Evaluating learning websites

4. We have to study everything here.

http://www.ict4lt.org/


5. evaluating language learning web sites

Criteria for evaluating language learning Web sites

Appearance (e.g. aesthetic appeal - colour, layout, legibility, style of presentation, is the site Home page attractive/overwhelming)
Site map and navigation (e.g. site index/menu? speed of navigation? How direct?)
Instructions & use of activities (e.g. clear, easy to use?)
Exploitation of the medium for learning (e.g. interactivity, multimedia)
Interactivity (How truly interactive are the activities, is this technical or cognitive/linguistic interaction?)
Feedback (are learners given feedback on-screen and if so, how?)
Proficiency levels (e.g. does material specify proficiency level, is this realistic?)
Language information (e.g. accurate? authentic?)
Authenticity of language samples (e.g. are the language samples authentic or obviously invented?)
Culture (integration of cultural element?)
Interest (e.g. do the activities on the site maintain interest? Is the language meaningful?)
Currency (is the site regularly updated? How up-to-date is the language content?)
Learning styles (e.g. do the activities cater to different learning styles?)
ICT-focused (e.g. are the activities solely focused on ICT or do they offer scope for non-ICT activities?)
Links (are the external links current, relevant?)
Language learning/teaching aims (e.g. transparent? How well effected?)
Authority & accountability (who produced the materials and maintains the site? Contact details?)
OTHER …

6. learning sites to evaluate


Links pages for teachers:
http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/ESL3a.html I like it. Not very good appearance
http://www.edict.com.hk/vlc/
http://www.world-english.org/
http://www.developingteachers.com/
http://www.englishnetlinks.com/
http://www.englishforum.com/
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/index.shtml
http://searchenglish.britishcouncil.org/
http://www.tesol.net/neteach.html
http://members.tripod.com/~ESL4Kids/links.html
http://www.camsoftpartners.co.uk/websites.htm
http://www.tesol.edu/pubs/profpapers/techclass2.html
http://esl.about.com/education/esl/blgrammar.htm
http://www.comenius.com/

Ready-made lessons http://www.free-english.com/ need email address
http://www.english-to-go.com/
http://www.englishclub.net/handouts/index.html
http://www.handoutsonline.com/
http://www.onestopenglish.com/

Blogs for LT: intro
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/resources/blogging.shtml

Links for children/ http://www.starfall.com/
about teaching children http://www.isabelperez.com/
BBC cbeebies http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/
BBC cbeebies children’s videos http://www.bbcshop.com/icat/1
BBC educational videos http://www.bbcschoolshop.com/
http://www.mrshurleysesl.com/ must have a look
http://esl.about.com/cs/childrensesl/
http://www.childrenonlyesl-efl.com/index.asp
http://members.tripod.com/~ESL4Kids/links.html
http://www.kididdles.com/
http://www.genkienglish.net/curriculum.htm
http://www.educalia.org/
British Council for kids http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/


Links page for learners:
http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/ESL.html
http://www.pacificnet.net/~sperling/eslcafe.html
http://www.lclark.edu/~krauss/toppicks/toppicks.html
http://www.edunet.com/
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/index.htm
e-zine for students/teachers http://its-online.com/

Skills
Reading and writing skills http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~leslieob/pizzaz.html
http://webster.commnet.edu/HP/pages/darling/grammar.htm
Speaking skills http://www.eslflow.com/ http://www.homestead.com/eslfloweslflow/speakingtalktopics.html
Listening skills http://www.esl-lab.com/
http://www.englishlistening.com/
http://www.otan.dni.us/cdlp/lllo/home.html
Internet Basics for http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/s/ib/
ESL Students

On-Line Dictionaries
Dictionary links page http://www.yourdictionary.com/
Merriam Webster http://www.m-w.com./netdict.htm
Wordsmythe http://www.lightlink.com/bobp/wedt/
Cambridge http://www.cambridge.org/
Nonverbal Dictionary http://members.aol.com/nonverbal2/diction1.htm
Illustrated/Interactive Dicts http://www.illustratedvocabulary.ip-providence.net/
http://www.pdictionary.com/
Voycabulary (links a webpage directly to dictionary) http://www.voycabulary.com/ TRY IT
On-Line Grammars
Grammar links page http://www.yourdictionary.com/grammars.html
http://www.edunet.com/english/grammar/
http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/fr_gram.html
http://webster.commnet.edu/HP/pages/darling/grammar.htm
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/grammar.htm
http://webnz.com/checkers/grammar2.html

TOEFL Homepage (inc. practice questions) http://web1.toefl.org/
Phonetics & Phonology
For EFL http://www.oupchina.com.hk/dict/phonetic/home.html
IPA all sounds with descriptions http://ds.unil.ch/ling/english/phonetique/api2-eng.html
International Phonetics Association (IPA) Website http://www2.arts.gla.ac.uk/IPA/ipa.html
Consonant articulation http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~danhall/phonetics/sammy.html
Online phonetics & phonology courses
http://www.celt.stir.ac.uk/staff/HIGDOX/STEPHEN/PHONO/PHONOLG.HTM
http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/linguistics/russell/138/course.htm
See especially class notes:
http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/linguistics/russell/138/notes.htm
Speech accent archive (comparisons of accents) (click English on menu on left) http://classweb.gmu.edu/accent/

Authentic On-Line Material
News
Broadcasting
RTÉ http://www.rte.ie/
BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/
CNN http://www.cnn.com/

BBC Languages Pages http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/languages/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/index.shtml

Newspapers
The Irish Times http://www.irish-times.com/
The Times http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/home.html
The Sunday Times http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/
The Week http://www.the-week.com/
The Limerick Post http://www.limerickpost.ie/

Media directories http://www.kidon.com/media-link/index.shtml
http://www.mediainfo.com/emedia/
http://www.newslink.org/
http://www.newsd.com/
Books
Internet Public Library http://www.ipl.org/
http://www.bibliomania.com/
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/search.html
Fairy tales http://members.aol.com/surlalune/frytales/index.htm
Songs
Pop http://www.lyrics.com/
Children’s songs http://www.theteachersguide.com/ChildrensSongs.htm quite good
http://www.gigglepotz.com/eslsongs.htm
International Folk songs http://ingeb.org/

Poetry
http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/rp/intro.html
Movie scripts
http://www.script-o-rama.com/table.shtml
http://www.tvguide.com/movies/database/super.htm
http://www.dailyscript.com/
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/9371/script.htm

Jokes Pages
Jokes: http://www.jokes.com/
Cartoons: http://www.cagle.com/main.asp
Puzzles: http://thinks.com/

Spoof newpapers: http://www.theonion.com/
http://www.bobsfridge.com/
Irish culture
http://www.irelandseye.com/
http://home.iol.ie/
Irish government site http://www.irlgov.ie/