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Useful websites

 

Multiple SKills:

BBC Learning English (Opens in new window)
This is a great website with good advice on how to develop your vocabulary and learn colloquial phrases in context. There is a good section on pronunciation and there is a Grammar Challenge that focuses on tricky grammatical structures.

BBC Business English (Opens in new window)
This is a useful site for students interested in business and economic issues.

Centre for Independent Language Learning (Opens in new window)
This site has lots of useful information and practice activities for students.

Grammar:

Grammar Bytes (Opens in new window)
This is a fun website that has interactive exercises and YouTube videos. if you do not have time to do the exercises there are rules and tips on specific topics.

The Diana Hacker grammar exercises (Opens in new window)
The Diana Hacker grammar exercises offer good practice activities in sentence structure, word choice, punctuation, grammar basics and ESL trouble spots, such as omissions and repetitions, gerunds versus infinites and present versus past participles.

lynda.com - Grammar fundamentals (Opens in new window)
This short course will help you to avoid the most common grammar mistakes and improve the clarity of your writing. As an RMIT student, you can access Lynda.com for free. If you do not have a Lynda.com profile, click the link above, then click 'Login' then the 'Create profile' button. For more information, visit the Lynda.com access information page.

Grammarly (Opens in new window)
Online grammar checker that helps you find and correct common writing mistakes.

Internet TESL Journal (Opens in new window)
This site has some really good grammar quizzes. Check out the level 5 and 6 (medium to difficult) grammar quizzes, particularly the error correction exercises. Error correction is a good way to identify areas of grammar that you personally find challenging. There are also good exercises on sentence structure.

Writing:

OWL: Purdue online writing lab (Opens in new window)
The Grammar section on this site has useful teaching points and exercises on particular aspects of grammar such as how to use articles or subject verb agreement.

Manchester Academic Phrasebank (Opens in new window)
This is a copyright free general resource for academic writers. It aims to provide you with some of the phraseological 'nuts and bolts' of writing organised according to the main sections of a research paper. Other phrases are listed under the more general communicative functions of academic writing. It was designed primarily for international students whose first language is not English but is still a useful resource for native speaker writers. 

TV and Radio:

ABC Science Show (Opens in new window)
This program discusses current scientific research and ideas. Listen to the programs with the transcripts provided. Look for the transcript icon.

ABC The World Today (Opens in new window)
This program reports on Australia's place in the world including the effect of international issues. Look for the programs with transcripts.

ABC Four Corners (Opens in new window)
This is a very popular tv current affairs program that provides in depth analysis of events and people. Transcripts and video available.

ABC Foreign Correspondent (Opens in new window)
This program reports on major international news events and issues. Transcripts and video available.

Behind the News (Opens in new window)
This website provide background, explanations and activities around current affairs and news items. Includes quizzes to test your understanding.