ELT Expert: Software Recommendations for a Computer Lab/Learning Center for ELT

Recommended Software: Specific Skills

These focus on a specific skill, though most if not all programs offer practice in multiple skills. Categories are

Discussion/Speaking
Grammar
Listening
Pronunciation
Reading - speed reading/ skill-building - texts
Vocabulary/Spelling
Writing
Business English
Authoring

Learners will need help in knowing how to get the best use out of the specific skill programs, as well as in choosing the appropriate program for their level of English proficiency. It is important for learners to track what they do in order to self-assess and see progress. Some of the programs listed below include record-keeping, but most do not. While authoring is primarily for teachers, more advanced learners can benefit greatly from creating material for their peers. Group work is helpful and motivating with most of the specific skill areas.

Discussion/Speaking

These programs should nornally be used in groups, although they can also be used by an individual. MindGame can be played by an individual against the computer, though it, too, is more motivating and likely to encourage language use with real people as players. Students working in groups should allocate different roles to different people so that all can participate fully. The lab facilitator or the teacher can help by encouraging groups to form and helping to allocate roles.
Learners can download songs for karaoke programs, but it is probably better if a teacher screens the downloads. For younger learners, a teacher will need to select the songs to avoid inappropriate content. These programs are good for a break from more focused study. Although students are learning English, if feels like they are having fun. Simutrans is a relatively complex simulation. It is ideally played by a regular group of people over an extended period of time.

Approx. cost: Low cost = less than $75 for a single program; moderate cost = $75-$200; expensive = more than $200. This section also lists whether the product is available at network, lab, or site pricing.
Platform: M= Macintosh; W = Windows

Platform Title/Website Publisher/Description Approx. Cost
M/W Hollywood
http://www.tomsnyder.com/
Tom Snyder Productions
Create a short animated movie that uses synthesized speech. This is good for group discussion and a lot of fun for learners at a variety of proficiency levels. Learners can get writing practice if they write the scripts in advance. While an individual working alone can have fun with the program, it is not as pedagogically useful that way. Install on one or more computers if not running Vista or Mac OS X. Windows 98/ME/XP; Mac OS 9/X (Classic). Does not run under Vista.
Low cost; lab, site
M/W Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
http://www.amazon.com/ or other online mail order supplier
Houghton Mifflin/ Learning Company
American English. In this simulation, learners use audio, visual, and text clues to chase criminals around the world. This is an excellent group activity, where different learners take on different roles. Windows 95/ME/2000/XP/Vista; Mac OS 9. Different packages are available, so check the system requirements carefully.
Low cost
W MindGame/ MindLines
http://www.ClarityEnglish.com/
Clarity Language Consultants
A virtual board game based on the ancient Japanese game "Go" in which students must master an area of language in order to win. MindLines is the American English version while MindGame is the British English version. Students can play against each other or against the computer. Five levels (beginning to advanced). This is a good program to have if the budget permits. It uses computer players so that an individual can also work alone with the program. Authorable. Windows 2000/XP/Vista.
Expensive; network, site
M/W Plarpebu
sourceforge.net/projects/plarpebu/
Michel Buffa
Karaoke player for the Mac. Download songs from karaoke websites – this plays mp3, ogg, midi, au, wav, kar, mp3+cdg files. Sample sites include http://www.FREEKaraoke.com and http://MidiKaraoke.com. Download the software itself at http://sourceforge.net/projects/plarpebu/. With the karaoke programs, is a good idea to have headphones and someplace where learners can make noise without disturbing others when using this software. Windows 98/XP/Vista/7 and Mac OS X.
Freeware
M/W PyKaraoke
http://www.kibosh.org/pykaraoke/
Kelvin Lawson
Karaoke player that uses a range of formats, including .cdg, .mid, and .mp3. Download songs from websites such as http://www.FREEKaraoke.com and http://MidiKaraoke.com. Download the software itself from http://www.kibosh.org/pykaraoke/. With the karaoke programs, is a good idea to have headphones and someplace where learners can make noise without disturbing others when using this software. Windows 98/XP/Vista/7 and Mac OS X.
Freeware
M/W Simutrans
http://www.simutrans.com/
Simutrans
Multi-player simulation of a transportation system. This would be good for people interested in planning. The simulation can be quite elaborate, so it works best if used in a group and over several sessions. Download from http://www.simutrans.com/. Windows 98/XP/Vista and Mac OS X.
Freeware

 

Grammar

Focus on Grammar and Tense Buster both provide much more than grammar drills, which makes them recommended programs for a lab or for classroom use. AngloLan and Churchill House FCE Practice are both more traditional grammar practice programs, but both offer help and explanations for learners. All of these programs work well for learners in pairs or small groups, where learners talk with each other to decide which answer to choose.

Platform Title/Website Publisher/Description Approx. Cost
W

Focus on Grammar
Pearson/Longman
 

Exceller
American English. Variety of types of activities, including group discussion and writing. Classic Focus on Grammar has four levels and was sold by Exceller; currently unavailable. The newer version has five levels and is sold by Pearson/Longman. Pricing is different in the two versions. This is a very good, comprehensive grammar program that is much more than drill and practice. Install on one or more machines. Windows 2000/XP; also available in an online version.
High; network/site
W Tense Buster
http://www.ClarityEnglish.com/
Clarity Language Consultants
Covers selected grammar areas through presentations, practice exercises, rules, tests and learner training tips. Students can take notes, listen to vocabulary items, conversations and texts, do speaking activities, create tests from a test bank, and track their progress. North American, International, or Indian English. The five courses, Elementary through Advanced, are sold separately or as a bundle. The program integrates with Author Plus, enabling teachers to add and edit activities. The website at www.ClaritySupport.com has supplementary worksheets. Windows 2000/XP/Vista. Online version is Mac compatible.
Moderate; network, online

 

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Listening (see Comprehensive software for more titles)


Listening practice is included within other programs, as well as those listed below. Learners will need guidance in using any of these programs. Real English is the most learner-friendly of them, but learners will need to know where to start and what to do. They will also need to have some sort of tracking system; none of the programs listed here provides much in the way of internal record-keeping. Real English can also be used in a classroom and with additional material online. Audacity will need to be installed with the LAME converter (download from the linked site) so that smaller .mp3 files can be created easily. Note the suggestions for lab use with Audacity and the Project Gutenberg audio books.

Platform Title/Website Publisher/Description Approx. Cost
M/W Audacity™
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Audacity
Record and edit audio; save in a variety of formats. This is good for students who want to practice listening to themselves or to send audio files to a teacher. More information and help is available at the download site, http://audacity.sourceforge.net. Install on one or more machines and provide suggestions for learner and teacher use. Make sure that the LAME converter is also installed to create .mp3 files. Windows 98/XP/Vista; Mac OS 9/X.
Freeware
W Real English
http://www.real-english.com/
Marzio School
Various Englishes, 65% American; 35% rest-of-the-world English. Spontaneous, yet grammatically-organized interviews on three CD-ROMs and 3 DVDs. DVDs have books for classroom use. Beginner to pre-intermediate for the CD-ROMs. Lessons have exercises, some with voice recognition. CD-ROMs can be configured with menus in French, Spanish, or German. The latest lessons and the entire video library are available for free at www.real-english.com/ (no signing up or logging in needed). This provides good real-world listening practice in a motivating format. Install on one or more machines. Windows 9x/XP; no reported issues with Vista.
Moderate cost; online option
M/W Project Gutenberg Audio Books
http://www.gutenberg.org/
Project Gutenberg
Wide variety of audio books from a large collection of literature. These are used most appropriately with generic comprehension questions, such as “Who were the main characters? What was something that happened that you thought was especially interesting? Was there something that you didn’t understand? Would you recommend this to other learners? Why or why not?” Learners can also open an audio book in Audacity and create a second track with their own recording or insert audio comments with some technical help from a lab assistant or teacher. Good to install on one or more machines. Download from www.gutenberg.org. Windows 98/XP/Vista; Mac OS 9/X.
Freeware
M/W Arthur's Teacher Trouble
(children)
http://www.amazon.com/ or other online mail order suppliers
Broderbund/ Houghton Mifflin
American English. Beautifully illustrated digital book for children with the text highlighted as it is read aloud; interactive mode as well. This is quite engaging, and learners should be asked to talk and write about what they did in interactive mode in order to gain more language learning benefit from it. Note the system requirements: Windows 98/XP; Mac OS 9 (or Classic mode).
Low cost
M/W Just Grandma and Me
(children and adults)
http://www.amazon.com/ or other online mail order supplier
Broderbund/ Houghton Mifflin
American English. Beautifully illustrated digital book with the text highlighted as it is read aloud; interactive mode as well. The grandmother-grandchild relationship makes this appealing to adults as well as to children. This is quite engaging, and learners can be asked to talk and write about what they did in interactive mode. Note the system requirements: Windows 98/XP; Mac OS 9 (or Classic mode).
Low cost

 

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Pronunciation

These programs have been selected because they offer American English and have an emphasis on suprasegmentals, such as stress and linking, as well as individual sounds. Some have options for other forms of English, as well. The key to pronunciation improvement is sticking with it. Different people will have different learning styles, so one program may work better than another for a specific person. It may be very helpful if a teacher introduces the programs to learners first and monitors their progress so that there is an incentive to keep practicing.

Platform Title/Website Publisher/Description Approx. Cost
W Connected Speech
http://www.proteatextware.com.au/
Protea Textware
This pronunciation program focuses on suprasegmentals - pause groups, pitch change, word and sentence stress, linking, and syllables. Speech recognition provides feedback. This program is designed for learners at lower intermediate to advanced levels. North American, British, and Australian English versions sold separately. The emphasis on suprasegmentals makes this a good program to install on one or more computers. Windows ME/2000/XP/Vista.
Moderate cost; network, site
M/W Pronunciation Power 1 and 2
http://www.englishlearning.com/
English Computerized Learning
American English. Learners can listen, record, and review the different sounds, as well as work on stress, timing, intonation, and rhythm. Video and animation are included for each sound, as well as waveforms. Check for the latest system requirements before purchasing this. Windows 98/2000/XP; Mac OS 9 (or Classic mode).
Moderate cost
W Better Accent Tutor
http://www.betteraccent.com/
Better Accent
American English. The program creates a graphical representation of the rhythm of users’ recordings and highlights the syllables as they are played back. Users visually compare their intonation with the target’s intonation, intensity and rhythm patterns. Exercises and explanations of each exercise are included. Check for the latest system requirements before purchasing. Windows 2000/XP.
Moderate cost

 

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Reading

This lists reading skill builders, speed reading programs, and sources of texts. All are free or moderately priced. Different programs will appeal to different people, so it makes sense to have more than one option available. The speed reading programs will need to have texts added that are appropriate for learners with different levels of English proficiency. Learners will need help in knowing which programs to choose and how to make best use of the program. Learners should track what they do in order to self-assess and see progress.

Skill-builders and speed reading

Platform Title/Website Publisher/Description Approx. Cost
W Ace Reader
(adults or children)
http://www.stepware.com/
StepWare
Speed reading and reading skills program with a variety of settings makes this a sophisticated program. Includes reading skills and comprehension tests broken out by grade levels. Regular and Pro versions are available for registered users. Appropriate for use with children or adults. This is a bit easier to deal with than HyperReader, since the registered versions come with texts at specific grade levels. Install this on one or more machines. Windows 95/98/NT/Vista/7 and Mac OS X.
Low to moderate cost; free trial version
W Active Reading
http://www.ClarityEnglish.com/
Clarity Language Consultants
Reading skills practice in six levels from beginning to advanced. Activities include identifying the reason for reading, skimming, scanning, picking out the main argument in a text, vocabulary strategies, etc. in letters, emails, feature articles, stories, literature, and advertisements. Students can listen to the texts as they read them, and each unit ends in a free practice extension activity. Integrates with Author Plus authoring program, which enables teachers to add their own activities and edit some of the existing activities. This is a good choice for skill-building work, so install this on one or more machines. Windows 2000/XP/Vista. Online version is Mac compatible.
Moderate cost; network, online
W HyperReader
www.tedhung.com/reader/reader.zip
Ted Hung
This is a fairly sophisticated speed reading program. It offers five methods for displaying text, and the speed is adjustable. You can add your own texts, such as those from Project Gutenberg. This takes a bit more work than Ace Reader, but it’s free. Install this on one or more computers. Download from http://www.tedhung.com/reader/reader.zip. Windows 95/98/XP/Vista.
Freeware
W Roxie's Reading Fish (children)
http://www.latticeworksw.com/
LatticeWork Software
Animated game environment with basic, high-frequency words from pre-school age to late-second grade. Includes audio. Authorable; new words can be recorded and word lists created. If children use the lab, install this on one or more machines. Download from http://www.latticeworksw.com/. Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP.
Shareware $25
W Study Skills Success
http://www.ClarityEnglish.com/
Clarity Language Consultants
Practice in academic study skills for those studying in high school or in higher education in English. The eight units are reading, writing, speaking, listening, research, visuals, grammar and vocabulary. Each unit includes presentation and input activities and practice in the context of academic materials. The International English version has a range of accents and IELTS elements. The North American version includes only North American accents. Authoring and record-keeping functions are also available as add-ons for extra cost (record-keeping is included free in the online version). If lab users are interested in academic English, this is a good choice. Windows 2000/XP/Vista. Available on networks or online. Online version is Mac compatible.
Moderate cost; network, site

 

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Texts to read

Platform Title/Website Publisher/Description Approx. Cost
M/W Project Gutenberg Readings
(adults or children)
http://www.gutenberg.org/
Project Gutenberg
Wide variety of readings in text or HTML format from a large collection of literature. These are used most appropriately with generic discussion questions, such as “Who were the main characters? What was something that happened that you thought was especially interesting? Would you recommend this to other readers? Why or why not?” The lab manager can download files as requested, or users can download their own files from the extensive collection at www.gutenberg.org, Because these are text or HTML files, they run on any operating system.
Freeware
M Twistory
www.tucows.com/preview/205359
John de Boer
History browser and historical dictionary with the lifetimes and travels of historical figures, and dates and locations of historical events. It is a tool for keeping track of when and where things happened, and their relationships to each other. It can be used to create maps and time-lines. A resource of over 7000 people, events and places is included. The database has an open text format, so that more historical information can be added. This would be best for learners working in groups on a project or for someone who is a history buff, especially if encouraged to add information to the database. Download available from www.tucows.com/preview/205359. Runs on Mac System 7-9 (version 2.2) or OS X (version 3).
Freeware
M/W Arthur's Teacher Trouble
(children)
http://www.amazon.com/ or other online mail order suppliers
Broderbund/ Houghton Mifflin
(See details in Listening above)
Low cost
M/W Just Grandma and Me
(children and adults)
http://www.amazon.com/ or other online mail order suppliers
Broderbund/ Houghton Mifflin
(See details in Listening above)
Low cost

 

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Vocabulary/Spelling

These programs focus on vocabulary development. All are free or moderately priced. Different programs will appeal to different people, so it makes sense to have more than one option available. Learners will need help in knowing which programs to choose and how to make best use of the program. Learners should track what they do in order to self-assess and see progress. Since only the commercial programs include record-keeping, students should be encouraged to use a paper-based tracking system for other programs. Most of these work very well for groups; learners are more motivated and work longer when they work together. Advanced learners can benefit from a concordance program once they understand how to use it, but it is not something that most learners will understand by themselves. For programs with authoring capability, such as Jumble, Whirlwords, and Hangman Pro, learners can benefit greatly from creating material for themselves and their peers. Student-generated spelling lists for Spell-Mell should be checked for accuracy by a teacher.

Platform Title/Website Publisher/Description Approx. Cost
M/W Hangman Pro
http://www.winograd.com/
Ken Winograd
Classic hangman game with many different word categories; use the built-in word lists or add new words. Many different categories of words are included. This is a good generic Hangman program and is easy to use. Install this on one or more machines. Download from http://www.winograd.com/. Windows 95/98/ME/XP/Vista; Mac OS 9 and OS X.
Shareware $25
W Jumble
http://www.familygames.com/
AHA! Software
Jumbled word game. Race against time to decode well-known phrases given several choices for each letter. This would make a good fun activity for lab users, especially working in groups. Install on one or more machines. Download from http://www.familygames.com/. Windows 98/XP/Vista.
Freeware
M MasterSpell
http://macinmind.com/
MacinMind
Spelling drills with real voices. This includes definitions or example sentences with the words and a hangman game. The program is networkable and authorable. Teachers and students should create their own word lists to add to the program. Mac OS X.
Freeware
W MonoConc Pro
http://www.athel.com/
Athelstan
Concordance program with a number of options. Searches can be case-sensitive or case-insensitive, have wildcards, and include non-letter characters such as '-' or apostrophes. A word list function with a frequency count and calculation of the frequency of collocations is also included. The program comes with an extensive manual that covers basics of concordancing as well as use of MonoConc Pro. A demo is available from the website at http://www.athel.com. Free corpora are available online, including from http://ota.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/index-id.html and Project Gutenberg at http://www.gutenberg.org/. Concordancing is most useful for advanced learners or for teachers who want a quick way to generate sentences using specific words or types of words. Windows 98/XP; not tested on Vista.
Moderate
M/W Simple Concordance Program
http://www.textworld.com/scp/
Alan Reed
Generate concordances (KWIC and line-based) and search for words or phrases. The concordances can be sorted, printed, or saved to files. The concordances can be saved in html to display on the web. Word lists can be sorted in ascending or descending alphabetic or frequency order, as well as printed and saved. Words and phrases can be specified using a prefix, a suffix, specific words, or a pattern. As with MonoConc, this is most useful for advanced learners or for teachers who want a quick way to generate sentences using specific words or types of words. Download from http://www.textworld.com/scp/ Windows 95 through Windows Vista and Mac OS 9, OS X.
Freeware
W Spell-Mell
http://www.familygames.com/
AHA! Software
Spelling practice. Over 15 games modules are supplied, with trivia quizzes and word puzzles for a range of ability levels. Register and pay the fee for authoring capability. This works with the existing games for free, so it’s worth installing on one or more machines. It would be best to use the registered version in order to add learner- or teacher-supplied word lists, however. Download from http://www.familygames.com/. Windows 98/XP/Vista.
Shareware $17
W Spelling Fusion
http://www.proteatextware.com.au/
Protea Textware
Large interactive picture dictionary (up to 5000 head words), arranged thematically – 12 groups, 95 topics. The content is appropriate for age 12+, beginner to intermediate vocabulary building. Every topic has games and tests. Voice recording option. It is available in North American, British or Australian English versions. This illustrated dictionary is designed for English language learners, which makes it a good choice for one or more machines in the lab. Windows 98/XP/Vista.
Moderate cost
W Whirlwords
http://www.familygames.com/
AHA! Software
Vocabulary game where users change one word into another by changing one letter at a time. Some lines say to change a letter, and some ask you to move a letter. Every line must spell a real word. And with the whirl of a few words, "hot" will be "cold." This is a fun vocabulary game; since it’s free, it’s worth installing on one or more computers. Download from http://www.familygames.com/. Windows 98/XPVista.
Freeware

 

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Writing

All of the writing programs are best when used with some guidance from teachers or a facilitator. Writing in English has some computer-checked work, but most of the activities in these programs make more sense as part of a larger writing project. Both FreeMind and Sentence Builder can be used by learners in groups, but the rest are best used individually. FreeMind is a good tool for teachers to create graphic organizers, as well. Installing Freemind may require some technical help if Java is not already installed on the computers that are used with the program.

Platform Title/Website Publisher/Description Approx. Cost
M/W FreeMind
sourceforge.net/projects/freemind/
Freemind
Mind-mapping software that runs under Java. If Java is not installed, it may take some technical sophistication to install the appropriate version. Extensive help is online at the website, along with examples of mind maps. Learners would need some help getting started with this, but should find it useful when brainstorming and preparing to write. Download Mac and Windows versions from http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page. This is open source software licensed under the Gnu Public License, so freely copiable.
Freeware
W Sentence Builder
http://www.greyolltwit.com/
Grey Olltwit
Jumbled sentence program that comes with a few sample sentence files. It is authorable, so teachers can easily customize the program. An excellent use is to add students’ own sentences, giving students more ownership of the activity. The program has audio instructions as well as on screen text directions and an optional student statistic facility to keep track of how well a student is progressing. Install on one or more computers. Windows 98/XP; not tested on Vista.
Low cost
W

Write On Plus
http://commerce.sunburst.com/

Sunburst Technology
Writing activities. Different CDs for grades K-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12. Version for K-3 includes children's literature and literacy activities; 3-6 includes editing, sentence combining, punctuation activities; 6-9 has process writing and literature skills; 9-12 includes more advanced writing activities. Windows ME/2000/NT/XP; Mac OS 9.

Low cost

 

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Business English

These were selected because they are moderately-priced and have North American English as an option. One focuses on writing while the other has a listening/speaking emphasis. Unless these are part of a course, it is probably fine just to have them on one or two computers for individual use.

Platform Title/Website Publisher/Description Approx. Cost
W Business Writing
www.ClarityEnglish.com/
Clarity Language Consultants
Practice in writing for business, focusing on writing clearly and appropriately with correct vocabulary and grammar. The program includes working on model documents, listening to short talks, podcasts, writing and formatting exercises, and writing responses to letters and email. The program links into a website with a library of model writing and integrates with the Author Plus authoring program (sold separately). Includes international English, North American English, and Indian English. This is a good choice for people planning to do business in writing, either in their home country or overseas. Moderate cost, so affordable on one or more computers. Windows 2000/XP/Vista. Online version is Mac-compatible.
Moderate cost; network, online
M/W Business English: Meetings
http://www.encomium.com/
Encomium Publications
Video-based lessons demonstrating language and practices of authentic business meetings. Learners practice business meeting communication skills, verbal and nonverbal, as well as working on vocabulary and comprehension activities. Includes audio scripts for the videos, clickable words and pictures, and text and audio definitions. This is good for those planning on face-to-face or other interactive meetings in English. North American English. Its moderate cost makes it affordable on one or more computers. Mac OS 9, Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista.
Moderate cost; network, site
M/W Dynamic Business English
http://www.dyned.com/
DynEd
American English. Listening-based business English course on 6 CD-ROMs designed for a workplace/international business situation. Videos and a variety of questions and activities cover business topics including Company History, Job History, Manufacturing and Trade, Product Comparisons, Overseas Assignment, and Future Consequences.
Expensive; network, site
M/W Functioning in Business
http://www.dyned.com/
DynEd
Various Englishes. For intermediate level students, the primary focus is on practical language functions common in the business world such as requesting, refusing, suggesting, confirming, etc. Vocabulary is developed in the context of meetings, phone calls, a business lunch, negotiations, and a disagreement. Four CD-ROMs.
Expensive; network, site

 

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Authoring

The flash card programs can be used by learners at almost any level or teachers. Hot Potatoes is easy enough that learners or teachers can create exercises, particularly cloze and jumbled sentence activities. The Lingonets Puzzle Editor creates very interesting vocabulary puzzles and comes with a number of ready-made puzzles that can be installed for use by students. Quandary takes more planning and effort, so it would be a good group project for learners under a teacher’s guidance.

Platform Title/Website Publisher/Description Approx. Cost
M/W Hot Potatoes
http://hotpot.uvic.ca/
Half-Baked Software
Easily create crossword puzzles, gap-fill exercises, sentence jumbles, and multiple-choice or fill-in quizzes. Timed readings, audio, and graphics are options. One of the most widely-used authoring programs in English language teaching, this is a good choice for publicly-funded labs. Install on one or more computers. Output can be used offline or online in any browser. Download: http://hotpot.uvic.ca/. Windows 98/2000/XP/Vista; Mac OS 9/X.
Version 6 is free; option to upload to web server for a fee
W MaxAuthor
http://cali.arizona.edu/docs/wmaxa/
University of Arizona
Language courseware creator for English and 47 other languages that can use audio, video, footnotes, and graphics. Student activities include MaxBrowser, Listening Dictation, Pronunciation, Multiple Choice, Vocabulary Completion, and Audio Flashcards. Activities can be exported for use in a web browser. More complex than Hot Potatoes, but with more audio and video options. Good for serious authors. Download from the website at http://cali.arizona.edu/docs/wmaxa/maxadown.htm. Windows 95/98/NT/2000/Me/XP/Vista.
Free for academic institutions
W Author Plus
http://www.ClarityEnglish.com/
Clarity Language Consultants
Twelve activity types including multiple choice and true/false quizzes, cloze, whole-text deletion, and proofreading. Graphics, audio, and video can be included. Customized feedback is possible. This enables users of other Clarity products to edit and author material in those products, so at least one copy is strongly recommended if other Clarity products are purchased. Windows 2000/XP/Vista.
Moderate cost; network, online
W Teach2000
http://www.memtrain.com/
Memtrain.com
Flashcard creator, with multimedia, multiple choice questions, grammar, map quiz and yes/no questions. This is more complicated than AudiFlash, but still relatively easy for teachers or learners to use. Install on one or more computers. Download from http://teach2000.memtrain.com/. Windows 98/XP/Vista.
Freeware
W Lingonets Puzzle Editor
http://www.lingonet.com/
Lingonet Oy
Build multimedia vocabulary exercises in many different formats including thematic maps, picture labeling, form filling, cartoons, and graphs. The main task is to select target words or phrases to be remembered and design clues for prompting answers. Each word or phrase can have up to four clues to help remember it. Puzzle Editor comes with 50 ready-made vocabulary puzzles. It is worth buying at least one copy in order to get the ready-made vocabulary puzzles. Install on one or more computers. Puzzles can also be played online at http://www.lingonet.com/lingonets/index.html.
Low cost
W Quandary
http://hotpot.uvic.ca/
Half-Baked Software
This authoring program from the creators of Hot Potatoes makes it easier to create action mazes. Mazes can include graphics and sound. Creating action mazes takes time and effort, so it would be a good group project. Install a copy on one or more machines if there are people interested in creating action mazes. Windows XP; not tested on Vista.
Freeware

 

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Productivity Software


Comprehensive Software

 

Background - Assumptions

References for more information

 

Publisher listing (for software recommended here)

 

https://eltexpert.com/complab/specificskills.html
Last updated 13 April 2011 by Deborah Healey
Contact Deborah Healey: dhealey at uoregon dot edu
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