Pronunciation Fun!!

While I was doing my lesson for technology in pronunciation I discovered this great interactive website designed specifically for ESL learners that is not only helpful in pronunciation but its also fun. This website would be perfect for most learners although beginners might find it difficult at first. There are pictures to accompany the words though and that might make it easier for beginners. The website provides many different sets of minimal pairs for the learner to select. After selecting them they only have to scroll the mouse over the picture or the word to hear the computer say the minimal pair. The learner can practice along with the computer and if they have a microphone they can even record their voice saying the minimal pairs and compare with the computer. It's a great fun way to practice pronunciation. I even had fun playing with it!

http://www.fonetiks.org/shiporsheep/

Online ESL Games

Learning doesn't always have to about studying. I found a great website that allows ESL learners to practice their English skills while playing great online games. The site is completely interactive, with plenty of games. The learners recieve instant feedback on their answers and if they happen to be incorrect they can keep trying until they get it right. They also have the option to ask for help and the computer will give them choices as to what the answer could be. The site is designed for learners of all levels. When you hover your mouse over the game choice it tells you what level that particular game is designed for. The site also has options for some other ESL learning techniqes. It provides the learner with free English courses online, however I think the games are the most fun part of this website.

http://www.english-online.org.uk/backindex.html

Rosetta Stone website

The Rosetta Stone website is a great interactive website designed to help students learn a language fast. It is designed for any language learner. It does cost money to use the site but for a learner who wants the extra practice at home it is well worth the money. They have access to sound bites with a native speaker so they are able to hear the language as it is regularly spoken. They can also replay the clips as many times as they need to. This site is perfect for learners at any level. I did the demo for Spanish and German and even though I didn't know any of that language before I began, I felt like I knew some vocabulary after I was done. The site also has pictures so the students can get a visual of what the word means as they are learning the vocabulary. It looks like a great way to start to learn a language or to supplement the language learning process.

http://www.rosettastone.com

ESL Blues

The ESL Blues website is great fun for ESL learners. It is designed for pre-intermediate to high-intermediate learners. This site is completely interactive and it has been designed specifically for ESL learners to practice English. The site is great because it allows learners to take quizzes in a different way that is fun and interesting. The quizzes are timed which gives them a challenge, and you are able to retake the quiz if you need to. I had lots of fun playing with this website so I know ESL learners will have fun with it too. The site also allows learners to create their own website which is also exciting for them.

http://ww2.college-em.qc.ca/prof/epritchard/trouindx.htm

Great Interactive Website

This next website that I am going to review is really fun and interactive. It is called lapasserelle. This site has lots of different types of quizzes that the learners can take ranging from simple grammar quizzes to quizzes of general knowledge. I think for this reason it would be great for learners of any level. It appears that it has been designed specifically for second language learners who want to improve their English. The best part about this site is that not all of the quizzes are about academics or language skills. Some of the quizzes are designed for fun, so learners that feel confident in their English skills can try them out and have fun using English. This might be very useful for teachers in a pinch if they need a lesson plan quickly and its also great practice for students to do at home on their own.

http://lapasserelle.com/lm/pagespeciales/interactivequizzes/index.html#A.%20Tests%20interactifs

Tongue Twisters

The first website I am reviewing is 1st International Collection of Tongue Twisters. This website would be best for students in level 2 and up because it does have some easier tongue twisters and some that are more difficult as well. Although this website is not interactive and it has not been designed specifically for ESL students it is still extremely useful. This site is helpful with pronunciation and I used it to help me when I was designing my technique demo. It is very useful because tongue twisters are a fun way to help learn the language. They are great for speaking lessons and they help to bring fun into the classroom. Students can access this site themselves and practice and it might be fun for them to challenge themselves on the harder tongue twisters and work their way up from the easier ones to the harder ones. This website is great because it has tongue twisters from all over the world so the students can share tongue twisters from their country with the other students and their teacher as well. It can also be fun for the students to see their teacher attempt some of the more difficult tongue twisters and it can be fun for the teacher to design a lesson around them too.

http://www.uebersetzung.at/twister/

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