Beginners' Resources for ESOL Students

Below you will find a list of Web resources that provide ESOL Foundations-level students with English practice in academics and life skills.

This Web page contains links to other websites. These links are not endorsements of any products or services found on such sites, and no information on such sites has been endorsed or approved by Seminole State.

Beginners: Download a printable list of websites that will help you practice English

Beginners/Academic Skills

Academic Skills/Alphabet
  1. Letters, Colors, Numbers and Shapes (with audio)
    literacycenter.net/play_learn/english-language-games.php
  2. Writing Guide (watch a cute spider with a pencil draw the letters; practice writing the letters by moving the cursor)
    www.meddybemps.com/letterary/guide_and_archives.html
  3. Type Letters into an Egg Shape
    www.meddybemps.com/easter/decoletters.html
  4. Different Alphabet Activities
    www.meddybemps.com/letterary/About_the_Letter_E.html
  5. Writing Guide (watch a cute spider and a pencil draw the letters; practice writing the letters by moving the cursor)
    www.meddybemps.com/letterary/guide_and_archives.html
Academic Skills/Games
  1. What are Word Types (video and games that review grammar skills)
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/topic/what-are-word-types
  2. Word Games - "Walk the Plank"
    http://www.eslgamesworld.com/members/games/grammar/walk plank/word groups/word groups for beginners.html
Academic Skills/Grammar
  1. Ventures Arcade (online resources for students, featuring fun games for each level)
    www.cambridge.org/us/esl/venturesadulted/venturesarcade/
  2. Grammar Lessons (various topics for lower levels; some include video)
    www.learnamericanenglishonline.com/Blue Level/Blue Level.html
  3. Periods, Question Marks and Exclamation Points (an exercise with answers)
    a4esl.org/q/j/ck/ed-punct01.html
  4. "A" or "An" Exercise (simple sentences that review occupations)
    a4esl.org/q/h/9801/cg-a_an.html
  5. What, When or Where? (fill-in-the-blank sentences)
    a4esl.org/q/h/mc-www.html
  6. Simple Sentence Construction
    www.manythings.org/rs/
  7. Punctuation (vocabulary with symbols and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/im/punctuation/eng
  8. Spatial Relations (basic prepositions explained on slides; click and hold the mouse button to activate the slide's graphics)
    www.candohelperpage.com/mapping_skills_1.html
  9. Prepositions (Interactive Activity - Voice of America English News)
    www.voanews.com/MediaAssets2/classroom/programs/grammar_bytes/gb_prepositions/deploy/activity/player.html
  10. Definite and Indefinite Articles "the," "a," and "an" (Interactive Activity - Voice of America English News)
    www.voanews.com/MediaAssets2/classroom/programs/grammar_bytes/gb_articles/deploy/activity/player.html
Academic Skills/Reading/Phonemic Awareness/Phonics
  1. Phonemic Awareness Infusion (reading with an emphasis on pronunciation; audio available)
    www.seminolestate.edu/els/web_resources/readings-with-pronunciation
  2. Learn to Read Phonics (a great collection of colorful slides on the pronunciation of vowels and consonants; created for children, but useful for Foundations ESL students; with audio)
    www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/play.htm?f
  3. American English (single vowel sounds; two pages with audio)
    www.fonetiks.org/engsou2am.html
  4. Cando's Helper Page (activities on phonics and other language skills areas)
    www.candohelperpage.com/index.html
  5. English Phonics (with sound)
    www.foniks.org/
  6. ABC Fast Phonics (basic phonic rules for vowels, consonants and blends with practice pages)
    www.abcfastphonics.com/about.html
  7. Glossary (includes picture and audio of the word's pronunciation, the definition and sample sentences; provided by Harcourt)
    www.harcourtschool.com/glossary/esl/

Beginners/Life Skills

Life Skills: All Topics
  1. USA Learns
    usalearns.org/index
  2. Links to English Learning Activities
    www.web-esl.com
  3. Mouse Practice (learn to use the mouse and practice dragging, dropping and drawing with the mouse, and other exercises to help beginners with the use of the computer's mouse)
    http://intouch-2000.net/seniornet/exercises/mousepractice.html
Life Skills: Environment and the World/Maps
  1. Florida: Facts, Map and State Symbols (printouts)
    www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/florida/
Life SKills/Filling Out Forms
  1. Filling Out Forms (vocabulary, listening, and conversation activities provide practice in filling out forms in English)
    www.voanews.com/MediaAssets2/classroom/activities/beginner/forms/deploy/activity/index.html
Life Skills: Government and Community Resources
  1. Postage Rate Calculator (for domestic and international postage rates)
    postcalc.usps.gov
Life Skills: Reading Time and Money
  1. Calendars (Interactive Activity - Voice of America - English News)
    www.voanews.com/MediaAssets2/classroom/activities/beginner/b_numbers/deploy/activity/index.html
  2. Coin's Name (with audio)
    http://www.web-esl.com/coins/coinstart.html
  3. Identifying Money (with audio)
    http://www.web-esl.com/coins/coins.htm
  4. The Value of Coins (with audio)
    http://www.web-esl.com/coins/coinvalue.html
  5. Money-Related Vocabulary (with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/im/money/eng/
  6. Learn to Tell Time
    http://www.abcya.com/telling_time.htm
  7. Telling Time (with audio)
    https://www.esl-lab.com/basic-english/telling-time/
  8. Money (Interactive Activity - Voice of America - English News)
    www.voanews.com/MediaAssets2/classroom/activities/beginner/b_money/deploy/activity/index.html

Beginners/Vocabulary by Topics

Animals
  1. Picture Vocabulary
    www.eflnet.com/vocab/animal_vocabulary.php
  2. Multiple Choice Activity
    iteslj.org/v/ei/animals.html
Body
  1. The Body: External Parts (with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/english/vocabulary/body/
  2. The Body II: Internal Parts (with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/english/vocabulary/body2/
  3. The Face (with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/english/vocabulary/face/
  4. The Digestive System (with picture and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/english/vocabulary/digestive-system/
  5. Picture Chart (dialogues and games)
    www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/body.htm
  6. Head
    www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/vocabulary/body-parts/exercises
  7. Face
    www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/vocabulary/body-parts/exercises?02
  8. Body
    www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/vocabulary/body-parts/exercises?03
  9. Body Parts Matching Game
    www.esolhelp.com/body-parts-matching-game.html
Classroom
  1. Classroom Items (click on pictures for audio)
    www.eslgold.com/vocabulary/classroom_items/
  2. Classroom Questions (phrases with audio)
    http://eslgold.com/speaking/classroom_questions/
Colors
  1. Color Identification (with audio)
    www.languageguide.org/im/colors/eng/
  2. Colors Matching Game
    http://www.esolhelp.com/colors-matching-game.html
Employment
  1. Occupations (with vocabulary pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/im/jobs/eng/
  2. Tools (with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/im/tools/eng/
  3. Occupations (with vocabulary pictures and exercises; with audio)
    www.eflnet.com/vocab/occupations_vocabulary.php
Family
  1. Pictures and Audio
    tv.mes-english.com/family.php
  2. Multiple Choice Exercise
    a4esl.org/q/h/vc-family-lb.html
Food
  1. Food Vocabulary (with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/im/food/eng/
  2. Vegetables (with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/im/veg/eng/
  3. Fruits (with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/im/fruits/eng/
  4. The Cook's Thesaurus (food categories with a list of items and pictures)
    www.foodsubs.com/
Health
  1. Personal Grooming (vocabulary with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/im/bathroom/eng/index2.jsp
  2. Parts of the Body (vocabulary with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/im/body/eng/
  3. Parts of the Body (vocabulary with pictures)
    www.esolhelp.com/picture-dictionary-body.html
  4. Medicine (vocabulary with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/im/med/eng/
House
  1. Rooms in a House (vocabulary)
    www.learnenglish.de/vocabulary/rooms.htm
  2. The Bathroom (vocabulary with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/im/bathroom/eng/
  3. The Utility Room (vocabulary with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/im/home/utility/eng/
Numbers
  1. Numbers (with audio)
    www.languageguide.org/english/numbers/
  2. Ordinal Numbers (with audio)
    www.languageguide.org/english/ordinal-numbers/
Picture Dictionaries
  1. The Internet Picture Dictionary
    www.pdictionary.com
  2. Vocabulary Quizzes (easy; with pictures)
    iteslj.org/v/ei/
  3. Vocabulary (lists on a variety of topics; with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/english/
  4. Picture Vocabulary - Lists by topic (with audio)
    www.eflnet.com/vocab/index.php
  5. Pictures and Vocabulary
    www.my-english-dictionary.com/index.html
  6. Your Dictionary (a dictionary that provides images)
    images.yourdictionary.com/index/aur-bap/ 
School
  1. Pictures and Audio
    www.languageguide.org/im/school/eng/
  2. Classroom Objects
    www.english-4kids.com/quizzes/beginners/classroom objects.htm
Shapes
  1. Listening and Spelling (click picture for audio)
    http://www.eslgamesworld.com/members/games/vocabulary/memoryaudio/shapes%20and%20colours/index.html
Sight Words
  1. Sight Words (matching game with sight words and audio)
    http://www.sightwords.com/sight-words/games/
Vocabulary/Transportation and Travel
  1. Land Travel: Vehicles (with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/im/landtravel/eng/
  2. The Car (with pictures and audio)
    www.languageguide.org/im/car/eng/
  3. Transportation Vocabulary (lists with pictures, exercises and puzzles)
    www.eflnet.com/vocab/transportation_vocabulary.php
Vocabulary/Weather
  1. Weather Words (with audio)
    www.languageguide.org/english/vocabulary/weather/
  2. Fahrenheit to Celsius Converter
    www.weather.gov/tsa/met_calc

Contact

For more information, please contact 407.708.2120 or
Learn-English-Now@seminolestate.edu