Learning with the BBC

The BBC is possibly one of the richest sources of high-quality, free English learning material on the Internet.  Their Learning English site has so many sections I really can’t talk about all of them here (although I will say Words in the News is a very good place to start).  Skillswise has excellent sections on spelling, reading, and writing.  Their Video Nation site has interviews with real people and a short quiz afterwards to see if you heard the information correctly.  A good way to hear lots of different accents (and see where they are from)!

Figure out phrasal verbs

Using English is particularly useful for it’s phrasal verb dictionary, idioms dictionary and ask a teacher forum.  They have quizzes about phrasal verbs and if you have any questions they have special forums for phrasal verbs and idioms.

The news can be funny… if you know what it means

The English Blog is a great place to browse lots of news stories and videos with notes from an English teacher.  He updates the site daily with relevant stories and interesting cartoons and videos that show real English in context.  There really is a huge amount of material here (search the categories) as well as a lot of links to webistes for English Language Learners (ELL) and podcasts.

Chat with other learners

English Club has lots of information, quizzes and guides to help you understand and practice English better.  Their forums are a great place to chat with other learners about things that interest you.