Geoffrey's ESL Links

How to get round the firewall so you can access youtube, ted etc

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.

Great article on using Calibre for organizing all those pdf files you use for teaching..

From creating short surveys to delivering multiple choice quizzes Google Forms is a great tool for teachers. Today, Google announced the addition some useful new features to Google Forms. The most significant enhancement in the option to collaborate on Form creation and editing. Now you can share your forms and add comments to them just like you can in Docs, Spreadsheets, and Slides.

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. 

"Try "