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My first port of call, BBC Learning English offers an excellent How to... series (under Grammar & Vocabulary), which focuses on aspects of conversational English that are often misunderstood or avoided by non-native speakers. Students can learn more about sarcasm, for example, by downloading an mp3 file and reading the guidelines provided; they can then complete an interactive (Flash) practice activity, also available as a pdf file, to check their understanding. The accompanying transcript will be much appreciated by those lacking confidence in their listening skills. Related topics are grouped in the sidebar to facilitate user navigation.

British Council Learn English is also packed with great resources. This article about the first Chinese atomic bomb test is one of many historical episodes archived by date or by event. What I like about this site is that you can double-click on any word to obtain its definition from Cambridge Dictionaries Online. Articles are accompanied by interactive (Flash) comprehension exercises to encourage readers to scan for key facts: This example is challenging, but students will be able to check their answers with minimal teacher input. The current page is updated weekly, encouraging regular use and making it a convenient bookmark.

This podcast on the record-setting Beijing Olympics end is a recent example of what students can access at Breaking News English. It is supported by an interactive, multiple-choice text completion activity and a range of true/false, matching and gap-fill exercises testing grammar and vocabulary, as well as comprehension skills. Downloads are available in Word and pdf formats, and students have the choice of subscribing to podcasts or accessing mp3 files directly from the substantial archive. Updated every three days, the site is unquestionably the most current in this list and will surely engage students.

Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab will also be a boon to students intent on practising their listening skills. Short everyday conversations, graded by difficulty, are supported by a variety of activities. This two-minute conversation about a student credit card is accompanied by pre- and post-listening discussion activities, a complete transcript offering definitions of key vocabulary on mouse-over, as well as text completion, sequencing, multiple choice and matching exercises. Students are encouraged to blog their thoughts on the topic after completing these exercises.

Categorised by country, ESL PodCards focus on particular places or famous people/events associated with them. The primary attractions are the mp3s and supporting materials in the PodCard archive. By way of example, the USA section offers a feature on Angelina Jolie, supported by an interactive crossword, transcript and comprehension activities, available in both html and pdf formats. PodCards are divided into two levels, according to the language structures/vocabulary used and the speed at which cards are read; recent additions are indicated on the homepage. A word of warning, though: The crosswords are addictive!

This story on teen drinking is an example of what's available (under the school tab) at the California Distance Learning Project. Students can listen to this before working their way through a series of activities, which are designed to enhance vocabulary, spelling and comprehension skills. They are then encouraged to write their thoughts on the story and to learn more at related websites. Students obtain scores for completed activities and can e-mail these - along with the text entered for the writing activity - to their teacher by filling out a simple online form, enabling the teacher to monitor progress and provide feedback as and when needed.

At Many Things, the Kelly brothers have pooled their creative resources and technological expertise in a non-commercial, fast-loading, easy-to-navigate site. Among the word games, puzzles, podcasts and language learning activities on offer, this quiz on cholesterol in young men, which is based on a Voice of America Special English science report, will be of great value to students working independently. In line with best practice guidelines, quiz items are presented serially and feedback is immediate. Sounds are used to reinforce this feedback, and quiz takers are likely to be motivated by this game-like feature and by the "game points" on offer.

Another quality offering from The Internet TESL Journal, a4esl.org is an excellent source of grammar and vocabulary quizzes, tests, exercises and crossword puzzles. These are accessible by difficulty level, skill and activity format. Many activities are available as html-only. However, to get the most out of this resource, users will need JavaScript and Flash enabled. Typical of other Flash exercises, this infinitive or gerund quiz will generate items in a randomised order and shuffle multiple choice options so that no two sessions are exactly alike. Skipped or incorrectly answered items are recycled and appear again at the end of the quiz.

Yolango offers over 1,000 video clips from popular films and television programs, all captioned, transcribed and rated according to difficulty level. Captions, if clicked, provide instant word-level translations (into 13 other languages), definitions and usage examples. The accompanying activities - currently limited to gap-fills, questions and definitions - are designed to test comprehension and vocabulary skills. Users can earn points and compete for a place on the Yolango Scoreboard. Those unfamiliar with the site will have little difficulty getting started. Yolango is engaging, interactive, challenging and potentially very addictive!

Another film-related recommendation, English Trailers is a non-profit, educational website specifically for English language learners. Students can practise their language skills after watching the film commercial of their choice. These are supported by film summaries and full transcripts, which offer hyperlinked definitions and example sentences for highlighted words. This cloze exercise (for the Fahrenheit 911 trailer) is printable, as is the accompanying quiz. Creating a free username does not require a password and enables students to post their thoughts on forums; this, in turn, allows teachers to keep track of their scores and forum entries.

The Internet TESL Journal has been providing articles on aspects of language teaching, lesson plans, teaching techniques, games, jokes and (frequently maintained) links of interest to the ESL teaching community for over a decade. In line with co-creator Charles Kelly's no-nonsense, no-frills Guidelines for Designing a Good Web Site for ESL Students, it has something the end user wants, doesn't waste his/her time and isn't irritating. The site is updated regularly, and archived material is easy to locate. Those with slow Internet connections will appreciate the absence of advertising and images throughout the site.

Currently published three times per year and edited by scholars in the fields of second language acquisition and computer-assisted language learning, Language Learning & Technology makes full use of hypertext to provide links to related background information. The focus of the publication is not technology per se, but rather how it may be used to enhance second/foreign language learning and teaching. By way of example, this recent article on Google-Assisted Language Learning explores a range of practical applications for language instructors and learners.

I came across the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative when I Googled for research on blogs. Its 7 Things You Should Know About series provides concise, no-jargon overviews of emerging technologies and related learning practices. Each brief focuses on a single technology, describes what it is, how it works, where it is going and why it should matter to educators. In fact, the scenario outlined in this offering on blogs inspired me to make my own foray into second language blogging. Teachers who are serious about getting the most out of emerging technologies in their classrooms will find this non-profit site an invaluable point of departure.

A joint venture between the British Council and British Broadcasting Corporation, the Teaching English website is non-commercial and offers a wealth of theoretical and practical resources under four main headings: Teachers can think about the principles which underpin their classroom practices, try out language learning activities, talk about areas of interest with virtual colleagues and transform their pedagogy through professional development. RSS feeds and "most recent"/"most popular" tabs enable users to locate and gauge the value of materials, which are all available in printer-friendly versions.

User-friendly, current and professional, Macmillan's One Stop English is worthy of a subscription. While the site was launched purely to market the company's English language teaching coursebooks, it has evolved to support certification courses and the needs of a wide readership. As well as offering comprehensive coverage of the key skills, flashcards, articles on methodology and opportunities to collaborate with remote colleagues, the lesson share archive is a good place to discover new ways to deliver old concepts. I often delve into the OSE magazine to catch up on topical stories and to find out about ELT events around the world.

Using English offers an equally impressive catalogue of tools and resources. I often consult their extensive glossaries of idioms and slang, phrasal verbs and grammar terms for my own reference. For teacher professional development, there are articles and blogs on aspects of English language usage, as well as downloadable lesson plans and grammar and vocabulary worksheets, which are organised by language level. Users can subscribe to a What's New? newsfeed; there is also a range of discussion forums, which are supported by RSS feeds. Members get more, but non-members get more than enough!

Films offer language learners an opportunity to explore cultural aspects of a second/foreign language and to hear regional variations in authentic contexts. Frequently updated, the Teach With Movies website provides standard discussion questions and projects suitable for use with any film, and for a nominal fee subscribers can access detailed lesson plans and learning guides to many more. Check out this sample guide to see what's available for free! It's easy to find the film you're looking for using alphabetical, subject-matter, age-appropriate and other indexes. Users can click on the NEW AT TWM tab to view recent additions to the site.

Whether you run a debate club or are just looking for prompts to get your students speaking in class, Sean Banville has saved us all a lot of time. There are currently over 600 discussion topics on everyday themes and controversial issues to choose from at his ESL Discussions site. There are also discussions of items in the news: Check out this one on the U.S. presidential election. Questions are available in ready-to-print Word or pdf formats, and can be located under the main A-Z index, under the specialist news archive or the grammar and idioms discussions "works in progress". Ideas for using these materials in class are also offered.

Though new to the WebQuest model, I believe that the inquiry-oriented lesson format has great potential for language learners. WebQuest.org hosts an impressive database of pre-created task-based activities as well as templates, advice, articles and resources for creating your own. Having recently trialled this Quest on drugs and the nervous system, I greatly appreciated the time and effort that have been invested in the preparation of the supporting teacher's page and evaluation rubric. This WebQuest about WebQuests (available under useful resources) is a great way of introducing the concept to your students and colleagues.

Finally, Judie Haynes's website, everythingESL.net, is a good source of lesson plans, many of which are computer-assisted or Internet-based, for beginning through intermediate (K-12) second language learners. Her teaching tips section is packed with informative articles and strategies for the ESL classroom. Haynes, a New Jersey teacher and acclaimed author in the field of ESL, is quoted as saying that "money should go into technology, not... textbooks", and believes that "you could run an ESL class today without textbooks if you had the right technology". From what she has provided under the resource picks tab, I'd be inclined to agree.