SELF STUDY
EXPLANATION
In our English B class you are expected to add to your class learning by creating your own self study programme, focusing especially on:
KEY ONLINE SITES
1. Reading
Google Alerts
Set up a Google Alerts to received an e-mailed list to articles and blogs on the topics you have specified
www.google.com/alerts/
ANGLOPHONE COUNTRIES
American and World News
Use these quality sites for news and articles specifically related to the USA but also world issues but first set up Flipboard on your phone to access multiple news and magazine sites:
Flipboard: http://flipboard.com/
Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/
England and World News
The BBC: http://www.bbc.com/
The The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/
2. Vocabulary
Increasing the size of your vocabulary will improve your reading comprehension, writing and speaking significantly. To learn a word so that you can use it accurately and effectively, you need to see it and use it multiple times. Wide reading will help you a lot, but learning specific high frequency words in context is also very effective. In English B writing accurate use of a wide range of vocabulary is rewarded in the language criterion.
Test your vocabulary level here : http://www.er.uqam.ca/nobel/r21270/levels/
High Frequency vocabulary here:
http://www.englishvocabularyexercises.com/
http://www.uefap.com/vocab/exercise/exercise.htm
3. Writing:
In English B at both HL and SL levels there is a lot of writing to do and writing assessments add up to 45% of the courses. Use these sites to explore how to improve your writing:
Purdue Online Writing Lab: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Guide to Grammar and Writing: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
4. Grammar
Set up your own individualized grammar research and practice programme and also track your progress using Virtual Grammar Lab. Accurate use of grammar in your writing and in particular accurate use of varied sentence structures is rewarded in the English B writing criterion
Virtual Grammar Lab: http://www.spunkyenglish.com/VGL/index.php/home/index.html
OTHER ONLINE SITES
Reading Sites
Short readings, often with multi-choice comprehension and vocabulary tasks:
http://www.cdlponline.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=stories&topicID=8
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/index.html
http://www.manythings.org/voa/
http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~lfried/stories/stories.html
http://literacynet.org/cnnsf/home.html
Dictation
Improve your recognition of sounds, words and sentences so you can follow lessons better. Online self-marking dictation at different levels.
http://www.dictationsonline.com/
Vocabulary
Test your own vocabulary. You should learn these high frequency words, especially in the 1000 – 5000 word lists. The best way to learn them is by reading regularly.
http://www.er.uqam.ca/nobel/r21270/levels/
Games for Learning Verbs and Verb tenses:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/starship/english/blastrocket.shtml
http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1325
http://livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=34403
http://www.englishmedialab.com/GrammarGames/perfectpast/tenses%20match.html
General Grammar
Some well explained grammar exercises, especially useful FOR understand verb tenses
http://www.eslcafe.com/students/
All Sorts of Interactive Grammar
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quiz_list.htm
Hundreds of Sites for Learning Grammar
http://newton.uor.edu/facultyfolder/rider/verbtenses.htm
SEE ALSO the " Language Space" page under the MORE tab.
In our English B class you are expected to add to your class learning by creating your own self study programme, focusing especially on:
- wide background reading about English B topics (see topics and aspects page)
- vocabulary learning with a special focus on topic related vocabulary
- writing skills associated with the text types used in English B
- learning grammar rules that will enable you to to correct repeated errors in your writing.
KEY ONLINE SITES
1. Reading
Google Alerts
Set up a Google Alerts to received an e-mailed list to articles and blogs on the topics you have specified
www.google.com/alerts/
ANGLOPHONE COUNTRIES
American and World News
Use these quality sites for news and articles specifically related to the USA but also world issues but first set up Flipboard on your phone to access multiple news and magazine sites:
Flipboard: http://flipboard.com/
Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/
England and World News
The BBC: http://www.bbc.com/
The The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/
2. Vocabulary
Increasing the size of your vocabulary will improve your reading comprehension, writing and speaking significantly. To learn a word so that you can use it accurately and effectively, you need to see it and use it multiple times. Wide reading will help you a lot, but learning specific high frequency words in context is also very effective. In English B writing accurate use of a wide range of vocabulary is rewarded in the language criterion.
Test your vocabulary level here : http://www.er.uqam.ca/nobel/r21270/levels/
High Frequency vocabulary here:
http://www.englishvocabularyexercises.com/
http://www.uefap.com/vocab/exercise/exercise.htm
3. Writing:
In English B at both HL and SL levels there is a lot of writing to do and writing assessments add up to 45% of the courses. Use these sites to explore how to improve your writing:
Purdue Online Writing Lab: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Guide to Grammar and Writing: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
4. Grammar
Set up your own individualized grammar research and practice programme and also track your progress using Virtual Grammar Lab. Accurate use of grammar in your writing and in particular accurate use of varied sentence structures is rewarded in the English B writing criterion
Virtual Grammar Lab: http://www.spunkyenglish.com/VGL/index.php/home/index.html
OTHER ONLINE SITES
Reading Sites
Short readings, often with multi-choice comprehension and vocabulary tasks:
http://www.cdlponline.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=stories&topicID=8
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/index.html
http://www.manythings.org/voa/
http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~lfried/stories/stories.html
http://literacynet.org/cnnsf/home.html
Dictation
Improve your recognition of sounds, words and sentences so you can follow lessons better. Online self-marking dictation at different levels.
http://www.dictationsonline.com/
Vocabulary
Test your own vocabulary. You should learn these high frequency words, especially in the 1000 – 5000 word lists. The best way to learn them is by reading regularly.
http://www.er.uqam.ca/nobel/r21270/levels/
Games for Learning Verbs and Verb tenses:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/starship/english/blastrocket.shtml
http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1325
http://livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=34403
http://www.englishmedialab.com/GrammarGames/perfectpast/tenses%20match.html
General Grammar
Some well explained grammar exercises, especially useful FOR understand verb tenses
http://www.eslcafe.com/students/
All Sorts of Interactive Grammar
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quiz_list.htm
Hundreds of Sites for Learning Grammar
http://newton.uor.edu/facultyfolder/rider/verbtenses.htm
SEE ALSO the " Language Space" page under the MORE tab.