Online Material Builders, Pedagogical Software, Technology Tools for learners and teachers of English as a second language: Core English, Enriched English, Intensive English...
Mysteries of Vernacular is an interesting site that is developing a series of videos about the history and nuances of the English language. The concept is similar to that of Words of the World. Mysteries of Vernacular will eventually have one video for every letter of the alphabet. For now there is just a few videos available.
Digital Dialects offers a nice selection of educational games and activities for learning 55 different languages. Most of the games are designed to learn and practice the basics of each of the 55 languages listed on the Digital Dialects homepage.
Another good website for learning and practicing language basics is Literacy Center.net. Literacy Center offers games for learning and practicing French, Spanish, German, and English. The Literacy Center is a 501c non-profit with a contract from the US Department of Education.
Applications for Education The educational games and activities found on Digital Dialects and Literacy Center are great for students just beginning to learn a new language. The games provide instant feedback to students and parents so that they can monitor progress and choose a skill or set of vocabulary terms to practice.
This ESL listening Web site created by Randall Davis helps ESL/EFL students improve their listening comprehension skills through practice with self-grading quiz pages.
Have you ever wanted to learn a second language?
I have always wanted to learn either French or Italian, but once you are out of school, unless you happen to be able to move yourself to another country and immerse yourself in the culture, it isn't an easy thing to do.
Sure, you can spend a fortune on expensive software like Rosetta Stone, or the slightly more affordable Fluenz, but it still takes dedication and time in front of a computer… Because for the most part, they only work on a full computer with a microphone, hardly convenient for being able to pick up any time.
The answer, instead, is the 100% free Duolingo software, which runs in a browser… Or on your iPad, iPhone, or any Android device. Did I mention how free it is? Completely! In fact, they will never charge for it, because they use the platform for tuning machine learning and translating the web.
The really great thing about this app is that it works by gamifying the learning process - as you advance through the levels, you earn points and you can unlock new levels. Each level builds on what you learned in the last one.
Each level switches between a number of learning methods… In some, you will see a phrase and be able to pick the words to translate it from one language to another, and in others you will write them out. In some, you will listen to the voice speak the sentence, and others you have to speak to the app. It all works amazingly well to teach you a little at a time.
In my case, I will be getting married to a French girl in two months, and we are going to Paris for a while… And this time, I want to be able to speak the language.
You can even add your friends to the app to track your progress against them. My username is lowellheddings, so if you want to learn French, feel free to add me and keep me on track.
Note: just search the App Store or Google Play for duolingo to install it. Or go to www.duolingo.com and access in your browser.
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