Vocabulary-Building Resources

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Audio Resources/Listening Practice

  1. Life-Skills-Related Topics (with vocabulary, audio and a quiz for upper-beginning students and higher)
    www.esl-lab.com/vocab/
  2. Word Explorer (explains words in a brief format; for advanced-level students)
    dictionary.reference.com/features/podcasts.html?r=10

Collocations

  1. Combinations with Take, Have and Break
    esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blcollocation_1.htm
  2. Combinations with Catch, Pay and Keep
    esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blcollocation_2.htm
  3. Combinations with Save, Find and Go
    esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blcollocation_3.htm
  4. Combinations with Come, Get and Feel
    esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blcollocation_4.htm
  5. Combinations with Miss, Get, Do and Make
    esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blcollocation_5.htm
  6. Collocation Practice Questions
    a4esl.org/q/f/z/zy37mjp.htm
  7. Matching and Collocation Worksheets (printable PDF exercises for beginners; answers are on the second page)
    www.esl-galaxy.com/collocation.html

Dictionaries

  1. The Internet Picture Dictionary
    www.pdictionary.com
  2. Links to Specialty Dictionaries by Topics
    www.yourdictionary.com/specialty.html
  3. Acronyms and Abbreviations
    www.acronymfinder.com/
  4. A Dictionary and Thesaurus with Pronunciation (includes translation dictionary)
    www.yourdictionary.com
  5. Merriam-Webster Online
    www.m-w.com
  6. The Free Dictionary (with audio)
    www.thefreedictionary.com
  7. One Look Reverse Dictionary (describe a concept and receive a list of words and phrases)
    www.onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml
  8. Click the Search Browser on Cultural Literacy to Search for Idioms, Expressions and Proverbs
    www.bartleby.com
  9. Word of the Day (a quiz with pronunciation and links to an advanced word quiz with an analogy of the day challenge)
    www.factmonster.com/cgi-bin/schoolword
  10. Shahi Visual Dictionary (great images from Flickr, Google and Yahoo!; no audio)
    blachan.com/shahi/
  11. Glossary (includes pictures, audio of the word's pronunciation, definitions of each word and sample sentences; Harcourt)
    www.harcourtschool.com/glossary/esl/

Idioms

  1. The Idiom Connection (idioms, definitions and practice exercises)
    www.idiomconnection.com
  2. American Idioms (quizzes to review the meanings of idioms)
    www.quiz-tree.com/American_Idioms_main.html
  3. A Good List of Idioms in Context (Click an idiom for an explanation.)
    www.goenglish.com/Idioms.asp
  4. Lists of Idioms (alphabetical and random lists)
    www.eslcafe.com/idioms/
  5. Paint by Idioms (an interactive way to learn idioms)
    www.funbrain.com/idioms/index.html
  6. Sports Idioms and Sample Dialog
    esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa111697.htm
  7. Idiomatic Expressions for American Sports (in printable PDF format)
    www.seminolestate.edu/media/els/idiomatic-expresssions.pdf
  8. A List of Links for Sites with Idioms
    iteslj.org/links/ESL/Idioms_and_Slang/
  9. Open English World: The Weekly Idiom (a list of idioms, definitions and examples; with audio)
    www.openenglishworld.com/
  10. Idioms and Expressions (a site with historical information)
    www.idiomsite.com
  11. Animal Idioms
    www.learn4good.com/languages/evrd_idioms/id-a.htm

Word Study: Prefixes, Root Words, and Suffixes

  1. Greek and Latin Roots Skills (interactive activities)
    www.quia.com/jg/223.html
  2. Common Prefixes, Suffixes and Root Words (three printable lists)
    www.msu.edu/~defores1/gre/roots/gre_rts_afx1.htm
  3. Root Games and Activities
    www.gamequarium.com/readquarium/rootwords.html

Vocabulary Lists

  1. ESL Vocabulary List. More than 80 categories to learn and practice high frequency vocabulary.
    ESL Vocabulary Lists (grammar-monster.com) 
  2. Vocabulary Lists by Levels
    http://eslgold.com/vocabulary/
  3. Vocabulary Workshop: The 1,000 Most Common Words in English
    http://esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/bl1000_list1.htm">esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/bl1000_list1.htm

Vocabulary-Building Strategies and Tips

  1. Learning New Words, Increasing Your Vocabulary - Tips and links to improve your vocabulary
    dictionary.reference.com/features/learningnewwords.html
  2. Use a good English dictionary - Tips on what to look for when buing a dictionary
    http://www.antimoon.com/how/dict.htm
  3. "If 'the Dictionary' Doesn't List a Word, Try Checking Another Dictionary" (Wordmaster VOA Special English)
    learningenglish.voanews.com/content/a-23-2010-02-02-voa2-84659037/117629.html

Vocabulary Quizzes and Games

  1. Free Rice - Website where users play various educational, multiple-choice games in vocabulary and grammar in order to fight world hunger. To change vocabulary level or re-start, answer the first question then click on the links at the bottom of the page (audio available).
    freerice.com
  2. Games with Words - Games and quizzes that use VOA Special English words http://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/a-23-a-2001-07-11-3-1-83033197/119126.html
  3. English Vocabulary - Exercises by life-skills topics www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/vocabulary/index.html
  4. Vocabulary Quiz on Topics, Including Staying Healthy, and Business and Money www.vocabulary.co.il/games2/vocquiz/vocquiz.swf
  5. Vocabulary - List of word search puzzles
    www.1-language.com/wordsearch/index.htm
  6. Create Word Search Puzzles to Reinforce Vocabulary
    puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com
  7. English Vocabulary Quizzes - List of links to many exercises (easy to medium) a4esl.org/a/v3.html
  8. English Vocabulary Quizzes List of links to many exercises (difficult)
    a4esl.org/a/v5.html
  9. Basic 2000 Words: Quiz 1
    a4esl.org/q/j/dt/mc-2000-01.html
  10. Basic 2000 Words: Odd Man Out 1 - Vocabulary quiz
    a4esl.org/q/j/dt/mc-2000-01odd.html
  11. Basic 2000 Words: Definition Match 1 - Vocabulary quiz
    a4esl.org/q/j/dt/mc-2000-01def.html
  12. Basic 2000 Words: Synonym Match 1 - Vocabulary quiz
    a4esl.org/q/j/dt/mc-2000-01syn.html
  13. Basic 2000 Words: Fill-in Quiz 1 - Vocabulary quiz
    a4esl.org/q/j/dt/fb-2000-01.html

Vocabulary for Foundations/Low Beginning

  1. Vocabulary (easy; with pictures)
    iteslj.org/v/ei/
  2. Seasons
    www.first-school.ws/theme/cpseasons.htm
  3. English Vocabulary Quizzes (easy; a list of links to many exercises)
    a4esl.org/a/v.html

Contact

For more information, please contact 407.708.2120 or
Learn-English-Now@seminolestate.edu