Language Resources
CESI 2005
Katrina Keogh & Cara Greene
National Centre for Language Technology,
School of Computing, DCU, Dublin 9.
Mail: kkeogh@computing.dcu.ie; cgreene@computing.dcu.ie
INTRODUCTION
It is impossible to create a fully comprehensive list of online language resources. This
list contains sample links and resources to get you started. There are countless
resources available online which can easily be found using a search engine e.g.
http://www.google.ie
If you want to find text in the target language, you are better off using a search engine
for the target language.
e.g.
German – http://www.google.de
French – http://www.google.fr
A useful link to get you started is the ICT for Language Technology website. It
contains all the background knowledge you need to get started.
http://www.ict4lt.org/
This list of resources will also be available online to save you typing in all of the
URLs (web site addresses):
http://www.computing.dcu.ie/~kkeogh/cesi/resources.html
Trinity College Tandem e-mail project: http://www.tcd.ie/CLCS/tandem/
ENGLISH
English curriculum
http://www.iol.ie/~jenko/
Description: Leaving Certificate English Resources – John Jennings
Topics: Studies in language text: language of information, argument, persuasion,
narration and the aesthetic use of language. There also links to sites connected to
material in “Studies in Language” by John Jennings.
http://www.skool.ie/
Description: English revision for Junior and Leaving Certificate students.
Leaving cert topics: Language genres, Standalone texts, comparative texts, film
studies, prescribed poetry, unseen poetry
Junior cert topics: Poetry, media studies, improve your English
English as a Foreign Language
http://www.englishforum.com/00/interactive/
Description: Resources for students and teachers of English
Language exercises: Grammar, vocabulary, idioms, spelling
Exercise Types: Sentence-construction exercises, find the pairs, crosswords, gap-fill,
hangman, matching, word choice, correct sequence exercises
Grammar: Grammar quizzes - prepositions, pronouns, plurals, conjunctions
Extras: audio, video, images, graphics, instant feedback
http://www.englishclub.com/
Description: Website for students and teachers of English as a second language
(ESL)
Language skills: Grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, listening, speaking, reading,
writing
Exercise Types: Multiple-choice, matching, jumbled-up sentences, true/false
exercises
Grammar: Verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, interjections, prepositions etc.
Extras: audio, video, images, graphics, instant feedback
http://a4esl.org/
Description: Quizzes, tests, exercises and puzzles to help you learn English as a
Second Language (ESL)
Levels: Easy, Medium and Difficult
Language skills: Grammar, vocabulary, writing
Language topics: Animals, clothes, body-parts, food, countries, classroom items etc.
Exercise Types: Crosswords, gap-fill quizzes,
Grammar: Prepositions, word & sentence combining, verb-forms, irregular verbs etc.
Extras: audio, images, graphics, instant feedback
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslstudent.html
Description: ESL resources for students
Language skills: Grammar, spelling, idioms, vocabulary
Language exercises: Quizzes, exercises, interactive sites
English – Special Needs / Literacy
David Wray - Professor of Literacy Education
Institute of Education, University of Warwick, UK.
http://www.warwick.ac.uk/staff/D.J.Wray/index.html
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Information on literacy research projects
Ideas & resources for teaching aspects of literacy
o Ideas for teaching writing e.g. writing frames
Useful articles about literacy teaching and critical literacy
Links to related sites and book reviews
Teachnet.ie
http://www.teachnet.ie/mhickey/2003/pupilactivitiespg1.html
 Pupil activities - English Language Exercises for Special Needs Students
Description: Online activities for students with special needs
Language skills: Practise with confusing words in English e.g. of and off
Exercise Types: Multiple-choice
Extras: images, graphics, instant feedback
http://www.teachnet.ie/mhickey/2003/weblinkenglang.html
 Web links for English Language Exercises for Special Needs Students
o Writing skills, spelling, punctuation, puzzles and riddles

http://www.teachnet.ie/mhickey/2003/weblinkspneeds.htmlInformation on
Special Needs – e.g. dyslexia
The Literacy Centre http://www.literacycenter.net/
Description: The LiteracyCenter.Net serves more than a million free literacy lessons
a month to children in 141 countries. It provides learning activities for parents and
teachers to share with young children. A virtual pencil draws the shapes, letters etc.
they student is looking at.
Language exercises: Uppercase/lowercase letters, shapes, writing, full words,
numbers, colours, keyboard. For example, in the keyboard task, the student presses
the letter on the keyboard and the letter is high lighted on screen.
Extras: video, images, graphics
http://www.teachnet.ie/mhickey/2003/spellinginto.html
Description: INTO resources – English Language Exercises for Special Needs
Students
Language Skills: Spelling, phonological awareness, high-frequency words.
http://www.into.ie/html/interactive/resources.htm
Description: INTO resources – Learning support, English comprehension, plays &
drama, hand-writing
Also covered: Irish, maths, ICT, music, visual arts
Language Skills: Spelling, writing, comprehension.
Exercise types: Lessons and gap-fill exercises
IRISH
Web Sites
BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/blas/learners/beag1.shtml
GaelTalk
http://www.gaeltalk.net/
Need to register 4 weeks=$20, 8 weeks=€50
www.Skool.ie
list of Irish resources
http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaeilge/gaeilge.html#clann
Just phrases
http://www.leyline.org/cra/languages/IrishPeople/
RTÉ Turas Teanga
http://www.rte.ie/tv/turasteanga/learning_irish.html
Daltai
www.daltai.com/grammar.htm
Dictionaries:
Foclóir Beag Online
http://www.csis.ul.ie/focloir/
Gramadach Lexicon
http://www.ceantar.org/Dicts/Gram/index.html
Tobar – Irish dictionary for vocabulary needed in the public sector
http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/~smacsuib/bng/tobar/
List of computer terms
http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaeilge/foclora/abhair/riomhaire.html
English – Irish dictionary
http://www.crannog.ie/focloir.htm
Irish – English dictionary
http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/~smacsuib/focloir/gaelic-l/
list of dictionaries
http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaeilge/foclora/
Fun
Curse engine
http://www.lincolnu.edu/~focal/scripts/mallacht.htm
CD-ROMs
EasyReader
Talk Now! Irish
World Talk! Irish
Learn Irish Now
Thanks to Alison Boardman for contributing to the Irish List of Resources.
Alison Boardman BA (Hons) in Information Systems, is a freelance ICT trainer and is
currently doing her Masters (by research) on Learning Irish & Multimedia
technologies at the Institute of Technology,Tralee, Ireland. If you would like to take
part in her online survey, please email her (a blank email with ‘Survey’ as the subject
will suffice) at: Alison.Boardman@staff.ittralee.ie
GERMAN
Goethe Institut
In German: http://www.goethe.de/dll/mat/deindex.htm
In English: http://www.goethe.de/dll/mat/enindex.htm
Resource information:
 Tasks and exercises
 Business and special languages
 Chat, Fora, E-Mail
 Specialist journals
 Training for teachers
 Early language learning
 Grammar
 Regional and cultural studies
 Textbooks
 Learning with new media
 Methodology and didactics
 Texts and literature
 Dictionaries
Goethe Institut: Lina and Leo.
Learn German with Lina and her parrot Leo as they travel around different German
cities. This site is suitable for primary and post-primary students.
http://www2.goethe.de/z/50/linaleo/mainmen2.htm
History of Germany for the past 1,000 years. Great site for projects.
http://www.goethe.de/in/d/gaz/zeitgeschehen.html
German for Travellers
http://www.germanfortravellers.com/
Language Topics: weather, travel, numbers, colours, body, orientation, music, sports,
communication, animals, plants, jewellery, shapes, games, landscapes, buildings,
time, food, furniture, cooking, university, clothes, emotions, expressions, family…
Exercise types: crosswords, gap-fill, click on the correct picture, listen and type,
exercises with movie video, multiple choice, flash/shockwave clicking games
Extras: video, audio, images
Ideal for revision or starting out. Geared more towards post-primary students.
Gut
http://gut.languageskills.co.uk/Home.html
Description: Excellent resource for learners of German, Spanish or French. It offers a
huge number of exercises on the topics listed below. Most suitable for post-primary
students.
Language Topics:
Beginner: Numbers, colours, talking about myself, school, food, clothes, time, pets,
families, hobbies, in town, my house, weather, holidays, travel and transport, free
time, body and illness, TV, food and shopping, myself, tourism, environment, media,
jobs and money, family and relationships.
Intermediate: Self, family, friends, interests/hobbies, home, home life, local
environment, daily routine, school, travel, tourism, finding the way, tourism,
accommodation, services, healthy living, part-time jobs, work experience, leisure,
shopping, character, relationships, environment, education, careers, future plans,
social issues, choices, responsibilities.
Exercise Types: concentration, matching up, re-ordering, word-search, gap-fill, listen
and type, multiple-choice, hangman
Note: Some of these exercises were generated using Quia.
Extras: Three of the four skills can be practised using the site: reading, listening,
writing. Audio, images, flash.
BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/german/index.shtml
BBC languages – German section. Complete the German test to find out which course
suits you best. Choose from German steps, Talk German, Deutsch Plus and GCSE
Bitesize German.
Grammar:
Verbix
http://www.verbix.com/languages/german.shtml
Conjugate any German verb.
Lingofox
http://konjugator.lingofox.de/de/konjugieren_deutsch.htm
Conjugate any German verb (also for French, Spanish, Italian and English).
Grammar review and exercises
http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/german/grammar/grammar.htm
TV/RADIO
Tagesshau
www.tagesshau.de
The famous German TV newsjournal. Three versions daily can be viewed as video
and or text. Also contains an extensive archive. Very helpful!
Deutsche Welle
www.dwelle.de
A nice collection of news and reports, texts and radio excerpts in the old Real Audio
format, possibly also some TV transmissions later on. Very good and useful,
sometimes slow. Most of the information can be read in many languages, so far
Spanish, German, English, soon French.
ard
www.ard.de
News stories, tv, radio
Dictionaries:
LEO
http://dict.leo.org/
Culturally authentic pictorial dictionary
http://www.washjeff.edu/capl/
Great for finding related words.
Rhyming Dictionary
http://www.2rhyme.ch/Search/Default.asp?WordEnding=ichten&Submit=Reimen
New German - English dictionary
http://www.iee.et.tu-dresden.de/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/wernerr/search.sh
Miscellaneous
LEMO – Lebendiges Virtuelles Museum Online
http://www.dhm.de/lemo/home.html
online History of Germany
Vocabulary training exercises
http://www.vokabel.com/
German internet project on the Berlin Wall
http://www.uncg.edu/%7Elixlpurc/GIP/berlin_wall.html
Cultural magazine
http://www.perlentaucher.de/
Vocabulary
http://www.languageguide.org/deutsch/index.jsp
Vocabulary builder with audio, graphics and mouse over translations.
Magazine for young learners of German – about Germany and German life
http://www.juma.de/v.php?fl=welcome.html
Online exercises:
http://www.colby.edu/german/deutsch_ueben/
Index of online German newspapers, arranged by topics
http://www.zeitungen.de/
AATG
http://www.aatg.org/
List of German language links for teachers
List of German links
http://www.uq.net.au/%7Ezzkmunr1/german/index.htm
List of German exercises
http://www.uncg.edu/%7Elixlpurc/publications/NetzUeb.html
CD Roms
Vocabulary Builder German
EuroTalk interactive
Learning German with a Cartoon disc for 4-12 year olds
FRENCH
http://www.frenchtutorial.com/- Hervé Foucher
Description: The
French Tutorial is a web-based lesson covering basics,
pronunciation, but also grammar, vocabulary and everyday French. It offers audio
support for better oral comprehension, a table of contents and an index for faster
searches.
Language Topics: basics, ownership, counting, comparative language, time & date, family,
at home, Christmas, pets clothes, colours, weather, IT.
Exercise Types: drop-down menu
Grammar: pronouns, articles, present, past and future tense, negative phrases, number
agreement, interrogative phrases
Extras: audio, gap-fill
Standard
Personal
Deluxe
13
133
277
13
133
277
13
134
277
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-
yes
Access to forums
Exams
-
yes
demo only
Support
none
none
Registration
-
Access
free!
yes
free for
registered
users
yes
1
dedicated and
monitored
forums
yes
Number of chapters
Number of pages
Audio files
donors only
$11.00
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/gauge/(Also German)
Description: This website assesses the learner at the beginning and recommends
sections of their online course e.g. “The French Experience”, “Make French your
Business” and “Painless grammar”.
Language Topics: Getting around, hotels & camping, shopping, working life, eating
out, working life, holidays.
Exercise Types: gap-fill, listen and type, multiple-choice etc.
Grammar: Sounds, nouns, adjectives and verbs.
Extras: audio, video, images, key-word index, instant feedback
http://french.about.com/cs/francophonie/a/learnfrench.htm
Description: This websites contains links to beginners, intermediate and advanced
French lessons and associated exercises.
Language Topics: The basics, travelling, school and education
Exercise Types: gap-fill, listen and type, multiple-choice etc.
Grammar: All levels of grammar covered.
Extras: audio, video, images, graphics, instant feedback
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/
Description: A number of different online courses for all levels of French: Online topics with
audio, video and quizzes. There are also Talk TV programmes, which are repeated regularly
on BBC Learning Zone (http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/?languages_and_travel_all)
Language Topics: Greetings, family, origins, town & country, sports, direction etc.
Exercise Types: multiple-choice, true/false statements
Grammar: Present, past and future tense covered during each language topic
Extras: audio, video, images, graphics, key language, key words, transcript of your
results can be printed (for a teacher to look at later), instant feedback
http://www.realfrench.net/
Description: Free resources for learners and teachers of French. This website is split
into three sections: Grammar, Vocabulary and Tools.
Grammar
(http://www.realfrench.net/grammar/)
Intermediate topics: Lessons covering clauses, parts of speech, accents and
pronunciation, verbs – regular & irregular, all conjugations, all tenses.
Advanced topics: Lessons covering the origins of French, English and its relationship
with French, clauses, simple & complex sentences etc.
Exercise Types: Gap-fill
Extras: instant feedback
Vocabulary (http://www.realfrench.net/vocab )
Options: Play a game, listen to some vocabulary, get a vocabulary list to learn
Games
Language Topics: Numbers, colours, animals, date & time, shops, adjectives etc.
Exercise Types: Tic-tac-toe, crossword, wordsearch, hangman, memory game,
matching game, spelling test
Extras: Instant Feedback, gap-fill
Listen to some Vocabulary
Language Topics: A-Z of general beginner vocabulary
Exercise Types: Listen and repeat
Extras: audio
Get a Vocabulary List
Levels: Beginner, intermediate, advanced vocabulary lists to be printed
Language Topics: Adjectives, colours, countries, days, months, function words, time,
verbs, sport, jobs, food, daily tasks
Exercise Types: Read and learn, spelling tests and games
Tools
(http://www.realfrench.net)
Verb Conjugator – Type in any verb and it will give all conjugations
Accent Codes – French accent codes for typing
http://languagecenter.cla.umn.edu/index.php?page=links_french
Description: Links to French search engines and French language sites. A lot of the content
on these sites is intermediate to advanced. There are plenty of links to comprehension
exercises etc. In the ‘French 1003 links’ and ‘French 1004 links’ sections, click on “Révision
pour les examens” for vocabulary exercises and games.
Exercise Types: matching, gap-fill, multiple-choice
Extras: audio, images, graphics, instant feedback
http://eleaston.com/
Description: Links to materials for teaching and learning
Languages covered: English, French, German
Language Topics: Links for Exercises and quizzes for each language
http://www.realfrench.net/links/
Description: Over 700 links to websites relating to all aspects of French language and
culture.
AUTORING TOOLS
Hot Potatoes http://web.uvic.ca/hrd/halfbaked/
Description: The Hot Potatoes suite includes six applications, enabling you to create
interactive multiple-choice, short-answer, jumbled-sentence, crossword,
matching/ordering and gap-fill exercises for the World Wide Web. Hot Potatoes is not
freeware, but it is free of charge for those working for publicly-funded non-profitmaking educational institutions, who make their pages available on the web.
QuizMaker Javascript Wizard http://www.edict.com.hk/quizmaker/
Description: The JavaScript Wizard creates a stand-alone test that can be run from
any PC or server. The test is scored and reviewed using a JavaScript program that is
written into the document. There are so some ready-made quizzes for English.
Language Skills: Reading comprehension
Exercise Types: Multiple-choice
Extras: Frames
ClozeMaker Test Author Utilities http://www.edict.com.hk/ClozeMaker/default.htm
Description: Stand-alone cloze tests can be created easily to run from your own PC or
serve. There are already some ready-made cloze tests for English. Students listen to a
recorded piece and then fill in the cloze test.
Language Skills: Aural comprehension, spelling and writing
Exercise Types: Multiple-choice
Extras: Frames
Quia http://www.quia.com/
Description: 30-day free trial. You must pay after that. They host your exercises.
http://www.memorylifter.com/download/program.html
Memory Lifter - the superlative memorization flashcard software
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/4631/authorng.htm
List of available authoring tools
http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~creitan/quizclass/
Set of links on creating interactive exercises for the world wide web