Thursday, February 24, 2005

ESL: English Language: English Daily

http://www.englishdaily626.com/ English Daily
This is a site that I like for content, but it is not interactive. It also seems geared to Chinese students, though most items could be useful for students from any culture. Worth looking into. There are many areas covered, including:
Conversations: Includes topics like: 'I made a good impression.' 'Who's in the line-up?' 'Make the shortlist.' or 'Entry level model.'
Common Mistakes in English: Gives Chinese style vs. American style eg: Chinese: It's seven twenty o'clock. American: It's seven twenty. Chinese: He's become better. American: He got better.
TOEFL Vocabulary
Learn American Idioms: Gives both definitions and examples in context: eg: Cough Up or Scratch Someone s Back
Proverbs: eg. 'Between the devil and the deep sea': To choose between two equally bad alternatives in a serious dilemma.
Grammar: Good definitions for parts of speech. eg: Verbs, transitive, "A transitive verb requires an object to complete." examples: A. The hunter killed a bear. (bear is the object of killed) B. The scholar learned his lesson. (lesson is the object of learned)
Ancient Chinese Stories: eg: A Recipe for Immortality The difference between Fifty yards and a Hundred The Fox who profited from the Tiger's might
Learn American Slang: includes: definitions and examples, etymology and synonyms for about 115 terms like: 'mystery meat', '24/7', 'brewski' and 'phat'. Not the usual list, these are current and up to date terms that confuse students.