- My NYPL
Tools and Services
- Using the Library
I am a...
- Classes & Events
- Support the Library
Find online activities to learn and practice English. Download a printable version [PDF] of this resource list.
Free ESOL Websites
These general ESOL websites offer many types of activities (grammar, listening, pronunciation, vocabulary, reading, etc.) for language learners of all levels.
Activities for ESL Students Thousands of quizzes, exercises and puzzles for English language learners of all levels. Provided by the Internet TESL Journal.
ManyThings.org Find quizzes, word games, word puzzles, proverbs, slang expressions, vocabulary study, pronunciation practice, listening practice and many other activities for learners of all levels. Check the Daily Page for links to new activities each day.
Dave’s ESL Café - Stuff for Students Lessons and quizzes to practice grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, idioms, and slang. Communicate with English language students and teachers around the world using the Help Center and Student Forums.
BBC Learning English Activities using videos, music, news vocabulary and more. Listening, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary practice. Includes a special section for Business English. Note: This is a British English site.
engVid Free English video lessons on many topics, including grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, writing, business English, and more. Some lessons include quizzes.
Englishtown Free English lessons and study tips for beginner to intermediate level learners.
Livemocha Basic English courses - levels 101 to 202 - include listening, speaking, reading and writing practice. Practice with native English speakers and offer help to others learning your language. Registration with an email address is required.
Yappr.com Improve your English with videos and word games, practice pronunciation, and chat with other English language learners around the world. Many activities are free, but some videos and learning tools are only available to paying members.
Merriam-Webster Learner’s Dictionary An online American English dictionary for English language learners. Find definitions and example sentences and hear the correct pronunciation of a word. Try some of the vocabulary and pronunciation exercises.
The Internet Picture Dictionary Look up a word or browse by category (animals, colors, kitchen, etc.) in this basic picture dictionary. Use the activities list to play spelling games and review words.
Cambridge Dictionaries Online Search the Learner's, Advanced Learner's, American English, Idioms, and Phrasal Verbs Dictionaries from Cambridge University Press. The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary includes audio pronunciations in American and British English.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online Find definitions and sample sentences. Follow the word of the day and browse word families to increase your vocabulary.
Merriam-Webster Visual Dictionary Contains over 6,000 images. Look up a word alphabetically or browse by theme (e.g. earth, house, society).
Grammar & Writing
About.com Basic English 25 lessons on essential English grammar points.
About.com > English as 2nd Language Lessons and advice for all levels of English language learners. The Browse Topic list on the left side of the page is a good place to start.
Englishpage.com Free grammar lessons and interactive exercises. Lots of practice with verb tenses and prepositions.
ESL Blues Grammar lessons and quizzes for pre-intermediate to high-intermediate language learners. You can take a quiz to identify your errors and identify what you need to practice.
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University Click on General Writing to find general information on the writing process and academic writing samples. See the OWL Exercises for practice with grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.
Eslbee.com This advanced composition site for non-native speakers of English offers model essays, practice organizing ideas, and grammar exercises.
Edufind English Grammar Free grammar lessons and quizes with examples for practice.
Voice of America Special English News stories written for non-native speakers of English, including current world news and feature stories on education, health, and other topics. Read along with the text of the story while you listen or watch video news stories with English subtitles.
Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab Listening practice and quizzes for all levels of English language learners. Listen to everyday conversations or practice listening for academic purposes / TOEFL with lectures and interviews.
Real English Short video lessons using interviews with real people filmed on the streets of New York, Miami Beach, and Seattle. There are lessons for English learners at different levels. Exercises let you record your voice and compare your English to the native speakers in the videos or to the teacher.
ESL Bits Listen to audiobooks, news stories, short stories, songs and radio dramas. Choose between faster or slower listening speeds and read along with the texts of the stories and songs. For intermediate and advanced learners.
English Central Practice sounds by watching videos and recording videos of your own voice.
English Pronunciation Practice (ManyThings.org) Practice sounds with the minimal pair quizzes and sentence rhythm and intonation with the Listen & Repeat Machine.
Eva Easton’s Authentic American Pronunciation Lessons on sounds, word and sentence stress, linking, contractions and other pronunciation topics.
Perfect Pronunciation Exercises Practice sounds, syllable stress, and sentence intonation with the exercises on the Merriam-Webster Learner’s Dictionary website.
Sounds of English Lessons and exercises on sounds and word and sentence stress.
California Distance Learning Project - Adult Learning Activities Read and listen to news stories about family, school, health, and other topics. Vocabulary and reading comprehension activities are included for each story.
English Learning Centre Study Zone (University of Victoria) Interactive reading and grammar activities for upper-beginner to advanced level English language learners.
Topics An online magazine for English language learners. Articles are written by English learners from around the world.
Literacy Net Story Archives Read news stories adapted for new readers and English language learners. There are stories and reading and vocabulary exercises on many topics, but no new stories have been added since 2005.
TOEFL at ETS.org The official source for information about the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Register for the test, download sample test questions and tip sheets for the TOEFL iBT.
English-Test.net Many free interactive TOEFL listening tests and vocabulary exercises are available if you ignore the advertisements.
There are also TOEFL preparation courses and practice tests available in the Learning Express Library database. With a valid NYPL library card number, you can use these courses and tests from home.