[0-9][A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y] [Z]
Machine: Win vocabulary, reading
Publisher: Wida Software
Approximate single-unit price: $120
Purchase options: £80
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: HE
Uses Wida's Gapmaster program to offer a range of practice materials for English for Academic Purposes students. 21 exercises work on finding the missing words, word building, finding and correcting mistakes in a text, answering questions about a written text, and analyzing data in a table. A student workbook, teacher's manual, and learner's manual are included. CD-ROM.
Machine: Win reading, writing, speaking
Publisher: Protea Textware
Approximate single-unit price: $95
Purchase options: home version (cheaper); lab, site
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: All but K-8
Teaches and tests a wide range of skills covering all Learning Outcomes at Levels 2, 3 and 4 of the Reading and Writing, Oral Communication and Numeracy and Mathematics Streams of the Australian CGEA test. Australian English. Windows 2000, 2003, XP, Vista.
Machine: Win vocabulary
Publisher: CompuLang
Approximate single-unit price: $100
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: All but K-6
This is a Microsoft Word add-on that allows users to click on a word in Microsoft Word (Office XP/2003/2007) to see a concordance and get the pronunciation through text to speech, not recorded human voice. Windows 2000/XP/Vista. It is the successor to Word Pilot 2002. Free evaluation download at http://www.compulang.com/main/download.php.
Machine: Win writing, grammar
Publisher: Churchill House
Purchase options: freeware
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: All but K-6
Download this free software program from http://www.churchillhouse.com/english/downloads.html to help students revise for the tricky "spot the error" question on the Cambridge First Certificate Exam (FCE). It's also suitable for intermediate and advanced students who want to work on their grammar.
Machine: Mac, Win comprehensive
Publisher: Curriculum Advantage
Purchase options: Enterprise-level; contact publisher
Level: Beginning, intermediate, advanced For: All
A comprehensive, network-based management program that includes a range of software by grade level. Not designed specifically for ESL. Pricing depends on the number of stations on the network and extent of the software purchased. Basic packages start around $20,000.
Machine: Win, Mac pronunciation
Publisher: DynEd International
Purchase options: Contact publisher for pricing
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: All but K-6
An earlier version was also sold as Speech Works from Trinity Software; this is now from DynEd. Learners can select lessons by their native language or see all the lessons. Learners can listen, record, and review words, phrases, and sentences. There is a technical vocabulary component, so learners in different disciplines can practice field-specific vocabulary. The focus is more on sounds than on stress and intonation, though those lessons are also included. Windows 98/NT/2000/XP; Mac OS 9, X.
Machine: Win reading
Publisher: Clarity Language Consultants
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: All but K-8
Designed by the Adult Multicultural Education Service in Australia for intermediate and advanced students who have to tackle different text types in their work or study. The basic format is presentation of a model text, with certain features highlighted, followed by practice activities and an assessment. Text types include information texts, academic essays, exam questions, oral interviews, report writing, and oral presentations. Students can also access information about the grammar and vocabulary in the text. Win 98/NT/2000/ME/XP; not verified for Vista.
Machine: Mac vocabulary
Publisher: Heartsoft
Approximate single-unit price: $20
Purchase options: lab, site, network
Level: Literacy, beginning For: All
Special use: bilingual
Practice for beginners in recognizing the value of (US) coins and bills. The ESL version includes a set of disks in Spanish as well as in English. This program is also sold as part of the Heartsoft Bestseller package. Mac OS 7-9; Windows 95/98/2000/XP.
Machine: Win T util, vocabulary
Publisher: Athelstan
Approximate single-unit price: $45
Purchase options: site, network
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: All but K-8, T
Collocate works from a textbase of 46 million words, using statistical analyses (t-score, log likelihood, MI) as well as frequency information in order to present a list of collocations. The program will list all the collocations containing the searchword and provides frequency and/or statistical information (Log Likelihood, Mutual Information, t-score). This text analysis software is straightforward to use, and the statistics within the program are there simply to provide the user with different view of the corpus data. Classroom teachers will probably wish to ignore the statistics, while researchers will find them very useful. Results can be saved to a text file or printed.
Machine: Win vocabulary
Publisher: R.J.C. Watt
Approximate single-unit price: $100
Purchase options: $40 ea additional copy
Level: Intermediate, advanced, teacher For: All
Text analysis and concordance software. Powerful and flexible program. You can download a 30-day trial from the website at http://www.concordancesoftware.co.uk/. Special offers for teachers purchasing class sets.
Machine: Win Pronunciation
Publisher: Protea Textware
Approximate single-unit price: $185
Purchase options: home version (cheaper); lab, site
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: All but K-8
This program focuses on suprasegmentals, the most current approach to pronunciation teaching. It uses 27 video clips with 9 different speakers with a range of accents. A wide range of activities includes oral and visual feedback and some speech recognition. Three levels: lower intermediate, intermediate, and advanced are provided. This is helpful, since many pronunciation products use vocabulary that is far too difficult and uncommon for any but advanced students. North American, Australian, and British versions sold separately. See a full review at http://calico.org/CALICO_Review/review/conspeech00.htm. Windows NT, 2000, ME, XP, Vista
Machine: Mac, Win writing
Publisher: Computers for Education
Approximate single-unit price: $25
Purchase options: freeware
Level: Intermediate For: All but K-6
This program is now online and free at http://eolf.univ-fcomte.fr/index.php?page=constructing-the-paragraph. Designed to prepare upper intermediate and advanced ESL students for success in academic writing courses. The focus of the instruction is on identifying topic sentences, understanding the structure of topic sentences, the function of supporting sentences, the use of transition words and phrases, and common paragraph organization patterns in English. The example texts used in the tutorials are short and generally relevant to student interests. Online only.
Machine: Mac/Win reading
Publisher: Educational Activities Software
Approximate single-unit price: $675
Purchase options: lab, network
Level: Beginning, intermediate For: 3-6, Adult
Special use: Elementary
This program is a comprehensive approach to reading and language development. In the first phase, students see, hear, say, and record each word. The second phase is a reading of the lesson text, 2-3 sentences per screen. The same text is then presented in a timed reading exercise, one phrase at a time. Next the student completes reading comprehension exercises. Students can refer back to the text to find the answer, and on an incorrect response the computer highlights the sentence where the answer should have been found. For vocabulary practice, students complete words from sentences in the text and choose the correct spelling. Directions are spoken in English and Spanish. This is sold separately or as part of the ESL/Basic Literacy bundle. Windows 98/NT/2000/XP/Vista: Mac OS 8 or OS 9.
Machine: Win, Mac reading, discussion
Publisher: Ingenuity Works
Approximate single-unit price: $30
Purchase options: site, network
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: All
Using a realistic, yet fun visual format this geography simulation lets students take on the role of a long distance truck driver. Students make decisions about finding and delivering in a timely fashion up to 52 different commodities to 180 cities. Students need to read maps, calculate distances, estimate expenses, and plan cost-effective routes from coast to coast. The program and accompanying teacherÕs manual offer many possibilities for ESL/EFL communicative language practice through cooperative learning tasks. Also available: Cross Country USA. Windows 95/98/ME/NT 4/2000/XP/Vista; Mac OS 8.6, 9.x, 10.1.x or up to IntelMac.
Machine: Mac, Win discussion
Publisher: Ingenuity Works
Approximate single-unit price: $30
Purchase options: lab, site
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: Any
Using a realistic, yet fun visual format this geography simulation lets students take on the role of a long distance truck driver. Students make decisions about finding and delivering in a timely fashion up to 52 different commodities to 180 cities. Students need to read maps, calculate distances, estimate expenses, and plan cost-effective routes from coast to coast. The program and accompanying teacher's manual offer many possibilities for ESL/EFL communicative language practice through cooperative learning tasks. Also available: Cross Country Canada. Windows 95/98/ME/NT 4/2000/XP/Vista; Mac OS 8.6, 9.x, 10.1.x or up to IntelMac.
Machine: Mac, Win t util, vocabulary
Publisher: Centron Software Technologies
Approximate single-unit price: $30
Level: Intermediate, advanced, teacher For: All
Crossword puzzle maker. Includes a thesaurus to help in generating clues. This package received several recommendations and was praised for being easy to use, though it helps to read the documentation in order to take advantage of all the features. Puzzles can be solved on screen, printed out, or exported to a word-processor. Can be downloaded or ordered on CD.
Machine: Win reading
Publisher: Harcourt Achieve
Purchase options: contact publisher
Level: Beginning, intermediate For: 9-12, Adult
The full series includes software, teacher's manual, books for independent reading, onsite training and installation, CD- and Web-delivered professional development and technical support. Reading is taught through exercises working on vocabulary, phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency and comprehension.
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Last updated 05/15/2009 by Deborah Healey.