SELF-DIRECTED STUDY STRATEGIES AND RESOURCES

Advanced ESL learners are often frustrated with the limited selection of formal courses that are available to meet their individual needs.  If learners’ English language usage is limited to their time at work, further development of language skills may be quite slow.  In order to gain an advanced level of language proficiency learners need to able to deal unfamiliar vocabulary and unpredictable situations.  These skills can be mastered through involvement in community activities and self-directed study. 

Community Activities

Some people take hobby classes, do volunteer work, participate in a professional organization, join a sports team or club, take night classes for professional development or join a public service club.  

Hobby classes are offered by the public board of education, colleges, universities, public libraries and public art galleries.  Check the institution’s website for course information or newsstands for print copies of their course offerings.

Volunteer opportunities can be found through the classified advertisements in free entertainment magazines, websites such as Volunteer Calgary www.volunteercalgary.ab.ca or Go Volunteer (Edmonton) www.govolunteer.ca/search/BrowseLocation.do?locationCategory=28.

For a listing of associations in your community check the yellow pages phone book, or

for Calgary check www.yellowpages.ca/mp/AB/CALGARY/0000000000001851000008120206.html http://aboutcalgary.ab.ca/association/,

for Edmonton check http://findabusiness.yellowpages.ca/mp/AB/EDMONTON/0000000000001853000008120206.html

In doing enjoyable activities people often make friends with whom they share common interests. Through meaningful personal interaction, language skills naturally develop. 

Self-Directed Study

There are many ways of improving language skills at home.  For accent reduction and clear speech many learners get good results for mimicking the sounds, rhythm and intonation of newscasters or movie characters that they like.  Video recordings that can be used again and again are especially useful.  Your community public library has advanced level ESL fiction and non-fiction readers. Select what you like, take it home and enjoy.  The library also stocks advanced level grammar, idiom and writing skills books.  They also have a great selection of listening materials.  Just ask at the reference desk if you are unsure of how to find what you would like.  Try watching television in English to improve your listening skills and increase your vocabulary.  Find some things you enjoy doing in English and your language skills will improve much more quickly.

For self-directed study there are number of free internet sites that learners can select from to best meet their individual needs.  University and college ESL websites are usually very stable and offer activities suitable for advanced ESL learners.  The challenge is to set goals and stay focused.  The following listing is of free sites for advanced level learners.

Grammar

University of Ohio

Learn and practice understanding of grammatical structures through tutorials, on line activities and quizzes from the University of Victoria, University of Hong Kong, Monash University and the ESL Café.  www.ohiou.edu/esl/english/grammar/activities.html

Purdue University

Use grammar handouts and interactive online exercise to improve quality and complexity of grammar usage.  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/index.html

Internet TESL Journal, ESL Grammar and Usage

Master usage of grammatical functions through exercises and activities.  http://iteslj.org/links/ESL/Grammar_and_English_Usage/

Online Grammar Glossary

Find the meaning of grammatical terms.

www.usingenglish.com/glossary.html

Vocabulary

Lewis and Clark College

Build vocabulary by doing quizzes arranged by topical themes.

www.lclark.edu/~krauss/toppicks/vocabulary2.html

Speaking

English Baby

Listen to conversations with slang (Free but registration required).  Targeted at youth and young adults with a pop culture focus.

www.englishbaby.com/

Focus English

Listen to everyday conversations with useful expressions arranged by them.

www.focusenglish.com/dialogues/conversation.html

Pronunciation

Lewis and Clark College

Do pronunciation exercises.  Includes lots of minimal pairs.

www.lclark.edu/~krauss/toppicks/pronunciation.html

St. Michael’s College Colchester Vermont

Find online and printable resources for pronunciation.

http://academics.smcvt.edu/cbauer-ramazani/Links/esl_pronunciation.htm

Listening

Lewis and Clark College

Link to activities for a broad range of listening skills. www.lclark.edu/~krauss/toppicks/listening.html

Ohio University

Link to advanced listening comprehension activities.

www.ohiou.edu/esl/english/listening.html#Activities

ESL Lab

Listen to narration, conversation and academic listening.  Includes pre- and post-listening exercises.

www.esl-lab.com/

Internet TESL Journal

Link to listening activities, beginner to advanced.  Some downloadable in MP3 format.

http://iteslj.org/links/ESL/Listening/

British Council, Learning English Central

Link to stories to listen to with accompanying transcript and comprehension questions.  Downloadable in MP3 format.

www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-listening-downloads.htm

Reading

Project Gutenberg, Oxford University

Find an interesting story to read from the selection of more than 18,000 full text works of fiction available free on line.

www.gutenberg.org/

Ohio University

Choose activities to improve reading comprehension and build vocabulary.

www.ohiou.edu/esl/english/reading/index.html

Interlink Language Centers

Improve reading speed with timed readings.  Includes comprehension and vocabulary exercises.

http://eslus.com/LESSONS/READING/READ.HTM

Writing

English Everywhere

Write short, manageable summaries and opinions using guidance provided.

http://englisheverywhere.homestead.com/files/ghostwriter/main.htm#level1

University of Victoria

Prepare for academic writing from sentences to essays.

http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/Pages/MasterToc.html

Purdue University

Find resources and advice for all types of writing from academic to business from the Owl Online Writing Skills Lab.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/oldindex.html

TOEFL

Lewis and Clark College

Link to exercises for key TOEFL skills.

www.lclark.edu/~krauss/toppicks/toefl.html

Steve Chadwick’s TOEFL Practice

Do timed practice test on line.

www.stuff.co.uk/toefl.htm

News

CBC ESL

Listen to audio and read text of Canadian stories.  Includes comprehension questions.

www.cbc.ca/ottawa/esl/index.html

BBC World Service

Read and listen to everything from pop culture to world news.  Includes listening, comprehension and vocabulary exercises.

www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/index.shtml

Literacy Works

Read simplified text and full original text of CBS and CNN news stories.

www.literacynet.org/cnnsf/archives.html

Just for Fun

Karin’s ESL Partyland

Have fun with learning activities (for teachers and learner).

www.eslpartyland.com/students/inter.htm

The English Learner Movie Guide

Read dialogue for movies.  Includes vocabulary explanations.

www.eslnotes.com/

English for Professional Purposes

English for Science and Technology

Improve writing skills, learn how to give presentations and read journals.

www.ruthvilmi.net/hut/EST/

English for Special Purposes

Build vocabulary for engineering and technology.

http://membres.lycos.fr/jcviel/

Medical Terminology

Build vocabulary for medicine, dentistry and nursing.  Includes lists, exercises and links.

http://ec.hku.hk/mt/