useful ESL websites
where to find e-pals
free software
how to download and install software from the Internet (Windows 95)
other references
benefits of using the Internet in ESL/EFL teaching
barriers to using the Internet in ESL/EFL teaching
you, the Internet, education, and the future
 
 

*    Dave’s ESL Cafe
      http://www.pacificnet.net/~sperling/eslcafe.html

*    ESL Homepage
      http://www.lang.uiuc.edu/r-li5/esl/

If you want to go further:

*    TOEFL Prep Page
      http://www.faceweb.okanagan.bc.ca/toefl/

*    University of Oregon ESL site
      http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~leslieob/

*    Centre for Language and Communication Studies (Ireland)
      http://www.tcd.ie/CLCS/assistants/kschwien.html

*    Alliance for Computers and Writing (US)
      http://english.ttu.edu/acw/

*    Virtual Learning Environment
      http://www.jaist.ac.jp/~mark/vle/index.html

*    Mission College ESL Department (California)
      http://www.missioncollege.org/depts/esl/Fac/Chan/Chan.html

*    Centre for Language Teaching and Research (University of QLD)
      http://www.cltr.uq.oz.au:8000/

*    Adult Education ESL Teachers Guide (from Texas)
      http://humanities.byu.edu/elc/Teacher/TeacherGuideMain

*    Andreas Lund’s Homepage
      http://home.sol.no/~andreasl/

*    Jim Duber’s Page
      http://www-writing.berkeley.edu/chorus/call/cuttingedge.html

*    Mark Warschauer’s Homepage
      http://www.lll.hawaii.edu/web/faculty/markw/

*    Ruth Vilmi’s Pages
      http://www.hut.fi/~rvilmi/

*    Self-Study Quizzes for ESL Students
      http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/quizzes/index.html

*    TESOL Links to ESL/EFL Resources
      http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~call/resource.html

*    Links to teacher/student resources for ESOL/ESL
      http://www2.wgbh.org/MBCWEIS/LTC/ALRI/webliography.html

*    On Line Forum for ESL/EFL
      http://thecity.sfsu.edu/~funweb/neteach.htm

*    (Free) English Course on the Net
      http://www.study.com/

*    Language Testing
      http://www.ling.lancs.ac.uk/staff/visitors/kenji/test.htm

*    For pronunciation:
      http://www.sunburstmedia.com/PronWeb.html

*    For examples of impolite language:
      http://www.globalnet.co.uk/~efl/Bad_Language/badlan1.htm

*    Sounds of the World’s Animals (Fun!)
      http://www.georgetown.edu/cball/animals/animals.html

*    For downloading language games:
      http://www.w-angle.galil.k12.il/red/reed/games.htm

*    For more useful links:
      http://www.tu-berlin.de/zems/greenman/links.htm
      http://mofetsrv.mofet.macam98.ac.il/~ett//resource/eflsite.htm
 

· Dave’s ESL Café
  http://www.pacificnet.net/~sperling/eslcafe.html

· Linguistic Funland
 
  Requests: http://www.linguistic-funland.com/addapal.html
  Postings:  http://www.linguistic-funland.com/penpalpostings.html
                  http://www.wfi.fr/volterre/keypals.html
 
· The benefits of email exchange (article):
  http://www.kyoto-su.ac.jp/~trobb/keypals.html

· Latrobe University SL Lists:
  http://www.latrobe.edu.au/www/education/sl/sl.html

· NETEACH:
  http://thecity.sfsu.edu/~funweb/neteach.htm
 
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FREE SOFTWARE*:

Markin:            http://www.net-shopper.co.uk/creative/education/languages/martin
Palace:             http://www.thepalace.com
Pure Voice:      http://www.eudora.com
Real Media:     http://www.real.com/
ICQ:                 http://www.icq.com/

* Note: all of these applications need to be 1) downloaded on to your computer (from the addresses above), and then 2) installed on your computer.

DOWNLOADING AND INSTALLING - PROCEDURE (for Windows 95):

1.  Download the application into a directory on your computer (usually c:/temp)
2.  Open Control Panel
3.  Select Add/Remove Programs
4.  Select the downloaded file from c:/temp
5.  Follow instructions for installation.
(Install programs will often ask you to close all Windows programs open before you install a new program.)
6. You may be asked to reboot your computer before running the new program.

FREE WEB BOARD

Nicenet: http://www.nicenet.net/
 

OTHER REFERENCES

· TESOL Online
  http://www.tesol.edu/index.html

· Intro to Internet Resources
  http://www2.gol.com/users/billp/course/contents.html

· For info on how to use the net in general:
  http://www.newbie-u.com/
  http://mofetsrv.mofet.macam98.ac.il/~elaine//eti/

· Internet for Professional Development (free web course for language teachers)
  http://www.webcom.com/lbdavies/text/ipd/syll.html

· Proceedings of On Line Conference:"Trends and Issues in On Line Education"
  http://leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu/org/tcc-conf/

· SCHMOOZE University (a place for more advanced students to chat online in a simulated 3D   environment)
  http://schmooze.hunter.cuny.edu:8888/

· Email Subscriber Lists (for teachers)
  TESLCA-L: TESL and Technology Branch of TESL-L List"
  email: TESLCA-L@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
  NETEACH: http://thecity.sfsu.edu/~funweb/neteach.htm
  TESL email: TESL-L@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
 
· Douglas Mawson Institute of TAFE
  http://www.tafe.sa.edu.au/institutes/douglas-mawson/

· Michael Coghlan’s Homepage
  http://www.chariot.net.au/~michaelc

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· authentic communication/communication in context

students are engaged in ‘real communication’ with other students; it promotes an avenue     for casual written communication

many students have only heard about the Internet; giving them access to the Internet gives them first hand experience of a phenomenon that is frequently referred to in modern life in the media and casual conversation

children of adult students are often already familiar with the Internet in school or tertiary study and many adults relish the opportunity to know something of this experience

students experience a degree of control over their learning as they choose who they communicate with, how often, and to what depth (eg keep it superficial, or share more personal experiences and opinions)

Internet peers occasionally dare to correct each other’s writing, ask for clarification, seek advice about vocabulary,  customs, and culture

it becomes apparent in any class that not everyone is enthusiastic about using the Internet as a learning tool; why this is the case is an important discussion point with students

available at several websites - students can get immediate feedback about grammar exercises and quizzes on language and culture

helps equips students with the inevitable confrontation with computers in many workplaces

an immediate and cheap alternative means of communication with friends and relatives in homeland; gives students access to homeland print media

 assignments can be given via email or website and work submitted electronically

students enjoy seeing their work look ‘attractive’ when they contribute to bulletin boards, discussion forums, and websites. They quickly learn that a limited level of English is no barrier to having their work ‘published’ on the web.

many students (not all!) will come to classes early to check their email and are still there after lessons have ended checking newspapers from homelands

students enjoy being in class at the same time as students elsewhere on the planet; chat is particularly powerful in this regard

it is common for students to initiate a more personal rapport with their teachers about difficulties with assignments or personal situation; the private and immediate nature of this form of communication promotes this

students have commented that they enjoy the anonymity of Internet instruction as they don’t feel bad about asking what they may consider stupid questions

* technological problems/continuity of access

* security/restriction/student freedom

How does a teacher control , and should a teacher control, access to undesirable sites featuring such things as pornography, hate-inspired racism, and morally suspect content? (CYBERSITTER software is available that can prevent access to sites on certain topics.)

* reliability/validity/source of resources

Anyone can put information on the Internet. Students need to be taught skills that allow them to assess the credibility of website material. There is a lot of misinformation on the web. (For example the peace accord between Egypt and Israel was signed in 1979, not 1970!)

'Cut and paste' has made it incredibly easy for students to hand up uncredited material from the Internet as their own. Two possible solutions:
 
- ask students for outline or plan of assignment before submitting final copy
- if you suspect plagiarism or direct copying use a search engine to enter a selection     of words from student's work and it may find the site the material has been taken from.

* is the Internet corporately driven?

Is the push to use the Internet in all walks of life, education included, the result of a huge investment of corporate capital to insure the spread of Internet use? Are we as educators being pushed into using a medium that in many cases may in fact not offer any more educational benefits than classroom based teaching methodologies?

There are many learner types - active (those who learn by doing), creative, passive (those who enjoy lectures), imaginative, communicative (those who like to discuss before acting), experiential/practical (those who like hands on learning), etc. Can Internet delivery satisfy all these types of learner? Does it suit some more than others? Is it unsuitable for some learners? 
 
When you think of  yourself, the Internet, education, and the future,  what one word comes to mind?
  CONTACT MONEY COMMUNICATION ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES INFORMATION IMPROVEMENT VISTAS CHALLENGE ENJOYMENT GROWTH/CHANGE RESOURCES HASSLE COST EFFICIENCY? MOTIVATION TECHNICALLY DEFICIENT KNOWLEDGE EXCITEMENT     For further discussion of the Internet for and against check: The Dark Side of the Web (Claire Bradin)     Send comments to: michaelc@chariot.net.au   TOP   my home page