Educational Links
Timely Information for DACA Students:
An undocumented VEP student recently expressed concern that her son, who will be graduating high school next year, will not be awarded a diploma if he goes to college.
Each college or university has different admission policies for undocumented students, so it is best to go directly to them with questions. Attached is a document that contains a list of PA colleges and universities and their specific admissions policies for undocumented students, as well as a list of scholarships and financial aid for undocumented students. To access this document, click here: 2019-College-Access-for-Undocumented-Students-Toolkit-1 (1)
ESL Links
News Articles:
Breaking News English– ESL lesson plans & podcasts of current events & news
VOA Learning English – Uses vocabulary and listening from current events & news to create lessons at all levels
Newsela – Uses national-level articles by subject for ESL. Users can choose the difficulty of language and save articles in that format. Free and accessible to all.
Dictionaries:
Merriam Webster – Includes daily crossword and word games
Cambridge Dictionary – Includes translations
Dictionary.com – Includes word of the day
Oxford Dictionary– Includes grammar and writing tips
Citizenship:
Citizenship Study Guide – Interactive with games, activities, flashcards, all 100 USCIS questions
USCIS – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services official page. Information & resources for teaching citizenship test skills
HIAS – The oldest international migration and refugee resettlement agency in the U.S. Find immigration information, legislative updates, and the HIAS Location Service.
Sites with ESL Activities, Lessons and Games:
5-Minute English – ESL Lessons for all areas including pronunciation
About ESL – All levels, many skills; good site for quick tips
Activities for ESL – Quizzes, tests, exercises and puzzles
Cyber Listening Lab – Listening exercises and quizzes for all levels
Dave’s ESL Cafe – Ideas & activities for tutors and students
Duolingo – 5 to 10 minute language lessons accessible on web or mobile device
ELLLO – English listening lessons library for beginner, intermediate and advanced students
English Club – Activities and resources for tutors and students
English Page – Vocabulary, grammar, and weekly lessons
English to Go – Subscription needed but free monthly lesson
engVid – Video lessons by experienced native-speaker teachers
ESL-All – Lists websites for many ESL topics
ESL Bits – Listening & reading with audiobooks, short stories, songs, etc. at all levels
ESL Lounge – Activities for all skills at all levels, includes practice worksheets
ESOL Courses – Free interactive listening lessons, reading exercises, quizzes and games
Learning Chocolate – Vocabulary for beginners with big variety of exercises and quizzes, audible pronunciation
Learning English – BBC – free learning videos and materials
Many Things – Quizzes, speaking and listening activities, videos, word games and puzzles for all levels
One Stop English – Lesson plans, activities, grammar resources, free for 30 days
Puzzlemaker – Create word search, crossword puzzles using your own vocabulary list
Quizlet – Flashcards, games and learning tools for a variety of subjects, including English
SelfAccess – Reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, speaking & listening lessons
TED Talks – Interesting videos from expert speakers on variety of topics
University of Victoria Study Zone – Language lessons and practice exercises for all levels
USA Learns – Free site for adults to learn English, comprehensive lessons
Using English – Handouts & quizzes, PDF lesson plans, collection of English idioms A-Z
Grammar/Writing:
All Things Topics – This website has conversations, activities, vocabulary worksheets organized by topic
All Things Grammar – This website has English grammar worksheets and activities
Daily Grammar – Grammar book, grammar glossary
English 4 U – Grammar and vocabulary exercises, practice tests – all levels
ESL Desk – Grammar, vocabulary, spelling, list of podcasts
Grammar Online – Grammar and writing tips, includes concepts for business English plus many other activities
Owl English as a Second Language – Grammar and writing help for advanced students, for students and tutors
Unscramblerer – Extensive word lists sorted by parts of speech
College Preparation:
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) – required by most colleges/universities for admission for non-native English speakers. It measures a person’s ability to use and understand English at the college level.