UNICEF, CIA) that provide up-to-date information on the countries in this project.

Other Resources

English as a Second Language

This site provides links to a variety of resources, including podcasts, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. The podcast section has links to many different sites, including ESL and Archie (comics).

ESL Bears

This site is designed for beginner English language students. It has links to activities for listening, reading, writing, and grammar practice.

Interesting Things for ESL Students

This website has an array of interesting interactive activities for ESL students. Some of the links include jokes, proverbs, tongue twisters, and podcasts.

LanternFish

This site contains printable teaching materials (worksheets, flashcards, songs, etc) and lesson plans for a variety of topics and levels.

Study Zone (University of Victoria)

This website includes grammar, vocabulary, and reading tasks for different language levels.

Hear Names

Users type in a name and, if it is in this database, can hear the correct pronunciation for it. This could be useful for both ESL teachers and ESL students.

Web Links for ESL Teachers (Montgomery County Public Libraries, Maryland)

This site includes a variety of links for ESL teachers.

For Children

EcoKids Earth Day Canada

A free online environmental education resource,  this award-winning site offers environmental lesson plans, games and activities for ESL learners.  EcoKids is a leading resource for teachers, students and families.

ESL Kids Lab

This site, designed for young beginner English learners, includes lessons with animated videos.

Readwritethink (International Reading Association)

The Classroom Resources link includes lesson plans for each grade level.

Revamping of this page was made possible as part of a grant from Alberta Employment and Immigration.
We would also like to thank CA-ATESL members for contributing to this list of websites.

Inside ESL Resources