Learning a new language is exciting, and having the right ESL resources can make learning easier. English as a Second Language (ESL) resources for ESL students and teachers can be helpful for learning and teaching. We look at 55 resources that will help you learn or teach ESL.
SPEAKING
1. BBC Learning English
The BBC sponsors this site, which has different topics such as General and Business English Grammar, Vocabulary and Pronunciation, Quizzes, Community, and For Teachers.
2. Talk English
TalkEnglish.com offers speaking curriculum, with listening lessons, pronunciation lessons, and basic grammar. The site also provides ESL lessons in intonation and speed of speaking tips.
3. TESOL
The TESOL International Association site has ESL resources for teachers. The site features activities, assessments, lesson plans, teaching tips, and more.
4. Using English
The Using English site includes activities, lesson plans, and test sample items.
5. ESL Gold
ESL Gold has reading materials, lesson plans, quizzes, online conversation partners, and links for teachers and students.
6. Total ESL
Total ESL is a worldwide resource for ESL/EFL/TEFL/TESOL jobs, teacher resumes, schools, and teacher training courses. The site features private tutors, blogs, lesson plans, activities, and more.
7. English Club
The English Club site has ESL resources such as conversation worksheets, activities, teacher notes for lessons, and vocabulary.
ESL LISTENING
8. Many Things
The Many Things website has resources covering a wide variety of ESL topics such as vocabulary, reading, grammar, listening, and speaking. The site also features quizzes, word puzzles, slang expressions, and other language learning activities.
9. Voice of America
Voice of America offers a daily news and information site for English learners worldwide.
10. Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab
The Cyber Listening Lab has ESL listening activities.
11. Storyline
Storyline is an online streaming video program. The site features Screen Actors Guild members reading children’s books with supplementary activities and lesson ideas.
12. ABC Fast Phonics
The ABC Fast Phonics site features phonics basics such as vowels, consonants, and blends.
13. British Council Learn English Teen
This British Council Learn English Teen website has ESL resources for English skills practices, grammar and vocabulary, exams, and magazines.
14. PBS Teachers
PBS Teachers has free ESL resources for pre-K-12 education.
15. PBS Kids English Language Arts
PBS Kids has a language arts site featuring interactive activities for children.
16. Colorín Colorado
Colorín Colorado is a free service that features information, activities, and advice for educators and Spanish-speaking families of ESL learners.
17. Sesame Street
Sesame Workshop is the show’s nonprofit educational organization that features literacy resources and other activities for children, as well as information for parents and teachers.
18. Children’s Story Books Online
The Children’s Story Books Online has illustrated children’s stories for kids of all ages.
19. Oxford Owl
Oxford Owl has a variety of ESL resources, including e-books, games, and fun activities to make reading fun.
WRITING
20. PaperRater
PaperRater provides spelling and grammar checks, which ESL students can use to develop their English writing.
21. Study Zone
The Study Zone has ESL resources, English-language lessons, and practice exercises.
22. Academic English Café
The Academic English Cafe has language quizzes, practice with academic vocabulary, quizzes, and other lessons.
23. Read Write Think
The site provides educators and parents with free materials for reading and writing education.
24. TeacherTube
This is an instructional videos site for teachers and students.
25. British Council Learn English Kids
The British Council Learn English Kids website has games, as well as listening and watching, reading, writing, speaking, spelling, and grammar activities.
26. Internet Public Library
The Internet Public Library collects ESL materials from around the Internet.
27. Grammarly
Grammarly corrects spelling and grammar errors in writing, helping students understand English writing better.
28. The Idioms
The Idioms site is a large dictionary of idioms that ESL learners can use to help understand figures of speech.
29. The Free Dictionary
The Free Dictionary features resources such as dictionary information, idioms, and thesauri.
30. One Look Dictionary Search
The One Look Dictionary Search site has 18,955,870 words in 1061 dictionaries indexed.
31. Writing Explained
The Writing Explained site has resources such as Confusing English Words, How to Start a Blog, and an Online Grammar Dictionary.
32. Oxford Practice Grammar Student’s Site
This site from the Oxford University Press allows you to select your level to practice your grammar.
33. Grammar Bytes
This site advertises itself as “grammar instruction with attitude.” It has videos, exercises, handouts, and information for teachers.
34. The Purdue OWL
The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) has numerous resources such as vidcasts and grammar resources for ESL students and teachers.
35. English Grammar Online
This site has information on topics such as punctuation, essays and presentations, and business English.
36. The Writing Center: University of Wisconsin – Madison
The Writing Center has information for students and teachers in areas such as analyzing academic texts.
37. A Way with Words
A Way with Words is a program all about words, word history, and word usage.
38. Macmillan Dictionary
Find meanings, pronunciations, synonyms, collocations, idioms, and other word information at this site.
39. Merriam-Webster Dictionary
For more than 180 years, Merriam-Webster has provided information about language and word usage. Its online presence continues its legacy.
40. Grammar Girl
This site offers quick grammar tips.
41. Grammar Book
The site has information about punctuation and grammar.
42. Six Minute Vocabulary
This BBC podcast site has episodes about a variety of vocabulary issues.
43. English-Corpora.org
The English-Corpora delves into English variations such as dialects.
44. Paradigm Online Writing Assistant
POWA is an online site that helps coach students through a writing process with easy step-by-step lessons.
45. ESL Blues
ESL Blues features vocabulary, grammar, and progress tests for students.
46. Eslwriting.org
This site is for ESL teacher resources.
47. Cambridge Dictionary
The Cambridge Dictionary has grammar, dictionaries, and other useful information for ESL students and teachers.
48. Thought Co.
This site has numerous ESL and language resources in areas such as grammar and writing.
49. The Punctuation Guide
The Punctuation Guide is about punctuation.
50. Writing Den
The Writing Den is for students in grades 6-12 to practice, study, and improve their English writing skills.
ESL and American Sign Language
51. Does Sign Language Have Different Languages?
The article has information about how different languages have unique sign languages, including ESL ASL.
52. ASL Kids
This is a site for children and adult beginners learning ASL.
53. ASL Teaching Resources
ASL teacher resources feature an ASL word of the day.
54. Raising a Bilingual-bimodal Child
The site has information about raising a child with ASL and English as an ESL language.
55. National Association of the Deaf on ASL and English Bilingual Education
The NAD position on supporting ASL and English bilingualism.