As a dedicated educator and former ESOL teacher, I understand firsthand the invaluable role quality resources play in shaping our students’ language learning journey. In this post, I am delighted to share a comprehensive compilation of trusted ESOL and ESL resources for teachers , resources I curated with the dual aim of empowering teachers and enhancing student experiences.
With tools ranging from interactive exercises and quizzes to games and comprehensive lesson plans, you’ll find a variety of aids to help tailor and optimize the learning experiences of your students.
For ESOL students worldwide, these resources promise to be an engaging and productive ally in your English language journey. The educational materials offer you opportunities to refine your language skills, practice what you have learned, and challenge yourself with new activities.
This diverse array of ESOL and ESL resources addresses a broad spectrum of teaching needs and learning objectives, offering something valuable for every ESOL teacher and student. I encourage you to delve into the resources below and consider bookmarking this page for easy future reference.
ESOL and ESL Resources for Teachers
Here is our collection of the some of the best ESOL and ESL resources for teachers:
1. Online Grammar Learning Websites
This collection features handpicked grammar websites students and anyone interested in learning English language can use to develop their grammar. The collection offers access to grammar lessons, videos, guides, downloadable worksheets, quizzes, exercises, and many more.
2. Best Language Learning Apps
Check out this collection I curated featuring some of the best iOS apps to help students learn new languages. From video lessons, interactive games and quizzes, to 1 on 1 tutoring with English teachers, these apps provide students with the necessary resources to start their language learning journey.
3. Best vocabulary Websites for Students
Vocabulary is key to language learning and a strong grasp of vocabulary is a prerequisite especially for improving one’s writing style and speaking skills. This list features some of the best vocabulary websites that you can use with your students and kids to learn new vocabulary items, improve vocabulary practice, and ultimately enhance one’s grasp of the target language.
4. Best Dictionary Websites for Students
This is a compilation featuring some of the best dictionary websites online. You and your students can use them to search for word definitions, word usages, grammar tips, synonyms and antonyms, and many more.
5. BBC Learning English
BBC Learning English is one of the oldest English learning platforms out there. It offers courses for different levels (e.g., basic, intermediate, and advanced), quizzes, English pronunciation lessons and guides, English vocabulary resources, grammar resources, resources for learning business English, and many more.
6. Using English
Using English offers a wide range of English learning and teaching resources organized into various themes including: teaching grammar, grammar quizzes, vocabulary quizzes, teaching vocabulary, phrasal and irregular verbs, idioms, articles on learning English, writing tips, spelling and punctuation, citations, exam tips, and more.
The site also includes three forums; Learning English, Analysing Language, and ESL Questions. The Ask a Teacher service enables students to pose their English learning questions directly to teachers and English language teachers.
7. FL Teach
The folks in FL Teach have done a great job collecting and organizing this huge library of web links to English language teaching and learning resources. I spent some time checking out these materials and find them helpful.
These resources are organized into different categories including: media , clipart for teachers, dictionaries, collections made by teachers for teachers, primarily ESL, activities, online language journals, links to learning other languages (e.g., Chinese, French, German, Hebrew,Italian, Japanese, etc), and many more.
8. English Club
English Club is a website that helps language learners from all around the world learn English. English Club enables learners to make their own English page with blogs, photos, videos, music, groups and friends.
It also provides access to a wide range of resources covering grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Other features included in the site are :English games, English quizzes, the possibility to chat in English with other students and teachers, penpals for English practice, ESL games, Learn English video project, ESL forums, and many more.
9. Dave’s ESL Cafe
ESL Cafe is a website created by former teacher Dave Sperling that offers access to growing collection of ESL and EFL resources including grammar lessons, lesson plans, phrasal verbs, slang, quizzes, and many more.
ESL Cafe also includes an ESL community where students get help with their English learning. The site also includes Find a Teacher search feature that enables users to search resumes to find teachers.
10. English Current
English Current is another website that offers tons of ESOL resources. These include English practice exercises, idioms and proverbs quizzes, lesson plans, songs, writing-related lessons for learning ESL, games for the ESL classroom, business English materials, and more.
The site also offers various types of tests including the Barton Vocabulary test, Check Your English Level test, The Barton Idiom Quiz, Listening test, and Verb Tense quiz.
11. Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab
Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab offers online English listening comprehension activities and resources for ESL and EFL learners.
12. ELLO
ELLO which stands for English Listening Lesson Library Online offers more than 3000 free listening activities and several other ESL learning materials including grammar based lessons (e.g., sound grammar and Grammar Talks), academic English resources (e.g., animates news stories to learn academic English, idioms, short animated articles with Academic English), natural listening lessons, and many more.
Activities ‘focus on everyday English comprehension skills at three levels based on content, voices, vocabulary, and natural speed. A combination of adult, teenage, and children’s voices are included.’ Other features provided by the site include: short culture videos that introduces ESL learners to different cultural aspects of English, listening quizzes for academic purposes, interviews with native speakers covering different topics, and more.
13. Breaking News English
Breaking News English helps ESL and EFL students learn English through news stories. The site offers two news lessons every week on news stories from across the world. There are over 5000 English lessons covering various themes including education, health, technology, environment, and more.
Breaking News English features numerous ESL and EFL activities related to grammar, dictation, spelling, speed reading, prepositions, and more.
14. ESL Galaxy
ESL Galaxy offers lesson plans, ESL printables, kids activities, games, and online exercises for grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. ‘ESL Galaxy offers over 2368 free printable worksheets for ESL lesson plans and ESL Activities; and there are more additions every other day .The worksheets include:
ESL, Math, Science : Games, Worksheets, Videos’.
15. ESL Video
ESL Video offers various free online English listening and grammar activities and free teaching resources. Teachers can use the ESL video quiz maker tool to create video-based listening and gap-fill quizzes with the ability to track and report student scores.
ESL Video offers access to a wide range of free lessons including listening/grammar/speaking lessons for beginners, reading/writing viral video lessons for beginners, friends TV series ESL lessons, speaking activities, conversation questions-flip cards, and more.
Final thoughts
In wrapping up this exploration of ESOL and ESL resources, it’s clear that as educators, we have a wealth of tools at our disposal to enhance the language learning journey of our students. The resources I’ve shared in this post, ranging from grammar websites and language learning apps to vocabulary and dictionary sites, are curated with the aim of empowering teachers and enriching student experiences.
For ESOL students across the globe, these resources offer an engaging and supportive path to mastering English. They provide opportunities to practice, refine skills, and explore new dimensions of language learning. For teachers, they are invaluable in tailoring lessons to meet diverse learning needs and objectives, ensuring every student has the chance to succeed.
