TESOL CALL Interest Section

Software List

Listening

Active Listening

Machine: Win
Publisher: Sky Software House
See also Wida
Approximate single-unit price: 115
Level: Intermediate For: All but K-6
Description: Realistic listening passages in everyday situations. Four types of tasks are provided: listening for information, listen and respond, listening and notetaking, general listening with an interview, a talk, or a story.

Advanced Listening

Machine: Win/Mac
Publisher: DynEd International
Purchase options: contact publisher
Level: Advanced For: All but K-8
Description: Listening course for advanced ESL/EFL students that uses authentic lectures from Stanford University professors to develop high-level listening and note-taking skills for academic or professional environments. Listening strategy notes give students detailed suggestions about how to approach various aspects of listening and note taking, both in general and in reference to specific exercises. Record-keeping is included. Windows 98/NT/2000/XP; Mac OS 9, X.

Machine: Mac/Win
Publisher: Learning Company, The
Approximate single-unit price: 15
Purchase options: lab, network, site, teacher's ed.
Level: Beginning, intermediate For: K-6
Special use: Bilingual, elementary
Description: An interactive, animated story about an elementary schooler (Arthur the Aardvark) surprising even himself with what he accomplishes. The program has excellent graphics, sound effects, dialogues, and lots of surprises to maintain student interest. Text can be heard in English and Spanish. Requires CD-ROM drive. Best used in K-6 and family literacy settings. Sold online/mail order only. Check product requirements carefully to be sure the version you are buying matches your equipment.

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Machine: Win
Publisher: Wida Software
Approximate single-unit price: 35
Purchase options: £20
Level: Intermediate For: All but K-5
Description: A multimedia package based on 12 EFL songs by Christopher Jones. The songs cover a wide range of vocabulary, grammar and functions. The package uses a wide variety of activity types created with the Authoring Suite.

Business Territory 1 and 2

Machine: Win, Mac
Publisher: Lingonet Oy
Approximate single-unit price: 100
Purchase options: 5-user, network
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: Adult, HE
Special use: business
Description: Students visit a variety of working environments in the UK and the USA in these CD-ROM-based programs. Authentic, non-scripted video interviews are accompanied by transcripts, paraphrases, a glossary, and audio comments giving both linguistic and business information. Teachers have a wide range of printable worksheets requiring students to collaborate in researching particular aspects of the companies and presenting their findings. 5-user licenses available. See the website for demos and downloads. Browser-based, so Mac or Windows will work.

Machine: Mac/Win
Publisher: DynEd International
Purchase options: contact publisher
Level: Beginning, intermediate For: All but K-6
Special use: Bilingual (Jap, Fr, Sp, Port), business
Description: Formerly known as Interactive Business English. Presented in a similar format to Dynamic English for ESL, this listening-based business English course on 6 CD-ROMs offers the listening, speaking, reading, and critical thinking skills for the workplace/international business situation. The topics are Company History, Job History, Manufacturing and Trade, Product Comparisons, Overseas Assignment, and Future Consequences. This content-based program begins with a Presentation during which the student answers periodic listening comprehension questions. These questions reinforce the vocabulary, language concepts, and structure, while giving the students repeated opportunities to respond. The feedback includes an automated 'shuffler level' which adjusts the level of difficulty of the questions according to the learner's response. The Question Practice gives the student practice in question formation. Quantitative English, Dictations, the Verb Grid, and Grammar Fill-In test the student's knowledge. The program includes voice recording capability for student practice. Mac and Windows. Individual CDs (one topic each) can be purchased separately. Pricing options include per-student-use cost. Contact the publisher for details.

Machine: Mac/Win
Publisher: DynEd International
Purchase options: contact publisher
Level: Beginning, intermediate For: All
Special use: Bilingual (Jap)
Description: Dramatized retellings of Round the World in 80 days, A Christmas Carol, Alice in Wonderland, and Robin Hood on interactive CD-ROM supported by dictations, fill-ins, character matrix, and on-line comprehension aids. For listening, reading, and vocabulary development. Voice recording. Pricing options include per-student-use cost. Contact the publisher for details. Windows 98/NT/2000/XP; Mac OS 9, X.

EasyWriter Deluxe

Machine: Win
Publisher: Software for Students
Approximate single-unit price: 125
Purchase options: lab, network, site
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: All but K-6
Description: This software was developed by an ESL teacher and features all authentic writing. Learners can listen to the essays first, then find and correct the grammar errors. Essays range from high beginner to high intermediate. Users who want more help with grammar can access grammar help pages which will explain the rules and hyperlink to other sentences and paragraphs which exhibit the same type of error. Additional exercises and examples are in the accompanying text, "The Grammar HELP! Student Handbook," available from the author/publisher.

Machine: Win/Mac
Publisher: DynEd International
Purchase options: contact publisher
Level: Intermediate For: Adult, HE
Special use: Business, bilingual (Jap, Fr, Sp, Port, It)
Description: This CD-ROM-based course focuses on the language of numbers and basic mathematics. Useful for students and people in business and technical fields who need to understand or make oral presentations in English, do business over the telephone, participate in question-and-answer sessions involving the exchange of numerical information, and improve listening comprehension. Each unit includes a brief oral presentation followed by practice activities that test listening comprehension. The material is suitable for TOEIC levels 450-750. Pricing options include per-student-use cost. Contact the publisher for details. Windows 98/NT/2000/XP: Mac OS 9, X.

English for Business 1

Machine: Win
Publisher: University of Wolverhampton
See also Wida
Approximate single-unit price: 80
Purchase options: £60
Level: Intermediate For: All but K-6
Special use: Business
Description: An MBA student is making a visit to a local brewery in this Windows CD-ROM based program. He interviews the director, hears the company history, and goes on a tour of the brewery and hears about sales, marketing, policy, and the production process. The video and sound sequences are accompanied by various types of exercises, including gap-filling, reordering, and multiple choice. British English.

Machine: Win/Mac
Publisher: DynEd International
Purchase options: contact publisher
Level: Beginning, intermediate For: 6-12
Description: Basic to intermediate-level comprehensive program for pre-teens and teens. It includes not only general English (listening, speaking, vocabulary, reading, grammar), but also the social language needed for school and school subjects such as math, geography, history, and science. A record and playback function is included. Record-keeping includes a "study score" function. Windows 98/NT/2000/XP: Mac OS 9, X.

English Teacher, The

Machine: Win
Publisher: Online Educational Solutions
Approximate single-unit price: 30
Purchase options: quantity discounts avail.
Level: Beginning, intermediate, advanced For: Adult, HE
Special use: bilingual
Description: Electronic workbook with record-keeping. The program automatically sets up future reviews of each lesson depending on the student’s answers. Learning sessions and their results are recorded for the teacher to review. Each new lesson includes reviews - how often depends on the student’s measured performance.

Expert Gallery

Machine: Win
Publisher: Lingonet Oy
Approximate single-unit price: 100
Purchase options: 5-user, network
Level: Advanced For: Adult, HE
Special use: business
Description: Financial English is a video-rich CD-ROM based on a consultation session with an experienced accountant explaining how to go about setting up a company and managing its finances. The content is authentic both in the sense that it is an expert answering questions without a script and because his answers are the same as he usually gives to his clients. The authentic language is scaffolded with language support, including a glossary of terms, listening to the summaries in clear standard English, and a range of exercises such as gap fill, ordering, jigsaw, and collocation activities. The descriptions of business procedures and the weighing up of alternatives form the basis of reporting tasks which encourage students to break out of the shell of passive learning. A review is online at http://www.lydbury.co.uk/besig/resources/cdroms/add-140599.htm.

Findword

Machine: Win
Publisher: Higgins, John and Muriel
Approximate single-unit price: 5
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: All
Description: Utility which looks up a dictionary to retrieve lists of words which match a pattern, whether a spelling, pronunciation, or grammar pattern. A help file and dictionary are included. Examples of how the program can be used can be downloaded from the Higgins website at http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/wordscape/software-new.html. This program can be downloaded for a small fee from http://www.lulu.com/content/864700. Windows 2000/XP: not verified on Vista.

Machine: Win/Mac
Publisher: DynEd International
Purchase options: contact publisher
Level: Beginning For: 6-12
Description: Multimedia English course for true beginners ages 10-17. The focus is on listening, vocabulary, and grammar, with speech recording and playback available. Course material includes school vocabulary and situations, as well as work on letters and numbers. Lessons are sequenced and incorporate review. The management module lets teachers assign placement and track student progress. Pricing options include per-student-use cost. Windows 95/98/NT/XP; not verified on Vista. Mac OS 9; not verified on OS X.

Machine: Win, Mac
Publisher: DynEd International
Purchase options: network, lab and site licenses
Level: Beginning, intermediate For: Adult, HE
Special use: Business, bilingual (Jap)
Description: These four CD-ROMs use QuickTime Video and speech recognition technologies to create an engaging learning environment. The course is designed for intermediate level students preparing to use English in a business context. 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. Provides about 80-100 hours of intensive self-study and practice. Networkable. Windows 98/NT/2000/XP: Mac OS 9, X.

Greenwood: Conversation

Machine: Win
Publisher: Greenwood Multimedia Corp.
Purchase options: see website
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: 3-12, Adult
Description: Formerly known as English Easy, this a Canadian series of CDs with web activation designed to develop listening and reading skills from Basic to Advanced levels. The Conversation program consists of interactive dialogues about common situations and illustrate tone, pronunciation and grammatical structures. The conversations include colloquial phrases to familiarize students with spoken Canadian English. Interactive dialogues depicting common North American scenarios illustrate applications of pronunciations and grammar. Relevant vocabulary is introduced for each subject matter so that students can associate them readily. Skill-testing questions are designed to give students added practice in listening and reacting to normal speech. Good sound quality and graphics.

Machine: Mac/Win
Publisher: Sunburst Technology
Approximate single-unit price: 60
Purchase options: $60 each title; lab, network avail.
Level: Beginning, intermediate For: All
Description: Excellent software for making interactive storybooks. For ESL purposes, it is even better if projected onto a large screen for whole class oral language activities. Choose from a variety of scenes: school, home, playground, mall, etc. Place people and objects into this setting. These 'smart stickers' can be positioned inside, beside, behind, in front of, etc and change their size according to where they are placed on the screen. Narration can be added. CD-ROMs in the series: Castle; Neighborhoods; Rain Forest; Ocean; Pyramids; and Time Trip USA. For ESL, Neighborhoods and Oceans are probably most helpful. Sheltered English classes might be able to use others depending on subject.

Machine: Mac/Win
Publisher: Learning Company, The
See also Learning Services
Approximate single-unit price: 15
Purchase options: lab, network, site, teacher's ed.
Level: Beginning, intermediate For: All
Special use: Bilingual (Sp, Jap)
Description: This CD-ROM is a story about Little Critter's trip to the beach with his/her grandmother. It offers well-drawn, animated graphics with text and sound. The story is endearing to adults and children, but may seem too childish to teenagers. The learner can choose to listen to the story as it is displayed onscreen (with text highlighted as it is read) or to control the pace and click on different items within each screen to see what they do. The learner also has a choice of seeing and hearing the text in Spanish and Japanese (kanji). It may be helpful to low-level learners who speak those languages to go through the story once in their own language, then listen and read again in English. If students are interacting with the text in 'play' mode, they can be assigned tasks by a teacher to profit linguistically from the mostly graphical respones to their mouse clicks. Sold online/mail order only. Check product requirements carefully to be sure the version you are buying matches your equipment.

Machine: Mac/Win
Publisher: EuroTalk
See also World of Reading
Approximate single-unit price: 50
Level: Intermediate For: All
Description: CD-ROM based programs that use sound, graphics, and text starring the comic book characters of Asterix the Gaul and his son. Students can monitor their progress with an animated quiz. Voice recording. Several different stories are available.

Lost Secret, The

Machine: Win, Mac
Publisher: DynEd International
Purchase options: contact publisher
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: All but K-8
Special use: Bilingual (Jap, Fr)
Description: BBC English's mystery is presented on CD-ROM in MPEG video, supported by a variety of practice exercises. The focus is on listening comprehension for basic level students. Students may interrupt at any time to repeat a sentence, record their voices, hear a spoken translation, see written text, or consult a glossary. Provides 80-100 hours of home or classroom study. A textbook, student workbook, and teacher's guide are available. Requires online access for record-keeping and verification. Contact publisher for details. Windows 95/98/ME/XP; Mac OS 9 and X.

Measuring Up

Machine: Win
Publisher: Protea Textware
See also Wida
Approximate single-unit price: 95
Purchase options: home version (cheaper); lab, site
Level: Beginning For: All but K-6
Description: Practice with numbers in real-world contexts, including shopping, cooking, weighing packages, and sports. CD-ROM. Australian English. Windows 2000, ME, 2003, XP, Vista.

Murder Mystery

Machine: Win
Publisher: Sky Software House
Approximate single-unit price: 100
Purchase options: lab, network
Level: Intermediate For: All but K-6
Description: Find the murderer by listening to different alibis and finding inconsistencies; discover the accomplice by finding mistakes in English usage. Multiple murder scenarios. Learners can choose the early intermediate or upper intermediate level. Much more interesting than your typical grammar program. British English.

Pencilbot

Machine: Win
Publisher: Edutainment Resources
See also Encomium
Approximate single-unit price: 30
Purchase options: package of 6 for $180
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: All but K-4
Description: Multimedia DVD designed for ESL with pop culture topics, one topic per DVD. Content includes videos, listening exercises, and interactive games, DVDs can be purchased separately or as part of a bi-monthly subscription. Short versions are also available in iPhone format.

Q Business CDs

Machine: Win
Publisher: Q Group
Purchase options: contact publisher
Level: Intermediate For: Adult, HE
Special use: business
Description: A CD-ROM course that introduces English for professional, social and travel situations with an emphasis on speaking and listening skills. It is divided into eight everyday situations: hotels, travel, appointments, directions, greetings, socializing, eating out and work. Each situation includes: listening exercises, target vocabulary, pronunciation activities, role-play exercises, and video clips. This is also available online as a whole course.

Machine: Mac, Win
Publisher: LinguaTech
See also Lingo Fun
Approximate single-unit price: 45
Purchase options: lab pack
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: All but K-6
Description: A family of multimedia CD-ROMs for ESL/EFL students studying at the intermediate to advanced levels. The Quick English Business and Quick English Junior titles are available for systems running WorldScript-Japanese or Japanese Windows 3.1/Japanese Win95. Teachers need to add tasks that encourage students to interact with each other, not just watch passively. Each title has 10 interactive lessons, 15 minutes of video and over 30 minutes of audio, hundreds of test questions, a listening comprehension section, and a Hangman game. QE General 1 is 'Social Skills, Planning & Scheduling'; QE General 2 is 'Traveling, Ordering & Shopping'; QE Business 1 is 'Public Speaking & Business Activities'; and QE Business 2 is 'Negotiations & Transactions.' Each CDs are sold separately or as a package.

Machine: Win, Mac
Publisher: Fairfield Language Technologies
Approximate single-unit price: 300
Purchase options: lab, site
Level: Beginning, intermediate, advanced For: All
Description: Comprehensive second language tutorial program with target language only. Students see a picture and hear the word/ phrase/sentence with the text optionally turned on or off. After displaying/playing a set of four prompts, the program drills comprehension by presenting the audio cue to which the student selects the appropriate picture. The program includes a listening dictation feature. Students can also record their own voices. This program can be used as a stand alone tutorial for very low level students although they may need some help learning to use the computer interface initially. Audio files are included for use on a CD or mp3 player. Levels are generally sold separately, though some bundles are available. An online version is also available. Windows 2000/XP/Vista; Mac OS X.

Short Takes Interactive

Machine: Win
Publisher: Pearson Education
Purchase options: contact publisher
Level: Intermediate For: All but K-6
Description: Listening and speaking practice based on unscripted video recordings in a variety of dialects of English. Exercises work on pronunciation as well as listening. Three CD-ROMs sold separately or as a set. Windows 98/XP/Vista: Mac OS X. See more information at http://www.pearsonlongman.com/ae/multimedia/programs/sti.htm.

Machine: Mac/Win
Publisher: Educational Activities Software
Approximate single-unit price: 450
Purchase options: I and II sold separately; lab, network
Level: Literacy, beginning, intermediate For: 6-12, Adult
Special use: Literacy
Description: Students can see pictures, hear a sentence with digitized speech, repeat for playback, and reconstruct the sentence. Exercises and activities are based on survival English settings useful for middle school through adult learners. Sound Sentences I and Sound Sentences II are sold separately; each unit within the package is also sold separately. CD-ROM. Windows 98/NT/2000/XP: Mac OS 8 or OS 9.

Machine: Win/Mac
Publisher: EuroTalk
See also World of Reading
Approximate single-unit price: 40
Purchase options: lab, site
Level: Beginning For: K-5
Special use: Elementary
Description: This ESL program uses 8 well-known children's stories to teach English skills (narrated by British speakers). CD-ROM 1 has Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, Incy Wincy Spider, 3 Billy Goats Gruff and Humpty Dumpty. CD-ROM 2 has Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and Jill, Jack and the Beanstalk and Hickory Dickory Dock. A friendly dragon speaks 18 languages to guide the user in their native language. The user can even record their own story. The program tracks the progress of each user - earn enough po

Telephoning in English

Machine: Win
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Approximate single-unit price: 40
Purchase options: UK£25
Level: Intermediate For: Adult, HE
Special use: Business
Description: Listening and speaking practice in a business English context. Topics include Unit 1; Who's calling, please?; Unit 2; Would you hold on, please?; Unit 3; I'd like to know your prices; Unit 4; We're ready to order now; Unit 5; I'll have to change the booking; Unit 6; Let's fix another date; Unit 7; What seems to be the trouble?; Unit 8; I'm sure we can sort it out. British English. CD-ROM.

Machine: Mac/Win
Publisher: Learning Company, The
See also World of Reading
Approximate single-unit price: 15
Purchase options: lab, network, site, teacher's ed.
Level: Beginning, intermediate For: All
Special use: bilingual, elementary
Description: Colorful and interactive storybook. Students can hear the story read in both English and Spanish. Each page is filled with surprises to entertain and motivate new readers. Requires a CD-ROM drive. Sold online/mail order only. Check product requirements carefully to be sure the version you are buying matches your equipment. Windows 3.1 to XP, depending on the version.

Videoster

Machine: Win
Publisher: Edulang
Approximate single-unit price: 275
Purchase options: indiv levels; lab, site
Level: Beginning, intermediate, advanced For: All but K-6
Description: Collection of four titles - Getting Things Done, People and Places, Getting Around, and Modern Living - each with 15 to 25 minutes of video showing scenes of everyday life. Subtitles are optional; a glossary is available. Exercises cover comprehension, grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, reading, and writing. This is appropriate for false beginners to advanced learners. Exercises were written by teachers from the University of Wolverhampton. England. Titles are also sold separately.

Videoster-English for Business

Machine: Win
Publisher: Edulang
Approximate single-unit price: 740
Purchase options: indiv topics for $115; lab, site
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: Adult, HE
Special use: business
Description: Six titles with topics related to business English. Each volume contains 30 minutes of video and 250 exercise screens, which show authentic situations filmed in well-known companies. Subitles and a glossary are available. Topics include Introduction to a Company, Organizing Change, Managing Quality, International Sales, International Marketing, and Negotiating. Titles can also be purchased separately.

VOICEBook

Machine: Win
Publisher: VOICEbook
Approximate single-unit price: 6
Purchase options: CD collections for $40 or by story
Level: Beginning, intermediate, advanced For: All
Description: Learners listen to what the person is saying, then write down what they understand. Several modes are included: Dictionary mode- defines any word in the phrase; Spellcheck mode - corrects half-right words; Letter-by-letter mode - get a hint, one letter at a time; Grammar mode - grammar notes; Comments - sometimes cultural references, syntax or pronunciation explanations, or other comments. Each story is a separate VOICEbook, purchased and downloaded separately. Current VOICEbook titles are delivered online. Collections of VOICEbooks on CD-ROM are also available for about $40. See the website (http://www.voicebook.com/) for details and to download a sample.

Title: Vox Pop

Machine: Win
Publisher: Lingonet Oy
Approximate single-unit price: 70
Purchase options: network
Level: Intermediate, advanced For: All but K-6
Description: This multimedia CD-ROM is based on forty-eight authentic video interviews recorded on the streets of Cambridge in England. The program is built around task-based activities in which learners use language to achieve real outcomes like reporting people's opinions on widely-discussed issues. This is supplemented with a closer look at some of the particular features of authentic everyday language. See the website for demos and downloads. British English.

• Specific skill areas: Comprehensive - Discussion - Grammar - Listening - Pronunciation - Reading
  Reference - Speaking - Test Prep - Vocabulary - Writing - Authoring - Teacher Utilities
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