useful websites

As our listening exam is looming, I have here a collection of the superior listening quizzes for academic purposes:

http://www.esl-lab.com/

http://www.parapal-online.co.uk/listening.html

http://www.elllo.org/

http://www.gettoefl.com/preparation.htm

useful websites

While browsing the web this week, I've hit on a first-rate link which offers viewers the opportunity to watch a wide selection of the most fashionable series nowadays.

Currently, I'm taking pleasure in watching all the episodes of my most-liked series "CSI" that I didn't have the chance to see before.

The link:

http://www.tv-links.co.uk/index.do/1

useful websites

While surfing aimlessly the web a few days ago, I stumbled across two useful websites.

The first one is just perfect for any reading devotee on the planet as it features a surfeit of works of and about fiction like "Mansfield Park" by Jane Austen (which I'm revelling in at the moment) or "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott. What's more, you can read any of the books on the site without straining your wallet.

To start reading, visit:
http://fiction.eserver.org/

The second address is all about radio stations around the globe. Although there is an oversupply of stations listed, I'm enamored with the English ones as they are a great way of boosting both my listening and pronunciation skills. A wordd of warning, though- the radio presenters' speech is very opaque when you first start listening to them.

To start listening, visit:
http://www.live-radio.net/european.shtml

useful websites

This week an extremely beneficial page for speaking has come to my attention. The site is full to the brim with links of interest, many of which are a barrel of fun to look at, for students of English as a second language.

The site is:
http://iteslj.org/links/ESL/Speaking/

useful websites

This week new websites have been found for practice in the fields of grammar/ vocabulary and reading:

1. Grammar and vocabulary: If you have difficulties in finding synonyms and antonyms, visit:
http://www.synonym.com/synonym/

2. Reading: A great site with tons of short stories to indulge in is:
http://www.short-stories.co.uk/

useful websites

The winners of this weeks' useful websites contest are:

1. Listening: I came across this very useful website while reading Marija's blog (my thanks go to her):

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/

2. Speaking: online pronunciation and speaking exercises at:

http://home.earthlink.net/~eslstudent/speak/speak.html

3. Writing: If you are keen on writing some fiction, take a look at:

http://fictionwriting.about.com/

4. Grammar and vocabulary: Here is another pearl of both grammar and vocabulary site:

http://www.englishpage.com

useful websites

My dear fellow students I must confess that this week I wasn't actively on the look-out for new websites. Please don't skin me alive; it's just that I came home and the weather is brilliant (the sun, as pictured above, is smilling at me).

However, I did find one useful site quite accidentaly. It is the "free dictionary" which offers legal, medical, financial dictionaries, a thesaurus and a dictionary of idioms. Have a merry time browsing it:

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/

useful websites

As in the morning I had a bit of time to kill before the first lesson took off, I blithely surfed the World Wide Web.

Suddenly, I came across a pearl of a grammar site. It is entitled The Grammar Aquarium and it offers oodles of free online exercises coupled with explanations, which will make you explode with laughter, about your answers.

To make a long story short, if you want to feel at ease with the English grammar like fish feel at ease in the water, you simply must work with this page:

http://perso.wanadoo.es/autoenglish/freeexercises.htm

useful websites

Here comes again the weekly dose of useful websites:

1. Listening: As promised the link of the Here on Earth programme:

http://www.wpr.org/hereonearth/archive_050710j.cfm

2. Speaking: I came across a page that succinctly depicts the importance of actively speaking in English:

http://www.englishclub.com/speaking/practice.htm

3. Writing: Here you have a page solely dedicated to the words which are most commonly confused when writing in English (watch out for sensible/sensitive and lay/lie)

http://esl.about.com/cs/vocabulary/a/a_confused_2.htm

4. Grammar and vocabulary: Here is a page full of grammar quizes just for you:

http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/blgrammarquiz.htm

useful websites

Websites I've come across this week are:

1. Listening: You just should listen to this interview with David Monagan. Don't get intimidated by its lenght. After all, we are language students and future translators or interpreters: http://www.wpr.org/hereonearth/archive_050122j.cfm

2. Speaking: Here is an address with some great phrases that will bring your speaking to another level: http://www.eslgold.net/speaking/phrases.html

3. Writing: If you have to write an informal essay, here is a site that features explanations for almost any English idiom just imaginable: www.phrases.org.uk

4. Grammar and vocabulary: Another great dictionary that is featured online can be accessed via: http://www.eslgold.net/speaking/phrases.html

And if that was not enough, I figured out that as I'm whinging in my profile about missing the crystal clear sea of my home town, I'll give you the internet address which offers a brief overview of the beauties of Lovran, situated between the lush mountains and the stunningly beautiful sea (though I must warn you that the site features some very rusty English): http://www.lovran.com/index_en.html

useful websites

I'm sorry, but I must admit that at first I didn't know how to make internet addresses on my blog instantly accesible to you . After some trying and sweating, I've came behind the mystery, so here are this weeks addresses once more for you:

1. Listening: www.breakingnewsenglish.com

2. Speaking: http://iteslj.org/questions/

4. Grammar and vocabulary: http://www.english-test.net/esl/learn/english

and for the dictionary: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

useful websites

I've chosen this photo for my useful websites as we usually (well I do) surf the Web when the sun is going down.

Anyway, here I'll feature websites that have helped me enormously to bring my English to another level in all four language skills. (listening, speaking, writing and grammar/vocabulary).
I'll also divide the entries accordingly:

1. Listening: a great site for both listening and speaking practice
www.breakingnewsenglish.com

2. Speaking: the site I mentioned in my "my week in english" label under speaking
http://iteslj.org/questions/

3. Writing: nothing for this week; I've to research more

4. Grammar/vocabulary: a site for English grammar and vocabulary improvement
http://www.english-test.net/esl/learn/english/grammar/

and for checking new words I would highly recommend: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/ where you can chose to search a word also in other dictionaries if the cambridge one doesn't find it