Online English Language Resources & Links

Link Categories...

Study Skills
Online Tests
Qualification Recognition
Exam Boards & Organisations
Encyclopaedia, Dictionaries etc.
For Teachers
Lesson Plans
Other Links

All links in the list below will open in a new browser window.

Study Skills

Study Skills - A collection of some of the best resources available to help you learn how to study effectively.

150+ Sample Admissions Essays from EssayEdge.

Online Tests

English-Test.net - An excellent range of tests for you to practise your English. They have a bank of tests divided into levels; there are hundreds to choose from, and they are continually adding to their site.

Online Tests - Links to numerous online English language tests.

Qualification Recognition

NARIC - The National Academic Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC) is managed by ECCTIS Ltd under contract to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and provides information to give information and advice on the comparability of overseas qualifications with those from the UK, and to promote British qualifications overseas.

Exam Boards & Organisations

PITMAN - Pitman Qualifications, part of the City & Guilds Group, specialises in providing qualifications and assessments of skills required for office administration and international communication.

UCLES: - University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES)

The Basic Skills Agency - The BSA is the national development organisation for literacy and numeracy. It produces research and teaching materials, and develops projects which aim to improve the skills of both children and adults.

AQA - The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance runs the AEB Achievement Tests in Literacy and Numeracy.

Encyclopaedias, Dictionaries, etc.

Microsoft Encarta Dictionary of World English - Improve your spelling and vocabulary with Encarta’s World English Dictionary. This free, online dictionary provides definitions, audio pronunciations, and a glossary of computer terms.

Microsoft Encarta Encyclopaedia -

Dictionary.com - Online English dictionary, thesaurus and reference guide, crossword puzzles and other word games, online translator and Word of the Day.

Thesaurus.com - Free online Roget's Thesaurus of English words and phrases.

Encyclopedia.com - Online encyclopaedia which provides users with more than 57,000 frequently updated articles from the Columbia Encyclopaedia, Seventh Edition. Each article is enhanced with links to newspaper and magazine articles as well as pictures and maps.

AllRefer.com - Educational resource provides a comprehensive collection of reference, encyclopedia, health, gazetteer, country studies, and educational databases. Includes more than 150,000 articles on topics covered under health, history, science, people, places, arts, sports, plants, animals, technology, philosophy, religion, literature, and more. Also includes Reference & Health.

More advanced users might like to visit the following sites:

Cobuild - On-line concordancer

The Internet Grammar of English - The Internet Grammar of English is an online course in English grammar written primarily for university undergraduates and those interested in the English language.

Common Errors in English -

For Teachers

Sites for Teachers - Rates educational websites by popularity with teachers. Includes lesson plans, free worksheets & ebooks.

TeAch-nology.com - The Best on the Web for Teachers

toefl.org - Official Web site of the ETS standardised test, Test of English as a Foreign Language. TOEFL.org contains information for persons planning to take the TOEFL test, as well as for administrators and researchers wanting to know about the development of TOEFL and the use of TOEFL test scores.

DfES - Department for Education and Skills

Learning and Skills Development Agency - The Learning and Skills Development Agency is a strategic national resource for the development of policy and practice in post-16 education and training. The Agency was previously known as the Further Education Development Agency (FEDA).

General Teaching Council for England - The General Teaching Council for England is the professional body for all qualified teachers currently teaching in maintained schools or non-maintained special schools. It is an independent organisation serving as the regulatory body for teachers in England and has a statutory duty to provide advice on key educational issues that support all teachers in providing the best possible educational opportunities for young people.

Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) - The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) promotes and funds high-quality, cost-effective teaching and research in universities and colleges in England.

Institute of Learning and Teaching (ILT) - The Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILT) is the professional body for all who teach and support learning in higher education in the UK. It exists to enhance the status of teaching, improve the experience of learning and support innovation. It also develops and maintains professional standards of practice. It is becoming the main source of professional recognition for all staff engaged in teaching and the support of learning.

Learning and Skills Council - The Learning and Skills Council is responsible for funding and planning education and training for over 16-year-olds in England

National College for School Leadership - The National College for School Leadership (NCSL) provides career-long learning and development opportunities, professional and practical support for England’s existing and aspiring school leaders.

Ofsted (includes inspection reports) - The OFSTED homepage - Your gateway to inspections of quality and standards in education.

Social Exclusion Unit - The Social Exclusion Unit website deals with this cross government issue. Social exclusion is a shorthand term for what can happen when people or areas suffer from a combination of linked problems.

TTA (Teacher Training Agency) - The Teacher Training Agency is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body established by the Education Act 1994. Its purpose is to raise standards in schools by attracting able and committed people to teaching and by improving the quality of teacher training.

Teachers' Pensions (England & Wales) - Teachers' Pensions administers the scheme for teachers in England and Wales on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills. There are over 2,000 employers, of members and potential members of the Teachers' Pension Scheme, who also play an important role in the scheme's administration.

QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) - The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is a guardian of standards in education and training. We work with others to maintain and develop the school curriculum and associated assessments, and to accredit and monitor qualifications in schools, colleges and at work.

Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) - The QAA's core business is to review the quality and standards of higher education in universities and colleges. It does this by auditing institutional arrangements for managing quality and standards, including arrangements for collaboration with overseas partners; and by assessing the quality and standards of teaching and learning at subject level.

Lesson Plans

ThemeDay - Detailed lesson plans for all subject areas, printable worksheets, links to related sites, and literature suggestions are included with every Theme Day

Literary Resources -- American - Clearinghouse for academic resources related to American Literature. Closely updated and developed by Rutgers University.

Teachit's resources for English teachers - A free online library for English, media and drama teachers, offering quality worksheets, lesson plans, online lessons and links.

Teacher's Guide to Using Songs in the Classroom - A lesson plan, articles and links for foreign language teachers interested in using music in the classroom.

Language Arts Lesson Plans - Comprehensive lesson plans for middle- and high-school.

Calliope, Muse of Eloquence - A collection of interactive, online vocabulary lessons and worksheets designed for grades 9 and 10,using words drawn from Classical Mythology.

English Teaching Ideas - Suggested classroom activities for students ages 5-11.

AskERIC Language Arts Lesson Plans -
Debating, handwriting, journalism, listening, literature, reading, spelling, story telling, vocabulary, whole language, and writing composition lessons.

eslflow - eslflow's guide to English as a Second Language lessons from around the Internet.

Language Arts Lesson Plans - Archive includes dozens of reading, grammar, and writing lesson plans geared toward young learners.

Language Arts Lesson Plans - Teacher-made lesson plans for Pre-K through high school language classrooms.

The English Room - English and language arts lesson plans for grades 6-12 in poetry, literature study, and internet treasure hunts.

Educate the Children - English Lessons - Free worksheets, lesson plans, ideas, teaching strategies, reviews and internet links.

100 Remedial Reading and Phonics Worksheets - Free printable worksheets for improving reading and phonics skills. Also includes vocabulary lists and downloads resources for teachers and parents.

Lesson Plans for Children's Books - A-Z lesson plans and classroom activities designed for K-12 teachers and students for hundreds of children's books.

Literature Based Reading Lessons - Phonics based reading lesson plans for lower elementary students based on chapter books including Boxcar Children, Stone Fox, Flat Stanley, and Little House in the Big Woods.

Lesson Tutor Hands-On Phonics A to Z - Multi-sensory lessons for phonics. Listen, say, trace/write, and "do" the alphabet sounds A to Z. Jump up and trade Caps for hard C, make Gooey Glue G, or Lie and Laugh about L. Fun exercises that make the introduction to Reading enticing.