List of Resources - Academic Pathway:
itinerari d’autoaprenentatge per fer docència en anglès
This document provides information on the resources included in the Academic Pathway. It
includes the full name of the organization or institution that created the resource in question,
a link to the home page or to a specific page within the web, a brief introduction to the
resource, followed by a comment from SLT (Servei de Llengües i Terminologia).
Text printed in red provides information on software requirements needed in order to use
the resource effectively.
The webs have been listed in alphabetical order.
Academic Word List - Vocabulary Exercises
http://www.academicvocabularyexercises.com/
What is the Academic Word List? The AWL is a list of words which appear with high frequency
in English-language academic texts. The list was compiled by Averil Coxhead at the Victoria
University of Wellington, New Zealand.
SLT Comment: This site is very clear and easy to use.
BBC - Learning English, Pronunciation Tips
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/
The BBC Worldservice is a news channel that created a web to help learners stay up-to-date on
news from around the world and study English at the same time. It is an excellent web-site
which includes an online newspaper, radio programs, videos and podcasts. For Academic
Pathway, we have chosen the section on Pronunciation Tips.
SLT Comment: This site provides an introduction to phonetic transcriptions of English sounds.
There are short videos and radio programmes. Whatever your level, this section on
pronunciation is well worth doing.
Monash University, Language and Learning Online
http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/grammar/index.xml
Monash University in Australia created a site called Language and Learning Online. It is a
collection of resources to help international students improve their academic performance.
SLT Comment: Most of the direct links we propose for this site are presented as lessons. This
means that you begin by studying their presentation of the lesson. The exercises are not given
until you reach the end of a specific explanation or lesson.
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Capital Community College Foundation, Guide to Grammar & Writing
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
A site that includes a wide range of writing and grammar exercises.
SLT Comment: Practical site.
Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Centre for Independent Language Learning
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/default4.htm
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eap/
This site was created to provide tools for learners of English to study independently. Some of
the exercises, not included in Academic Pathway, require a password exclusive to students and
staff at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
SLT Comment: There is some interesting content in this site. It is worth browsing in a casual
way. In some exercises, the Chinese translation of English vocabulary is given. Ignore it, unless
of course you are interested.
Massey University, Auckland; Academic English from the Student Learning Centre
http://martinmcmorrow.podomatic.com/
Martin McMorrow is an English Language Learning Advisor at the Student Learning Centre, at
Massey University in Auckland. He has created podcasts which consist of lessons on specific
words within an academic context.
SLT Comment: This site allows you to learn new vocabulary and improve your listening
comprehension in a relaxed and enjoyable manner. To get to the word that has been set for
each day you have to scroll down to find the word on the home page.
Praat Language Lab
http://www.praatlanguagelab.com/
Praat Language Lab was developed to help students and language teachers learn to use the
Praat software to improve spoken English. Many colleges and universities use Praat to provide
visual feedback to spoken sound.
SLT Comment: The audio and visual files are very slow to download. We recommend you
download the lesson, go and do another exercise (from the Grammar section) and then come
back to the Praat Language Lab.
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Purdue University, The OWL (Online Writing Lab) at Purdue
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/2/
Purdue University offers over 200 free resources including: Writing and Teaching Writing,
Research, Grammar and Mechanics, Style Guides, ESL (English as a Second Language), Job
Search and Professional Writing.
SLT Comment: Great site, particularly for academic writing. For Academic Pathway, we have
chosen exercises from its grammar section.
University of Minnesota, Centre for Teaching and Learning
http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/index.html
http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/resources/nonnative/questions/index.html
Amongst the range of tutorials provided by the University of Minnesota, we have chosen two
areas.
1. Common Questions for International Teaching Assistants: these listening materials are
designed to help you become better acquainted with a variety of typical student questions,
common idioms used within them, and fast, reduced speech, a manner of speaking often used
by American students.
2. Video workshops on managing difficult situations in the classroom. The goal of this
experience is to help you think through challenging situations you may encounter in the
classroom and to see and hear a variety of teaching consultants address the situation.
SLT Comment: You may need to wait 10-20 seconds for the round video "start" button to
appear. Requires the free Flash 6 Plug-in. The plug-in self-installs once you've downloaded it.
It's very much worth the effort.
University of Reading, Self-Access Centre for Language Learning
http://www.personal.rdg.ac.uk/~wcl8/sacll/lectures.php#32
This site includes a long list of recordings by lecturers from a diverse range of backgrounds.
SLT Comment: All audio files are played in a Flash Player (V6+). If you do not have a version
installed it will offer you the chance to install the Flash software.
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UPC, Servei de Llengües i Terminologia de la UPC, CLASS-TALK
http://www.upc.edu/slt/classtalk/
CLASS-TALK is a multilingual phrasebook in Catalan, Spanish and English including a wide range
of university classroom situations. This resource was created by linguists and professors of the
Language and Terminology Service (SLT) and the School of Engineering of Manresa of the UPCBARCELONA TECH.
SLT Comment: This site is very practical and easy to use. We recommend you open it with
Firefox. You can listen to the sentences using Amarok or Windows Media Player.
Using English for Academic Purposes by Andy Gillett
http://www.uefap.com/
This site includes listening comprehension and note-taking activities, learning and teaching
materials, advice on reading skills for academic study, speaking in academic contexts,
vocabulary in EAP as well as guidelines and practise for academic writing.
SLT Comment: Excellent site. Wide range of interesting lessons and exercises. Very easy to find
what you want and the exercises are very practical. Latest version of RP, WMP or QT required
for the listening tasks.
www.ManyThings.org
http://www.manythings.org/pp/
This web site is aimed at learners studying English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a
Foreign Language (EFL).
SLT Comment: Among the wide range of activities available on this site, we have chosen the
section on pronunciation and more specifically exercises to practise minimal pairs (“ship”
versus “sheep”). It uses Flash and MP3 Files.
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