LibGuides: English as a Second Language (ESL) / English for Non-native Speakers: Websites

About Websites

Remember that anyone can post anything at all on the Web, from outright lies to informed opinion to accurate, thoroughly researched information. Therefore you must always evaluate a website before you rely on it for your research or personal use.

The sites listed here have been collected and reviewed for quality by an STLCC faculty librarian. In addition to text-based information in areas such as reading, grammar and vocabulary, many of the websites on this page also contain audiovisual material. This material will help with listening and speaking skills. For help with evaluating websites and other information sources which you find on your own, visit ...

Evaluate Your Sources
STLCC Libraries

Associations and Organizations

English USA: The American Association of Intensive English Programs
English USA defines and supports professional standards for intensive English language programs (IEPs) within the US. It also advocates for US-based English language study. The organization is made up of hundreds of IEPs which are in compliance with English USA standards. Information on these programs, along with information about the organization itself, is included in this website.
International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL)
IATEFL's mission is to "link, develop and support English Language Teaching professionals" around the world. The organization has over 4000 members in a wide variety of countries. The website includes information on IATEFL conferences, events, special interest groups and scholarships.
Mid-America Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (MIDTESOL)
MIDTESOL's website features conference information, along with award, grant and employment opportunities.
National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE)
NABE represents bilingual learners and bilingual education professionals. The organization's website features research, information on conferences and advocacy, employment opportunities, and press releases.
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
TESOL’s mission is "to develop and maintain professional expertise in English language teaching and learning for speakers of other languages worldwide." TESOL has approximately 100 affiliate organizations in countries all over the globe. The site includes news, publications, educational resources, degree program and career listings, and professional development opportunities.

Online Dictionaries

Cambridge Dictionaries Online
A dropdown box allows users to choose from among the following Cambridge dictionaries: Advanced Learner's, Learner's, American English, Idioms, and Phrasal Verbs.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
This dictionary can be searched by individual word or browsed by topic, and includes audio pronunciations for selected words and sentences.
Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary
In addition to a dictionary of American English for ESL / EFL students, this site includes a Learner's Word of the Day, pronunciation exercises, quizzes, and an Ask the Editors blog dispensing language advice.
Merriam-Webster Online
This site features the online version of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. The site also includes links to a visual dictionary, word puzzles and games, and the Word of the Day.
Vocabulary.com
This site is excellent for learners of English. In addition to clear definitions, each word is accompanied by examples of usage, synonyms, and an audio of how the word is pronounced. The site also includes vocabulary lists, articles on English, and "The Challenge"-- a vocabulary learning feature that keeps track of your progress.
WordReference.com
WordReference consists of free bilingual dictionaries, including these dictionaries from Oxford: English to Spanish, Spanish to English; English to French, French to English; and English to Italian, Italian to English. In addition, WordReference features Language Forums, in which non-native speakers can ask native speakers their grammar and vocabulary questions. Forums currently exist for English, German, Dutch, Spanish, French and Italian.

ESL Websites, A-H

33 Great Online Resources for ESL Speakers
Activities for ESL Students
A project of The Internet TESL Journal, this site contains thousands of quizzes, tests, exercises and puzzles. It also links to ESL podcasts and videos.
All ESL
We are a team of ESL teachers from Japan, South Korea and China. We’ve built this website to provide students and teachers the basics for English language learning and teaching. This includes resources for: Worksheets, Teaching English, and Learning English.
American English
Produced by the U.S. State Department, this site "is a resource center for teaching and learning about American English language and culture." The site features "a variety of engaging materials and resources for teachers' professional development and for students in the classroom." Look in the Social Media area of this guide to see the American English Facebook page.
BBC Learning English
This website takes a highly engaging, multimedia approach to teaching English. Through features such as specially prepared news videos, with accompanying text; an ongoing, animated YouTube series called The Flatmates; and an audio series entitled Keep Your English up to date, BBC Learning English informs and entertains students while teaching them language skills. Although the English used is British, ESL learners and instructors everywhere will find this site of value.
Breaking News English
This site features lessons based on current news stories. Lessons include the text of the story, along with reading, writing and listening exercises. Lessons and news stories in MP3 format can be downloaded.
CAELA Network (Center for Adult English Language Acquisition)
Funded by the US Office of Vocational and Adult Education, the CAELA Network's mission is to provide high-quality professional development resources and information to ESL teachers, administrators, and others who work with adult ESL learners. Included are briefs and digests, an ESL resource database, a quarterly newsletter, publications for order, bibliographies and a calendar of upcoming CAELA events.
Dave's ESL Cafe
Created and maintained by Dave Sperling, an experienced ESL teacher, this comprehensive site offers teaching ideas and discussion forums for teachers, as well as grammatical and pronunciation help, quizzes and forums for students. The ESL Cafe also provides links to many other ESL web pages, including job sites.
Edutopia’s World Languages page
Explore and share tips, strategies, and resources for helping students develop in world languages.
ELLLO - English Language Listening Library Online.
ELLLO was created by ESL teacher Todd Beuckens to help students and teachers get free listening lessons online. He posts new lessons weekly.
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The aim of the site it to make learning English fun, effective, and free and to provide teachers and students with materials that you cannot find in traditional textbooks.
English.StudyAbroad.com
Offers a directory of over 1,700 English language programs from over 1,550 program providers worldwide.
English as a Second Language (ESL) for Teachers and Students, Thought Co.
This site offers a wide variety of resources for both English language teachers and learners. Students will find tools to improve grammar and vocabulary, as well as reading, writing and listening skills. Teachers will find lesson plans, teaching techniques and career information.
EnglishClub.com
Useful for both ESL students and teachers of English, this site provides free lesson plans, games, quizzes and links to the spoken language. It also includes information on grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary and business English. On-site registration allows access to the ESL Progress newsletter, ESL forums and chat rooms.

ESL Websites, I-Z

Interesting Things for ESL Students
ESL students will find a rich variety of resources on this site, including quizzes, word games and puzzles, proverbs, slang expressions, and computer-assisted activities. The site also features links to audio files and videos geared to English language learners.
Language Resource Centers (LRC)
National Title VI Language Resource Centers support the nation’s capacity for language teaching and learning. LRCs offer free or low-cost teaching materials, professional development opportunities, assessment and evaluation services, and more. Example: COERLL's mission is to produce and disseminate Open Educational Resources (OER) for the Internet public (e.g., online language courses, reference grammars, assessment tools, corpora, etc.).
Learn English with Jokes and Riddles
Site contains over 300 jokes and riddles involving wordplay appropriate for all ages. Jokes can be viewed sequentially or by topic, and added to "basket" for printing out. "Learn English with Jokes and Riddles" also has presence on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Site links to Learn English with Pictures and Audio.
Learn English with Pictures and Audio
Over 400 words accompanied by pictures and pronunciations. The site features several "Learn English" videos as well. Words included in the site are primarily frequently used nouns.
Links of Interest to Students & Teachers of English as a Second Language
A list of over 10,000 links for ESL / EFL students and teachers. The student portion of the list includes links to bilingual pages, culture, dictionaries, games, videos and vocabulary. The teacher portion includes links to articles, conference information, journals, newsletters, and teaching techniques and ideas.
Simple English Tutorial, GCFLearnFree.org
If English is not your native language and you want to learn English online, use this tutorial to learn commonly used English words.
TOEFL Online
The official Web site for the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Register for and learn more about the test on this site.
Voice of America (VOA): Learning English
"Launched in 1959, Learning English is VOA's multimedia source of daily news and information for millions of English learners worldwide...Learners absorb American English through content drawn from world news, business, science, U.S. life, popular culture and other topics. People build their vocabulary, strengthen their speaking skills and improve their ability to communicate for work, school and everyday life." VOA: Learning English is also on Twitter.
Wordnik
"Wordnik is based on the principle that people learn words best by seeing them in context. We've collected more than 4 billion words of text (web pages, books, magazines, newspapers, etc.) and have mined them exhaustively to show you example sentences for any word you're interested in." Wordnik also features a thesaurus and a Word of the Day.