The ENGLiSH CiRCLE - Personalised English Learning On-Line

Test again?

2006-10-23T12:05:00.000+02:00

Online English tests are fun and can give an indication of your ability.
The British Council offers these tests on Vocabulary, Grammar, Listening and Reading.
When you finish each of these tests, your scores will be reported in terms of a broad scale: elementary to upper intermediate. Check out your level HERE.

LearnEnglish...online and FREE!

2006-10-23T11:58:00.000+02:00

LearnEnglish is a free site that helps learners and teachers of English. LearnEnglish comes to you from the British Council, the United Kingdom's international organisation for educational and cultural relations.
Find out more...

English Next (2006), By David Graddol

2006-10-23T11:42:00.000+02:00

English Next was commissioned by the British Council and written by researcher David Graddol – a British applied linguist, well known as a writer, broadcaster, researcher and consultant on issues relating to global English.

The report draws attention to the extraordinary speed of change to issues affecting English identified in the 1997 publication: The Future of English?

The new report argues that we are already in a very new kind of environment and a new phase in the global development of English. What are the new rules and who will be the winners and who will be the losers? In this new study David Graddol suggests some of the answers by analysing demographic and economic trends in the Twenty First Century which affect Global English and the language policies worldwide and will influence its future.

Read English Next (1.89MB - PDF) and find out why global English may mean the end of English as a foreign language.

YouTube: "reality videos" on call...

2006-10-13T11:18:00.000+02:00

Heard about YouTube yet?

Well, if you are interested in "reality TV" you might be interested in YouTube...It's an on-line community were you can post videos...Any type of videos!

With hundreds of thousands of viewers a day YouTube has become THE most popular website on the planet. No wonder Google's just bought it for $1.6 billion (yes, that's the correct figure!).

Anyway, in our case, what's interesting is that YouTube makes for great viewing and for "reality English" learning...

Come on! Jump of the deep end and see what's waiting for you...

Breaking News: there's nothing like it!

2006-10-13T10:56:00.000+02:00

There's nothing like reading to improve your English. And, as a journalist, I'd say there's nothing like breaking news for interesting content.

It's too easy these days -with the Web- to have the world at your finger tips! Try this for a start: its' Reuters.com, one of the most respected News outfit in the Western world.

Happy reading!

Talk to Dustin Hoffman!

2006-10-13T10:41:00.000+02:00

Would you like to have a chat on the phone with Dustin Hoffman? This is what happened to this English woman when her taxi-driver of a husband gave him a lift...

Check out this on-line "Self-Access" interactive English exercise...You can listen to the story and then practice using the past continuous.

There are three exercises for you to do.

Test your English on-line

2006-10-13T10:29:00.000+02:00

Thanks to EnglishTown.com you can now test your English on-line.

There are a few tests on THIS PAGE.

You can take a 30 minute professional evaluation test or for some fun a 5 minute test about Office or Restaurant English...or see whether you would survive in Australia or not...Have fun!

Skypecast on the English Circle on October 19th!

2006-10-06T11:27:00.000+02:00

What are Skypecasts?

Skypecasts are large, hosted calls on Skype.
Anyone from around the world can join and participate.
The English Circle propose to host one of these on October 19th at 14.15 for people wanting to practise speaking english.

To learn more, read the Skypecasts user guide.
To read about The English Circle Skypecast click here.
To learn more about Skypecasts in general, read the F.A.Q.

See you then!
Pierre

Watch English Speaking TV online for FREE

2006-07-14T09:42:00.000+02:00

WELCOME TO WORLD TV SERVICE!

Welcome to the catalogue of online TV stations.

Here you will find free TV channels from all over the world. Music, News, Sports, Weather, Entertainment - it is all here - links to TV channels home pages, live and recorded streams and programming schedules for live TV channels.

Start searching for your favourite online TV channel using our BROWSE or SEARCH parts of the page! And if you can not find something already known to you, ADD IT to our database, it will help us in making the service better!

Enjoy! And tell us what you think!

Over 1 Billion People Worldwide are Learning EnglishToday

2006-07-02T14:14:00.000+02:00

- an Increasing Number of Them are Learning it Online Through the Revolutionary www.englishmaze.com

SYDNEY, Australia, August 16 /PRNewswire/ --
- English is the International Language of Business, Communication and
Travel and It Can Now be Learned Online - With or Without a Teacher

English Maze, a British-Australian educational company, has recently
launched a fully interactive E-learning site (www.englishmaze.com) for non-native English learners, schools and businesses worldwide. It combines cutting-edge Flash web technology with leading language-learning theories to bring about a revolution in learning English-as-a-Second-Language on the Internet.

The English Maze contains a series of language learning 'Mazes'. Entering
a maze is like entering an everyday situation (restaurant, office, airport,
etc). Learners have to find their way out of each maze by communicating in
English. In doing so, they learn and use the type of everyday English spoken
by Americans, Canadians, the British, etc.

OUT is the traditional style ofEnglish course with a heavy focus on grammar rules and vocabulary lists.

IN is the here-and-now of learning the natural English required for survival in
the fast, competitive, English-speaking world in which we live.

The English Maze includes hundreds of hours of material, much of which is
free. Full access requires a monthly subscription (min 3 months), which
ranges from USD10-25/month. Gift subscriptions are also available, meaning
you can finally send that friend or loved one the perfect gift for special
occasions: useful, long-lasting - and fun!

The English Maze can be accessed 24/7 at:www.englishmaze.com General &
Business English Subscriptions are available at:
http://www.englishmaze.com/flash/signup.html

Selected MP3 Files (with Text!) for EFL/ESL Students

2006-06-20T11:54:00.000+02:00

These are MP3 files chosen for students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or English as a Second Language (ESL).

What is really great is that you can read the text as you listen. Even if you don't understand every word, you can learn some interesting things while you enjoy listening to English. Listen as often as you can to improve your English.

These "Englsh-only" MP3 files were selected for students at ManyThings university in Japan. However, students from other universities and other countries are welcome to subscribe to this podcast.

Try them out HERE

"Plan LANGUES" sur Classic 21

2006-06-11T10:54:00.000+02:00

Check out Classic 21's web site!
This is one of Belgium's better radio station...

Monday to Friday, at 2.45pm and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, at 9pm, the station plays a song in English and gives simultaneously the translation of the lyrics in French...Really cool!

Check out this week's song HERE and make sure you have a look at the archives as well

Take Personal Lessons English Lessons LIVE on-line now!

2006-06-09T11:46:00.000+02:00

You can now take personal English lessons with me LIVE on-line thanks to the combined services of JyvePro and Skype.
I have joined the Jyve Pro network of professionals and I will be available to take calls over the Internet (using Skype and a webcam) for live on-line personal English lessons.
Visit JyvePro website for the details of the service.
Total fee for the service is €15/1/4 hour or €45/hour.

You can click on the button below to start calling me now:

You can call me on Skype!

2006-06-09T10:14:00.000+02:00

SKYPE ME now!

My User Name on Skype is pierregeslin

British English pronunciation of names and place-names

2006-05-19T12:06:00.000+02:00

This site offers the British English pronunciation of names and place-names for some female and male names, some familly names and city and country names from around the world.

> TRY IT OUT HERE!

An English language pronouncing dictionary with Instant Sound

2006-05-19T11:57:00.000+02:00

This site offers an English language pronouncing dictionary with Instant Sound! Just type in a word and it will be pronounced.

> TRY IT OUT HERE!

Fonetiks: Online pronunciation guides to 9 varieties of the English language

2006-05-19T11:40:00.000+02:00

Fonetiks is an awesome on-line resource to help you learn English.
This collections of websites (see also links/posts below) uses Instant sound technology and has recorded hundreds of pronunciation samples by over 40 native speakers.

Fonetiks was originally conceived in 2000 as a response to new visa restrictions which made it increasingly difficult for some English language learners to come to study English in the USA, Britain and Australia. Fonetiks enabled these language learners to study native speaker pronunciation without leaving their homes, merely by mousing over the text on their computer screens.

> TRY IT OUT HERE!

Graded English dictations

2006-05-19T11:32:00.000+02:00

This site offers Graded English dictations with fast, studio-quality sound free online.
Excellent for listening comprehension and written expression.

Choose your English dictation. You'll hear it read four times :

* first, the whole passage is read at normal speed for you to listen for gist;
* second, each phrase is read slowly twice, with punctuation, as you write;
* then the whole passage is read again for you to check your work;
* finally, the written text is shown - count your mistakes.

> TRY IT OUT HERE!

Interactive course in reading and spelling with instant sound

2006-05-19T11:27:00.000+02:00

This is a free online interactive course in reading and spelling with instant sound. This site is perfect for a beginner and allow the user to revise on the basics of spelling and reading.

> TRY IT HERE!

A Spoken English Grammar for ESL learners, free online

2006-05-19T11:10:00.000+02:00

This is an excellent on-line resource to improve your English pronunciation. The website presents grammar points -with sample sentences- orally.

> TRY IT HERE!

- Cambridge Advanced Learners' Dictionary

- Merriam-Webster Online

- American Heritage and others

SHIP or...SHEEP?!

2006-05-19T10:54:00.000+02:00

This website is excellent for on-line English language pronunciation practice with minimal pairs and Instant Sound. Just click on the words/minimal pairs to hear them.

> TRY IT HERE!

HOW to use Shiporsheep:

Shiporsheeep uses a well-known language teaching device known as minimal pair practice to teach English speech sounds. This technique helps learners to distinguish between two different sounds by presenting two words which sound identical apart from the pair of sounds concerned.

Shiporsheep uses a patented technique allowing learners to hear words spoken instantly and naturally simply by mousing over them - no 'click-and-wait' is needed.

To use Shiporsheep, choose a page, click on it to open it, then mouse over each pair of words to hear the difference in pronunciation. Listen to each word & repeat it several times. If your computer has a microphone, you can record your own voice and compare it with the original, using Microsoft Sound Recorder (Go to Start - Programs - Accessories - Entertainment - Sound Recorder)

To use Shiporsheep, your computer must have sound, and Flash must be installed. Flash is installed on almost all computers, but if it isn't, you can install it here.

Free English Tests for TOEFL, TOEIC, GMAT, MBA, ESL, EFL

2006-05-19T10:20:00.000+02:00

At English-test.net you can not only test but also improve your English. At the same time you can meet new people, exchange experiences on how to learn languages and a whole lot more. You will find hundreds of interactive grammar and vocabulary tests as well as other useful resources such as short stories, ESL articles and interviews with business people.

In addition, you can subscribe to a free email newsletter that provides useful information about the English language in a lighthearted way. Maybe, you want to make new friends and practise your communications skills? In that case you should join the e-community by clicking on the friends link. You can also ask questions, get answers and support in the forums.

This is an exciting place to share your thoughts and ideas with people from all around the world. If you like learning new languages, you should explore the Pimsleur store where you will find a great variety of audio courses. Of course you can also read more about the people who are running English-test.net — in the e-business section you will get to know how this website came into existence and meet its founders. There are even two free e-books for you to download.

TRY IT HERE: Free English Tests for TOEFL, TOEIC, GMAT, MBA, ESL, EFL

English Dictionaries, Grammars, newspapers, etc; On-Line

2006-04-26T18:48:00.000+02:00

AskOxford.com - free access to the Compact Oxford English Dictionary

Beginning English for Speakers of Somali by M. Ansell

A Brief Grammatical Sketch of English by Thomas E. Payne

English Online by the New Zealand Ministry of Education

English Grammar by Ultralingua

An Elementary Grammar by The English Institute (for speakers of French)

Free English (in English, Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish)

Free On-line English Lessons by Englishpage.com

Guide to Grammar and Writing by Professor Charles Darling

Internet Grammar of English, University College London

Learning English by the BBC

An On-line English Grammar by Anthony Hughes

A Traditional English Grammar by Donald E. Hardy

Altsächsiche Grammatik (Old Saxon Grammar) by Johan Hendrik Gallée (1910)

Anglo-Saxon Reader by James W. Bright (1912)

English Language Books and other Resources

English On-line Newspapers (by country)

English On-line Radio Stations (by country)

English Dictionaries

Word of the Day!

2006-04-26T18:38:00.000+02:00

Today's Word:
Practicable (adjective)

Pronunciation: ['præk-ti-kê-bêl] Listen

Definition: Capable of being put into action, feasible; usable, capable of being used in all senses of the word.

Usage: Today's word is frequently confused with practical "involving actual practice or experience" as in "practical knowledge" or "practical experience." A "practicable plan" or a "practicable river crossing" is a plan and crossing that can be used. The noun is "practicability" and the adverb, "practicably."

Suggested Usage: Today's adjective refers to the extent something may be put to use: "The mountain pass was not practicable for the faint of heart." Here is a sentence with both adjectives at work in it: "Renee's plan to repair the leak in the roof with bubble gum is not practical because bubble gum is not a practicable roof-patch material under our weather conditions."

Etymology: Medieval Latin practicabilis "usable" from practicare "to practice," a verb based on the noun practica "practice." This noun was borrowed from Greek praktike "practical science," the feminine of praktikos "fit for action" from the verb prassein, prak- "to make, do."

Check out TODAY's WORD!

–Dr. Language, YourDictionary.com

The (WORD) GameRoom

2006-04-26T18:27:00.000+02:00

So you like word games, do you?

Well, you have come to the right place. We have the richest assortment of crossword puzzles on the planet: anagram puzzles, cryptic puzzles, Roman and Arabic numeral puzzles, study puzzles for geography, physics, astronomy, Spanish and the Bible, puzzles with holiday messages, with graphics and web links.

Now we have crossword puzzles for kids. We also have encrypted word puzzles and a new invention: fill-in crossword puzzles! Choose your favorite now!

20 Different Kinds of Crosswords

Word of the Day Crossword Puzzles

Word of the Day Semantic Scramble

Word Jungles

Encrypted Enigma Machine Puzzles

Fill-in Puzzles

Crossword Puzzles in Other Languages

100 Most Often Mispronounced Words and Phrases in English

2006-04-26T18:23:00.000+02:00

Now that Dr. Language has provided a one-stop cure for the plague of misspelling, here are the 100 words most often mispronounced English words ("mispronunciation" among them).
There are spelling rules in English even if they are difficult to understand, so pronouncing a word correctly usually does help you spell it correctly. Several common errors are the result of rapid speech, so take your time speaking, correctly enunciating each word.
Careful speech and avid reading are the best guides to correct spelling. Have a GO HERE!

150 MORE OFTEN (MISPELLED) MISSPELLED WORDS IN ENGLISH

2006-04-26T18:21:00.000+02:00

Here is the second dose of Dr. Language's medicine for misspelling: another 150 words that are highly susceptible to misspelling.
Master the orthography of the words on this page to control some of the most important points of written English. Try it out HERE!

100 MOST OFTEN (MISPELLED) MISSPELLED WORDS IN ENGLISH

2006-04-26T18:13:00.000+02:00

Dr. Language has provided a one-stop cure for all your spelling ills. Here are the 100 words most often misspelled ('misspell' is one of them).
Each word has a mnemonic pill with it and, if you swallow it, it will help you to remember how to spell the word.
Master the orthography of the words on this page and reduce the time you spend searching dictionaries by 50%.
Check it out HERE

Text to Speech: Listen to your computer speak!

2006-04-21T15:05:00.000+02:00

Have you ever wondered how to say a word or a sentence in English? Well now you can ask your computer to say it for you and you can listen to it, again and again, until you know it by heart!

SitePal's Text-to-Speech (TTS) functionality allows SitePal characters to speak using realistic, computer-generated voices from written text (typed in or that comes from a file).

Choose between over a dozen male and female voices from the US and the UK. It works for other languages as well...

Try it out now by clicking HERE!

Free On-line: Test your English

2006-04-21T14:56:00.000+02:00

This Peak Online interactive placement test will evaluate your skill level over 40 questions divided into the four Skill Categories: Situations, Grammar, reading Comprehension and Listening Comprehension. Try it out now!

9 On-line exercices...How good are you?

2006-04-21T13:42:00.000+02:00

These nine demo exercises are quiz-like. All of these carefully-configured exercises are interactive and provide the second language student with instant feedback on his/her progress.

There are exercises on:
1) Correct verb Usage (elementary level)
2) Present-Past Sentences (Elementary Level)
3) English-French Vocab Game (Elementary Level)
4) Question-Answer Matching (Intermediate Level)
5) Intuitive Exercise (Intermediate Level)
6) Gap-fill Exercise (Intermediate Level)
7) Reading Comprehension (Advanced Level)
8) Mixed Sentences (Advanced Level)
9) When did it happen ? (Advanced Level)

Have fun! You can always let us know how you go!

On-line Pepositions Crossword

2006-04-21T13:34:00.000+02:00

Check out this on-line Preposition crossword by Cyberlang. If you get stuck you can always click on the "Hint/indice" button...There is also an option to check your answers when you have finished.Find it HERE.

On-line Quiz Show

2006-04-21T13:31:00.000+02:00

This is a quite good general knowledge on-line quiz-show for intermediate to advanced students. Beware: you play against the clock! See how good you are...

Personalised English Learning Program On-line

2006-04-06T20:43:00.000+02:00

Email me now to inquire about how best we can set up your Personalised English Learning Program On-Line

Another Daily Cartoon for your enjoyment...

2006-04-04T18:41:00.000+02:00

...and your learning!
Have fun!

View -and sing- the lyrics of your favorite song!

2006-04-04T18:27:00.000+02:00

You know THAT song!?
The song YOU love!?
Yeah!...Wouldn't it be great to understand the lyrics of that song?
To know what they are really singing about?
It WOULD, wouldn't it?
Well, now you can log onto the Musical Box, an on-line Karaoke website, and search for your favorite song.
As the music starts, the lyrics are being displayed on screen...
You may, or you may not sing, but you'll be able to discover the lyrics you'd been wondering about for so long.
Give it a go with friends: it's a must!
Great to polish your English too, whilst having some fun.
Check it out here!

Test Your English

2006-04-04T18:14:00.000+02:00

Stop guessing what your English level is! Find out the real score with this FREE "Test Your English" service.
Take time to answer the questions, ranging from multiple-choice to picture association types. There are also situational types wherein you are given scenarios, complete with animations, to test how practicable is your English in real-life situations.
I have taken this test myself and I must say it is quite good and very adaptable to your knowledge in English: the better you are the harder the test gets!
That's when the fun begins!
Try it here!

English as a Visual Language?

2006-04-04T16:42:00.000+02:00

Newsflash

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae.
The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm.
Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itslef but the wrod as a wlohe.

What to you think of this?
Could English be such a VISUAL language that it does not matter in what order you write the letters of a word?
Give me some feedback...
Let me hnow what you think about this...

First video Broadcast trial

2006-04-01T22:36:00.000+02:00

This is just a test...Hopefully the first of a series. Stay tuned to the English Circle!

A logo for the English Circle

2006-04-01T10:22:00.000+02:00

This blog is an add-on to the courses I give here and there in "real space"...
The whole thing is taking shape.
It's got a name, so let's give it a look too...
What do you think of the logo?
Do let me know!

Repeat After Us: tongue twisters online!

2006-03-31T14:32:00.000+02:00

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers?
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
Can you say this tongue twister very quickly?
Mmmmm....I guess you might have to practice a little, no?
Well, this site is perfect for it!
RepeatAfterUs is an award-winning online library with the best collection of copyright-free English texts and scripted recordings.
The free audio clips provide an excellent resource for students and literature lovers of all ages.
Genres include:

Another cartoon updated weekly!

2006-03-30T14:43:00.000+02:00

Humour (to understand it or to be humourous) in another language is the hardest thing of all...So, have fun with these daily or weekly cartoons. Happy learning!

Play the Hangman!

2006-03-28T17:25:00.000+02:00

The Hangman: It's an easy game which everyone knows. What has been done here is that it has been set up with over 180 words which are commonly misspelled. See whether you can find them. Good luck! Click HERE to play

Download the Irregular Verbs Hangman Game

2006-03-28T17:13:00.000+02:00

. Please Read This Carefully First

1. This game will only work with the Windows operating system.
2. The game is downloaded as a ZIP file. If you have a version of Windows prior to Windows XP, you will need to have a special utility (such as Winzip) to unzip this file.
3. No technical support whatsoever will be provided for this game. If you don't understand how to do something, please go to a website (such as www.newbieclub.com) which is a specialist in teaching people how to use their computers.
4. This program is provided 'as is' without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. You download and play this game entirely at your own risk.

. About The Game

* This Hangman Game will give you fun practice of the main Irregular Verbs.
* In order to use the game, you have to download it to your computer.
* You can do this by clicking on this link and choosing 'save'.
* Clicking this link means that you have read, understood and agreed with all the terms and conditions on this page.
* Once you have downloaded it, you need to unzip the game.
* Find the icon for the game in the directory to which you unzipped the game.
* Click on the icon and start playing.
* Have fun while you are learning!

Major U.K. Newspapers

2006-03-27T17:46:00.000+02:00

Reading English newspapers is one of the best ways to learn modern current English. Check out some of the most well know U.K. Newspapers available on-line:
- The Cambridge Evening News
- The Daily Record (Glasgow)
- Guardian Unlimited
- The Huddersfield Daily
- Examiner
- Independent Digital
- The Observer
- The Telegraph
- The Times

Anything you need to know, anytime, anywhere.

2006-03-27T16:21:00.000+02:00

Concise information in one click

Search Dictionary/Thesaurus/the Web with Dictionary.com

2006-03-27T15:27:00.000+02:00

OneLook Dictionary

2006-03-27T15:21:00.000+02:00

Enter word or phrase:

English-French Dictionary

2006-03-27T15:05:00.000+02:00

WordReference.com is an excellent FREE on-line dictionary that does French-English and English-French translation of words. Additionally it gives examples and expressions in both languages. Try it out now: English-French Dictionary

Basic-English-Check on-line

2006-03-27T14:52:00.000+02:00

This is a Basic-English-Check. Choose the correct answer from 25 multiple choice questions and press the OK-button.Click HERE

Cambridge Online Activities and Worksheets

2006-03-27T10:50:00.000+02:00

If you want to put your knowledge of English to the test, then why not try the
excellent Cambridge online activities, or download their worksheets?

Most of these activities above require Shockwave to be installed, which may take
a few minutes if you have not installed it before. The idioms activity requires
you to be using version 4 or above of Netscape or Internet Explorer. The Shockwave
player can be downloaded from Macromedia
download site. The worksheets are in PDF format. To view them, you will need
Adobe Acrobat Reader, available for free at the Adobe
Reader site.

1. Verb Patterns
2. CLD worksheet (PDF, 399KB)
3. Crossword
4. Irregular Verbs
5. Food Preparation Game
6. Phrasal Verb Dispenser
7. Phrasal verbs worksheet (PDF, 198KB)
8. Idiom Definitions
9. Idioms worksheet (PDF, 243KB)

Daily Business Cartoon by Ted Goff

2006-03-23T18:06:00.000+01:00

Reach me on Skype for a Video-chat!

2006-03-23T17:14:00.000+01:00

Do you have a web-cam? An ADSL connection?
Well, why don't you join me for a video-chat in English?
All you need to do is to download Skype 2.0, a FREE application that takes only seconds to install.
Then look for me: my user name is pierregeslin.
When you connect to Skype you will be able to see whether I am online or not.
If I am, buzz me and we'll have a chat.
In english, of course.
It's that simple!

Introduction soundbite: the start of an audio blog...

2006-03-22T17:46:00.000+01:00

When you click on this audio file (.mp3 format) it will open with your default sound application (QuickTime, Real Player, Media Player) and you will be able to listen to it again and again, at your own convenience.

2006-03-21T17:29:00.000+01:00

Learning English with the BBC World Service

2006-03-21T16:18:00.000+01:00

NEWS ENGLISH

Vocabulary from the news

WATCH & LISTEN

Music, pictures, stories

NEWS ENGLISH is a selection of news stories you can listen to whilst reading the transcript as well. The most difficult words and expressions are conveniently explained in other terms, in english. The pages also offer a series of links to more detailed content, including video broadcast links of BBC NEWS coverage of the same topics.

WATCH & LISTEN is an entertainment related feature using multimedia technology to present Music and Show Business articles but also tips about pronunciation, audio and video exercises including vocabulary explanations, etc. See in particular the WEEKENDER a collection of magazine like articles with audio reports, transcripts and links to quizzes, etc.

BBC World Service helps you Learn English Online

2006-03-21T16:03:00.000+01:00

The site is intended to help you improve your learning of the English language. Throughout the site you will find short courses, quizzes, grammar, vocabulary, audio and video that will help you to improve your English. Of course, the BBC is not able to offer personalised tuition...But what is there is nothing short of amazing!
Over the next few days I will come back to this blog with details of what the BBC World Service offers on its site: there is so much there that it can be a little mindbogling. I will try to offer you a road map to the site and to point out the most interesting and valuable content and interactive tools.

Bravenet Daily Cartoon

2006-03-16T15:42:00.000+01:00

a2zWordFinder.com

2006-03-16T14:18:00.000+01:00

a2zWordFinder.com is a free online dictionary for crosswords, Scrabble dictionary, Literati helper, Jumble solver, WordOx helper, anagram generator, and vocabulary utility for quickly finding words while you're solving word puzzles and games of all kinds as well as educational lessons. Just click on the specialised areas to perform a lookup you're interested in. Quick example searches can be performed using the 'Find Words' buttons below each main area link.

Learn New Scrabble Words

2006-03-16T12:40:00.000+01:00

Play against your PC. Get word tips from Official Scrabble Dictionary.
The World's Best Loved Word Game is now the ultimate interactive word game! The game play's the way you've always known it, but now stunning graphics, multiple difficulty levels, pop-up menus and more come to vivid life on your desktop. It's everything you love about Scrabble in one easy download. A whole new level of fun!

Word Web Pro : FREE English dictionary, thesaurus and word finder

2006-03-15T09:14:00.000+01:00

NEW: WordWeb Pro 4
Thousands of new words, full text search, powerful word finding, and more.

WordWeb Pro is a quick and powerful international English thesaurus and dictionary for Windows. It can be used to lookup words from almost any Windows program, showing definitions, synonyms and related words. There are also many proper nouns and usage examples. You can search for words matching a pattern, find and solve anagrams, and optionally search a large number of extra word lists.

Unlike any paper dictionary or thesaurus WordWeb is truly a Word Web - each set of synonyms is linked to other related sets. Lookup "tree", click on the "Types" tab and you'll have a list of different types of tree. Click on "Part of" and WordWeb will tell you that a tree can be part of a "forest" or "wood".

Unlike any online dictionary, WordWeb allows you to dynamically filter words to find what you want. For example clicking on a sense number shows only synonyms and related words for that word sense. Clicking on the "Noun" button filters the synonyms to show you only noun senses, and double clicking on any word takes you immediately to its definition. It will also suggest the correct form for many common misspellings.

Features

The fast easy-to-use program lets you:

Look up words in almost any program, including MS Word
Edit and add to the database
Find words matching a pattern
Solve and find anagrams
Copy results to the clipboard
Cross-reference to other installed dictionaries and web search engines
Search for words in a large number of optional extra word lists
Add your own custom glossaries
Configure for American, British, Canadian, Australian or Asian English
Option to hide (default) or flag vulgar and offensive related words
NEW: Reverse definition (full text) search

The extensive up-to-date dictionary database features:

Definitions and synonyms, including many compounds and proper nouns
Word relations: find antonyms, parts or types, less specific words, etc.
Over 124 000 synonym sets and 156 000 root words
Search over 240 000 words, compounds and derived forms
70 000+ pronunciations, with pop-up hint pronunciation key
49 000 usage examples
View alphabetically nearest words, suggestions for many misspellings

WordWeb Pro runs under Windows NT/95/98/2000/Me/XP. Sorry, there is no Mac, Palm or Pocket PC version. You do not need to be online to use WordWeb.

Get the FREE Version

WordWeb is a cut-down version of the WordWeb Pro that is free for personal use. It includes a comprehensive English thesaurus and dictionary, and can be used to look up words from within most programs. Features of the free version include:

Definitions and synonyms
Proper nouns
Related words
Pronunciations

140 000 root words
115 000 synonym sets
Look up words in almost any program

Millions of people from all over the world use this top-rated software.

WordWeb 4.0 for Windows 95/98/2000/NT/Me/XP
No SpyWare. No AdWare. No viruses. Works offline.
Free for personal non-commercial use.

Get the FREE download
Download from TUCOWS. Download manager? Click here

Get into the loop!

2006-03-13T23:38:00.000+01:00

Learn English viewing some fancy cartoons on your desktop!

FilmLoop is free software that displays photos in moving "Loops" on your desktop.

No login or URL required. Watch Loops made by other people, or create your own and invite everyone you know into your Loop.
Let your friends add their photos to your Loop, and you all see updates instantly — now you're all Looping!

Why global English may mean the end of English as a foreign language

2006-03-13T16:04:00.000+01:00

English Next (2006)
By David Graddol

English Next was commissioned by the British Council and written by researcher David Graddol – a British applied linguist, well known as a writer, broadcaster, researcher and consultant on issues relating to global English.

The report draws attention to the extraordinary speed of change to issues affecting English identified in the 1997 publication: The Future of English?

The new report argues that we are already in a very new kind of environment and a new phase in the global development of English. What are the new rules and who will be the winners and who will be the losers? In this new study David Graddol suggests some of the answers by analysing demographic and economic trends in the Twenty First Century which affect Global English and the language policies worldwide and will influence its future.

Read English Next (1.89MB - PDF) and find out why global English may mean the end of English as a foreign language

Daily English Cartoon by Dan - Changed daily!

2006-03-13T15:38:00.000+01:00

Bookmark this page for a new cartoon everyday!

RSS Link to this Blog!

2006-03-13T15:22:00.000+01:00

Would you like to keep in touch with this Blog? >Simply copy the RSS link here ( ) and add it to your Google home page for example and you will receive the latest news as they are published.

Learning English Online

2006-03-13T14:27:00.000+01:00

LearnEnglish is a free site that helps learners and teachers of English. LearnEnglish comes to you from the British Council, the United Kingdom's international organisation for educational and cultural relations.
Find out more...

Global Language for the Global Village

2006-03-13T14:22:00.000+01:00

You don't learn English as a second ("foreign") language anymore...
You learn English because it's THE Global Language.
The language for the Global Village.
Give the world a single language.
Give it also the means to communicate its thoughts instantly (the Internet, the Web, this Blog, etc;).
And maybe, just maybe, we'll have a chance to start understanding each other better.