Picture Books is a web site that provides children with fully-illustrated, free stories. Visitors should owe a big thanks to professional illustrator and writer Dandi Palmer.
Short Stories has been designed and developed for older, and not quite so old, children. Stories are also available as a free download onto ebook readers and mobile phones.
Wacky Web Tales are geared for grades 3 and above. Check back monthly for new tales!
By visiting Free Children Stories, one can have access to new and original stories submitted by children's authors. Cute images, incidentally, accompany written texts.
Showing posts with label good links. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good links. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Lake Chaubunagungamaug
I want to talk about a lake with a 45-letter Indian name that can be translated as, “You fish on your side, I fish on my side and nobody fishes in the middle.” It’s Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg.
Oh, yeah! This is the full-length version of the name. Have difficulty pronouncing it? Well, there is a helpful song that can be of benefit to you.
I like to add that this name is the longest place name in the United States. The lake, also known as Webster Lake, is located near the Connecticut border and has a surface area of 1,442 acres (5.83 km²), based on Wikipedia.
Oh, yeah! This is the full-length version of the name. Have difficulty pronouncing it? Well, there is a helpful song that can be of benefit to you.
I like to add that this name is the longest place name in the United States. The lake, also known as Webster Lake, is located near the Connecticut border and has a surface area of 1,442 acres (5.83 km²), based on Wikipedia.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Orwell Diaries
Recently, I have come across a blog devoted to George Orwell who was a British author and journalist. The blog has provided readers and fans with George Orwell's diaries, images, documents complementing the diaries and a Google Map of Orwell's travels. If I were in your position, I wouldn't give Orwell Diaries a miss.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
CALL
Computer Assisted Language Learning is defined as the use of a computer in the teaching or learning of a second or foreign language. CALL, in fact, brings four major advantages in its train: motivation, authenticity, critical learning skills, and adapting learning to the student.
I have provided you here with some useful and resourceful CALL-related links. I hope you find them of great benefit and help.
APACALL Asia-Pacific Association for Computer-Assisted Language Learning that claims the opportunity to use communication technologies in learning, teaching and research.
The History of CALL A PDF file of an introduction to the development of the Computer-Assisted Language Learning.
Computer Assisted Language Learning An international Journal.
ReCALL Journal of EUROCALL.
CALL: Its Scope and Limits A speech by Frank Berberich at the Toyohashi JALT chapter meeting.
Authoring in CALL Links to authoring systems for CALL.
CALL for Teachers Computer Assisted Language Learning for Teachers.
I have provided you here with some useful and resourceful CALL-related links. I hope you find them of great benefit and help.
APACALL Asia-Pacific Association for Computer-Assisted Language Learning that claims the opportunity to use communication technologies in learning, teaching and research.
The History of CALL A PDF file of an introduction to the development of the Computer-Assisted Language Learning.
Computer Assisted Language Learning An international Journal.
ReCALL Journal of EUROCALL.
CALL: Its Scope and Limits A speech by Frank Berberich at the Toyohashi JALT chapter meeting.
Authoring in CALL Links to authoring systems for CALL.
CALL for Teachers Computer Assisted Language Learning for Teachers.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Multimedia English
Learning English can be intensive, costly, and time-consuming. With the advent of educational technology-based resources (CD-ROMs, the Internet, Web pages, etc.), millions of language learners are getting interested in flexible and creative learning methodologies.
In multimedia systems several media of communication such as animation, music, text, and image combine in conjunction with computer technology and give the users as ‘interactive players’ the opportunity to control the flow and direction of the text by navigating through it.
The use of language-learning multimedia technologies must be supported because they are necessary for keeping English-learning relevant to the information age. Self-study English-learning multimedia resources, actually, have become more affordable and ubiquitous than before.
Considering all these things, I have put here the links to three web sites that are based on teaching English through different modes of communication. You can resort to such materials with the ease of the mind for both teaching and learning English, surely.
Multimedia English Classroom
Bell English Online
ESL Galaxy
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Irish Slang Website
Irishslang.info is the most comprehensive online dictionary of Irish Slang that has been developed "straight from the horse's mouth".
If you hear something "straight from the horse's mouth", you hear it from someone who definitely knows it is true and has direct knowledge of it.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
my dear sibling & some idioms
I dedicate this post to my helpful and intelligent brother. Alireza is a sophomore majoring in Civil Engineering.
Alireza! Hitch your wagon to a star for your limit is the azure sky.
I want to share with you some bee and bee-related expressions. Curious to know them? Well, keep reading the whole text.
a busy bee
-someone who enjoys being busy or active
be the bee's knees
-to be very good
hive of activity
- somewhere where things are very busy
make a beeline for (someone or something)
- to go straight toward someone or something
none of (someone's) beeswax
- none of someone's business
have a bee in one's bonnet
- to have a fixed idea that stays in one's mind
I got that picture from a really cool website. Idioms By Kids is a website with over 1000 kid drawings of the literal meaning of a number of English idioms. Start learning by clicking on the pictures. Use your noddle to guess the meaning of the idioms. Then, read the idioms and write down your own sentences using those idioms.
For sure, those illustrations can help you keep in mind for a long period of time what you are trying to grasp and grab. Have fun learning and thanks for your warm comments.
Alireza! Hitch your wagon to a star for your limit is the azure sky.
I want to share with you some bee and bee-related expressions. Curious to know them? Well, keep reading the whole text.
a busy bee
-someone who enjoys being busy or active
be the bee's knees
-to be very good
hive of activity
- somewhere where things are very busy
make a beeline for (someone or something)
- to go straight toward someone or something
none of (someone's) beeswax
- none of someone's business
have a bee in one's bonnet
- to have a fixed idea that stays in one's mind
I got that picture from a really cool website. Idioms By Kids is a website with over 1000 kid drawings of the literal meaning of a number of English idioms. Start learning by clicking on the pictures. Use your noddle to guess the meaning of the idioms. Then, read the idioms and write down your own sentences using those idioms.
For sure, those illustrations can help you keep in mind for a long period of time what you are trying to grasp and grab. Have fun learning and thanks for your warm comments.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Pimp your vocab quiz
Take the Pimp Your Vocab quiz to find out how in touch you are with the word on the street.
It is highly amazing that teenagers have their own jargon that is difficult to demystify.
What is your favorite teenglish word? Mine is chilax (chill out + relax).
It is highly amazing that teenagers have their own jargon that is difficult to demystify.
What is your favorite teenglish word? Mine is chilax (chill out + relax).
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Language Podcasts
A podcast is a series of audio or video files that are released episodically and downloaded through web. It is a portmanteau of the words "pod"—derived from iPod- and "broadcasting". The following links are links to some terrific language podcasts for those who have a strong fascination for learning languages.
ESL POD: Those learning English as a second language will enjoy these podcasts. They even list their top ten popular episodes including seeing a specialist and dining at a restaurant.
ONE MINUTE FRENCH: Got a love of language but only 60 seconds to devote to it? Then try this free series of mini-lessons in for English speakers who want to learn French.
A FLAVOR OF GERMAN: These podcasts are intended for intermediate to advanced speakers. They provides a fresh look at German idioms as native speaker Julia helps learn Mark improve his range of expression.
COFFEE BREAK SPANISH: Part of the Radio Lingua Network, this free series of podcasts is ideal for beginners through intermediate. There are 80 lessons averaging 15 to 20 minutes each and even a step by step guide.
ARABIC POD: With constantly updated episodes, this is a must visit for all lovers of the Arabic language. There is also a dictionary, forum, blog, and more.
A SPOONFUL OF RUSSIAN: Although the podcast has been discontinued, it is still free to view and take advantage of. There are also downloadable lessons, puzzles, and conversations.
ESL POD: Those learning English as a second language will enjoy these podcasts. They even list their top ten popular episodes including seeing a specialist and dining at a restaurant.
ONE MINUTE FRENCH: Got a love of language but only 60 seconds to devote to it? Then try this free series of mini-lessons in for English speakers who want to learn French.
A FLAVOR OF GERMAN: These podcasts are intended for intermediate to advanced speakers. They provides a fresh look at German idioms as native speaker Julia helps learn Mark improve his range of expression.
COFFEE BREAK SPANISH: Part of the Radio Lingua Network, this free series of podcasts is ideal for beginners through intermediate. There are 80 lessons averaging 15 to 20 minutes each and even a step by step guide.
ARABIC POD: With constantly updated episodes, this is a must visit for all lovers of the Arabic language. There is also a dictionary, forum, blog, and more.
A SPOONFUL OF RUSSIAN: Although the podcast has been discontinued, it is still free to view and take advantage of. There are also downloadable lessons, puzzles, and conversations.
Friday, January 29, 2010
LibriVox: free audiobooks
LibriVox volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain and release the audio files back onto the net. Their goal is to make all public domain books available as free audio books. In December 2009, it had a catalog of 3,000 unabridged books and shorter works available to download. Around nine-tenths of the collection is in English, although LibriVox recordings are available in 26 languages altogether.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Expand your vocabulary
It’s well documented that people with better vocabularies are more intelligent. So, why not give yourself a chance to expand your vocabulary. Here are the links to some fantastic online places that can help you integrate more words into your English:
Dictionary.com: A leading online dictionary, this site gets top spots for not only its word, but the audio pronunciation, quotes, and more.
SAT Tutor’s Blog: Click on “Word of the Day” to get advanced words for SAT test takers. There are also a ton of other vocabulary and language tools.
Word of the Day Website: Get a word of the day with a more personal touch here. There are also quizzes, weekly review, and more.
Today’s WORD on Journalism: A journalist takes words from publications and analyzes them in his posts.
What Does It Mean?: Infoplease gives several definitions on their word of the day. There are also tons of other tools including dictionary, thesaurus, Fact Monster, and more.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Friday, November 06, 2009
common writing mistakes
My English writing is a good online place to learn from the mistakes of ESL/EFL writers.
Common mistakes is a free resource to better English. It provides a collection of some of the most frequently misspelled, commonly confused and easily misused words.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
visual dictionaries
Hi my pals. You know what, I am a true fond of learning via illustrations. I do love heavily-illustrated books. My studies mostly center around books and essays on visual analysis and image-based research.
To be frank with you, I am a visual learner. Visual learners learn effectively when they see the information in the written and pictorial forms. If you are a visual learner, click on the links below to three different sites on visual dictionaries. The third one is something quite interesting and fantabulous.You can even contribute your own visuals to that web site.
http://visual.merriam-webster.com
http://www.infovisual.info
http://thevisualdictionary.net
To be frank with you, I am a visual learner. Visual learners learn effectively when they see the information in the written and pictorial forms. If you are a visual learner, click on the links below to three different sites on visual dictionaries. The third one is something quite interesting and fantabulous.You can even contribute your own visuals to that web site.
http://visual.merriam-webster.com
http://www.infovisual.info
http://thevisualdictionary.net
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
wordcount.org
The owner of wordcount laid out the words in a straight line, from the most frequently used to the least frequently used. The only thing you have to do is to look for specific English words you have in your mind to see their rankings.
Interestingly, the line is an 88,000-word-long sentence. If you have time to kill, try to explore the site more and more. Look for obscure words and find their rankings. You may be touched by how fun it is to know the rankings of the words you are interested in.
However, do not expect to find the rankings of new words such as "blog", "webmaster" and "google" there (in this case, my effort had not results). This is the only part of that long unusual sentence that may disappoint you a little. I wish you good luck exploring wordcount.
Interestingly, the line is an 88,000-word-long sentence. If you have time to kill, try to explore the site more and more. Look for obscure words and find their rankings. You may be touched by how fun it is to know the rankings of the words you are interested in.
However, do not expect to find the rankings of new words such as "blog", "webmaster" and "google" there (in this case, my effort had not results). This is the only part of that long unusual sentence that may disappoint you a little. I wish you good luck exploring wordcount.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
confusing words
Confusing Words is a collection of 3210 words that are troublesome to readers and writers. Words are grouped according to the way they are most often confused or misused.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
ESP
Hello my pals. Please do accept my apology for updating my blog with delay. I was up to my head in my projects and books. Moreover, this blogger was danged difficult to sign in.
Here are some links to ESP (English for Specific Purposes) pages available online and for free on the net:
Science Daily
A place where you can read the latest science news.
Food Dictionary
Search the dictionary of more than 4,000 food terms.
English for Work
Very good free online English learning materials for nurses, police, tour guides, food staff, hotel staff, and airline staff.
English for Pharmacists
Exercises designed to improve pharmacists' English.
Here are some links to ESP (English for Specific Purposes) pages available online and for free on the net:
Science Daily
A place where you can read the latest science news.
Food Dictionary
Search the dictionary of more than 4,000 food terms.
English for Work
Very good free online English learning materials for nurses, police, tour guides, food staff, hotel staff, and airline staff.
English for Pharmacists
Exercises designed to improve pharmacists' English.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
etymologic
etymologic
the toughest word game on the web
ETYMOLOGIC is a web site that I have learned about recently. There, ten questions on word origin will be given to you randomly. You have to choose the right answer. It is called the toughest language game since it is totally difficult and mind-boggling to find the right answer as all the choices may seem plausible.
the toughest word game on the web
ETYMOLOGIC is a web site that I have learned about recently. There, ten questions on word origin will be given to you randomly. You have to choose the right answer. It is called the toughest language game since it is totally difficult and mind-boggling to find the right answer as all the choices may seem plausible.
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