speaking24.com - free English conversation lessons online!

speaking24.com - free English conversation lessons online!

Free English conversations - here you can find an e-pal to practise English speaking skills online.

One more valuable resource - The Phrase Finder

Whether you want to resolve a friendly argument over how a saying or phrase originated or whether you just enjoy words, you'll probably find something here to interest you.

Are you a professional writer? If so, you may find that the Phrase Thesaurus could make your life easier.

This writers' resource spawns ideas for headlines, advertising copy, song lyrics, poetry etc. Journalists, advertising copywriters, songwriters, or anyone interested in creative writing in English, can benefit from this ideas generator.

Have you a question on the origin of a saying or phrase? Use our Discussion Forum to ask the people who know. Go to the current forum to ask questions..."

There's also a searchable archive of more than 50,000 postings about sayings and phrases.

Have newly researched origins of phrases and sayings e-mailed to you each week with our free Phrase A Week mailing list (join here).

You may also receive these updates each week via our news feed.

Dmitry Shapovalov's Accent Training Program

Дмитрий Константинович Шаповалов
(как гражданин Российской Федерации)
Dimitri Chapov
(как гражданин Соединённых Штатов Америки)
Родился в 1967 году в городе Джезказган, Казахской ССР.
В 1980-ые годы учился на факультете
Проблем Физики и Энергетики (ФПФЭ)
Московского Физико-Технического Института (МФТИ).
В 1989 году эмигрировал из СССР в США. Проживал также в Австрии, Чехии и Мексике.
Когда я взялся за изучение Английского в 17 лет, я столкнулся с проблемой - в то время просто не было учебных пособий, которые удовлетворили бы мою жажду студента-физика иметь логичный, стройный и законченный источник информации о реальном языке – столь необходимый начинающему.
Сегодня же перед изучающими язык открыт просто океан возможностей, и у них есть выбор из сотен существующих Российских и зарубежных пособий.
Но что вы точно из учебников не вынесите, это то, что большинство из Вас называют «произношением». Если Вы думаете, что это можно учить лишь слушая носителей языка (в живую или в записи), то у меня для Вас плохая новость – если Вам больше 12-13 лет, то Вам будет очень трудно что-либо так «выучить», а если Вам за 20, то просто забудьте об этом!

Готов с любым из Вас поспорить. Есть желающие?

Почему то, что Вы называете «произношением», важно в Английском – объясняется на разных страницах этого сайта. Оно особенно важно именно для начинающих, вопреки многим легендам. Почитайте, посмотрите видеоролики. Я очень старался, когда их делал. Для Вас.

Так вот: при кажущейся частоте слова «произношение» в поисковиках на интернете, вы не найдёте ничего дельного, что реально чему-то значимо учит русскоговорящих. Это я Вам как человек с менталитетом физика говорю. Видите ли, люди, со склонностью к точным наукам, умеют учиться гораздо лучше людей без такой склонности.

Опять же – готов поспорить! Найдите мне такое пособие, которое лучше учит русскоговорящих английской фонологии, чем SoundSmart, и я подарю Вам или любому другому частному лицу (по Вашему выбору) участие в SoundSmart «Тренинг».

Я уверен, что мой опыт и врождённое умение объяснять сложные вещи просто, на пальцах, окажутся очень полезными в Ваших усилиях по изучению английского языка! У Вас всё получится!

Я концентрируюсь исключительно на моментах, необходимых именно русскоговорящему человеку. Я постоянно сравниваю английские фонемы с "похожими" русскими и учу как, логопедически просто, перейти от "неправильных" к "правильным".
Весь теоретический материал и инструкции SoundSmart озвучены по-русски, поэтому он подходит и для начинающих русскоговорящих изучающих.

Learn English a lesson d day

Have just found another resource - Learn English a lesson a day - 737 lessons + 1 new English lesson every day
learn English, ask, practice & discuss!
It's free
GRAMMAR VOCABULARY LISTENING READING - what else? Perfect!
Phrasal Verbs Reading Vocabulary
Idioms Phrasal Verbs Phrases
Double Negatives
Confusing Words Grammar Vocabulary
Non-count and count quantifiers
Choose the correct word
Confusing Words
Word of the day: Whinge
Using 'Pre'

You work on your Listening skills with Youtube movie trailers - scripts are provided, Active Vocabulary words are highlighted and linked to Cambridge Dictionary online - a ready-made resource - take and use and study!

british accent

How to Speak With a British Accent: Video Series.
Interested in having a convincing British dialect? Learn how to speak with a British accent in this free entertainment video series.

There are 28 videos in this series:

About the Presenter
ev_3b6ab8f9-7970-49cb-8f2f-3963b0402bcc

Tracy Goodwin Tracy Goodwin has a master’s in corporate communication and 10 years experience in professional speaking. Recipient of numerous public speaking awards and is a college professor of public speaking, interpersonal communications, voice and diction, and business speech. Goodwin is the author of "Be Delicious: The Art of Voice & Movement Integration."


British Accent: Pronunciation, Not Listening -- powered by eHow.com

Dr. Zeuss

Beginner reading books (videos) can be found here on Youtube.

I know how difficult and frustrating it is for adult learners to start reading. These funny videos from Dr.Zeuss series might help eliminate stress and they are very funny. Watch them!

WordWeb

Students (and teachers) experience lots of problems trying to cope with 'Word formation' exam task on FCE, etc. What are the derivatives for 'legal'? Are you sure you are able to jot down all of them? I have found free software helpful for this purpose - WordWeb.

The software has a full dictionary and thesaurus for American, British, Canadian, Australian, Indian, and global English.

Practice and enjoy!

video on 1st September for Monica

Monica is from Australia. She has a big family - a husband and 6 children. She is keen on Russian history and culture and learns the Russian language. In my last letter I was telling her about the way the 1st of September is celebrated in Russia and found this video for her.
I hope you will get a better idea about this celebration now, Monica

Moodle

Moodle is a software package for producing Internet-based courses and web sites. It is a global development project designed to support a social constructionist framework of education.

Moodle is provided freely as Open Source software (under the GNU Public License). Basically this means Moodle is copyrighted, but that you have additional freedoms. You are allowed to copy, use and modify Moodle provided that you agree to: provide the source to others; not modify or remove the original license and copyrights, and apply this same license to any derivative work. Read the license for full details and please contact the copyright holder directly if you have any questions.

The word Moodle was originally an acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment, which is mostly useful to programmers and education theorists. It's also a verb that describes the process of lazily meandering through something, doing things as it occurs to you to do them, an enjoyable tinkering that often leads to insight and creativity. As such it applies both to the way Moodle was developed, and to the way a student or teacher might approach studying or teaching an online course. Anyone who uses Moodle is a Moodler.

World Science Festival

a thought-provoking video for further discussion with advances classes


Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale, using audience participation, at the event "Notes & Neurons: In Search of the Common Chorus", from the 2009 World Science Festival, June 12, 2009.

For more of Bobby McFerrin and the science behind this program, please view the full "Notes & Neurons: In Search of the Common Chorus" event video at our website:

worldsciencefestival.com/video/notes-neurons-full

World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.

Richi Rock on Edufire and his blog

Richi Rock in an American instructor, teacher, educator on Edufire.

He teaches Vocabulary Expansion and Listening Practice through Cultural English.
In his classes he carries out Analysis of English spoken at authentic velocity using cool and entertaining videos found on-line + Exercises to increase understanding + Explanation of useful expressions + Focus on phrasal verbs + Heavy use of wikipedia, Youtube and Twitter.com. Global LOL.

In his Edufire profile he writes - 'I like chillin and i like rockin. as for my teaching methodology, the challenge is keeping students engaged and excited. i build courses around students’ interests, and use examples and exercises from modern culture.

It is very good I can go on working on the vocabulary discussed in class using the materials of his blog. It helps me to memorise new words in context and it is very exciting to read his posts 'flavoured' with humor

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

One more source for developing Listening skills and expanding Vocabulary.

I am following my American instructor Richi Rock on twitter (he is the teacher on Edufire). I read the following article - 'Paper Money Tainted with Cocaine
A study presented at the meeting of the American Chemical Society finds that the vast majority of paper money has trace amounts of cocaine. Cynthia Graber reports'.
You can read the text and listen to the podcast.

Thanks to Richi I have found out that 'Scientific American (SciAm) is a popular science magazine since 1845. It is the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States.It brings articles about new and innovative research to the amateur and lay audience.

SPOTLIGHT - global life, clear english

SPOTLIGHT -
The site for developing Listening skills for intermediate students or lower with words list and scripts, resources for further studies

Walter Lewin Massachusetts Institute of Technology

I could never have thought of studying Physics in such a way.
Good practice for iBT TOEFL Listening and Writing (Integrated essay).

MITOPENCOURSEWARE
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Watch some of Walter Lewin's greatest moments. To see more, check out Professor Lewin's classes, Physics 8.01

Stanfor's University Mobile Orchestra

you might like it - watching and listening. It is surprising, fun and...a good Listening exercise - Stanford assistant professor and entrepreneur, Ge Wang makes music with a mobile phone orchestra and iPhone ocarina.

writing, introduction

have found some more teaching video materials

Marina Petrovic, Serbia

Please don't forget to subscribe to Marina Petrovic's blog (one of many) - my big friend and guru in e-learning / e-teaching, you will find loads of extremely useful materials on both subjects.
Marina is from Serbia, she is the owner of her own English Language School,computer specialist, translator and interpreter.
Here is some info about Marina-
"About Marina
I have been teaching English and managing a private language school for 13 years now. This dual aspect of my work gave me invaluable insights into language school dynamics and enabled me to comprehend and empathize with students', teachers' and school owners' problems, needs and aspirations. Currently, I see the concept of E-learning, in its broadest meaning, as the means of providing quality teaching/ learning en masse."
the link to the site - http://educo11.com/news.php

english, video, listening, skydiving

an exciting activity and listening exercise expanding your vocabulary as well
http://video.about.com/gonewengland/Flying-Without-Skydiving.htm

3D art

my French friend Brigitte sent me the letter where she wrote about a 3D street artist Julian Beever. It is so unusual, I have never seen and heard anything of this kind. You can see his works here in this clip. Fantastic! Later I went to Fabiana's WIzIQ slass on Listening, Singing and Speaking, I 'discovered' a new name - Don McLean (singer), 'Vincent' (Starry starry night)- a wonderful song. So, it helped me to get the idea of my first class for my new students at school on 1 September - I am so happy. Watch the song and the video about Julian's work and enjoy these with me!

Kevin McCaughey

when he worked in Belarus he wrote this song about boots on Belorussian women - it's fun. I like it =)
Watch and enjoy!

Kevin McCaughey

Kevin McCaughey is an English Language Fellow in the English Language Office (American Embassy in Moscow). He worked in Vladivostok and other Russian cities as a university lecturer, presenter, volunteer and so on. He is a great fellow, teacher, songs writer, author and musician. Here is his song he created for FEELTA - I think it is thrilling
the link to his site - http://www.kevinmccaughey.com/bio

eSingularity

Imagine a world where every kid participates on a flat education system, challenging themselves and others, and winning prizes for applying themselves, no matter what their social, ecomonic, geographic disposition is...we can and we will build it.
http://www.eduit.org/