Top 5 Free Tools for Learning English
Top 5 Dictionaries
- Merriam-Webster: reliable allround and famous dictionary, offers American English translations, thesaurus, tutorials, with naturally pronounced audio;
- Oxford Dictionaries: great dictionary, British English, with hundreds of example sentences to check your words in context;
- The Free Dictionary: complete dictionary that refers to other well-known dictionaries, make your own homepage or word list, play Hangman, test your spelling;
- Your Dictionary: English – English, focus on jargon, thesaurus, wordfinder, abbreviations.
- Google.com/translate: gives many translation options, sometimes weird and literal translations. Avoid translation of full sentences or texts, with audio-button;
Top 5 English grammar sites
- Eng Vid: English Video: great channel on Youtube. MY FAVORITE video tutor is called Ronnie, she teaches with great wit and enthusiasm, explains grammar in a simple though very clear way;
- Learn American English Online: MY FAVORITE grammar site, made by teacher Paul, with video-tutorials, clear explanation and many exercises and visuals;
- Grammarist: offers a lot of info on words, phrases, pitfalls, style and usage of English;
- Grammar Bank: offers CEF-level based grammar exercises with instant key;
- BBC.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish: good ESL-source for reading, listening and writing material.
Top 5 Test your English grammar
- A 4 ESL: hundreds of exercises with keys, Beginners – Advanced learners;
- Exam English: Common European Level tests, chock full of tests;
- Flo-Joe: good site for preparing your Cambridge-level exams;
- English Test Store: many, many tests, also to test your listening skills;
- English Page: you take about seven tests and end with the Final Test.
Top 5 Podcasts (listening)
- Better @ English: cool and informal podcasts with daily topics and discussions (for example about American English vs British English);
- English Through Stories: podcast series, for advanced learners;
- ESL Pod: interesting conversations between two ESL-teachers, Jeff McGuillan and Lucy Tse;
- Listen to English: interesting stories, well-pronounced;
- China232: many Free Lessons (listening and reading texts) by two American brothers in China.
Top 5 Practice your English (tools and apps)
- Duolingo: MY FAVORITE learning tool to practice a (new) language! Uses an adaptive learning method, so you practice and learn intuitively and on your own level, many gadgets, bonus system, comparison with others etc;
- Practice Tests: challenging IELTS practice tests for entry to university;
- Eng Vid: with videos that explain about all kinds of topics related to English by many tutors: after watching a video you’ll get a test to check whether you memorize the content of the video;
- Learn American English Online: offers many exercises, plus key;
- English a Day: international web-app for all devices, offers daily tests with 5 reading, writing, vocabulary and listening questions, using adaptive system, CEF-levels (A – C) and American level indications (Beginner – Proficient User).
All websites and tools mentioned above are FREE.
