Some people say nothing is free, but we’re out to contradict them! We’ve searched the web for the best online resources to learn English and, like many things on the Internet, they are free. While these resources are no substitute for classes and a formal training, they can be an invaluable complement to your efforts and any student should definitely bookmark them!
The BBC
Technically, the BBC is the British counterpart of our TVE. But in reality, it’s so much more than that: the BBC is one of the most well-known, highly-regarded broadcasters in the world. And as an ambassador for all things British, they’ve launched “BBC Learning English”. Their blog is updated regularly and their page often features news and broadcasting shows. It’s an excellent way of improving your pronunciation and listening skills, as well as absorbing some idiomatic expressions.
Can it get better? Yes. They have a version of the website in Spanish, although you shouldn’t get too excited: the main focus is learning English after all.
The British Council
Like the BBC, the British Council launched their own page to help aspiring learners. Their page includes vocabulary exercises about specific topics (for example, food or business), although it features a “listen & watch” section. However, this resource is especially important for those who plan to make an English Proficiency Exam 1 . The British Council is one of the bodies responsible for the prestigious IELTS 2 (and whose Academic IELTS version is used for higher education candidates) – and, with that in mind, provides other incredible insights to get through the test.
Learning English : Voa News
Like the BBC and the British Council, this website uses news reports to teach English. The main difference is that it’s focused on American English and uses American broadcasts. You can also find explanations about certain topics (mainly related to migration), grammar snippets, vocabulary useful for daily life and information about America’s history.
Merriam- Webster
The Merriam Webster has been around since 1828 and it is one of the best English dictionaries online.
It’s continuously adding new words and expressions, maintains an active Twitter account and you can even sign up to the word of the day (which means you get to learn a new word every day!). Their blog focuses on curiosities about language, word games and much more, which makes it a well-rounded and one of the best online resources to learn English.
Thesaurus
Thesaurus is much more than a dictionary. In fact, we rarely use it just to look up the meaning of the word. It works best as synonym finder, so it’s ideal to improve any essay, email or written message. Can’t come up with the right word? Thesaurus. Don’t want to repeat the same word over and over again? Thesaurus. Need an antonym?Thesaurus. Even fluent speakers use it regularly – yes, us included.
Mnemonic Dictionary
The Mnemonic Dictionary is one of the funniest and most useful online resources to learn English, but we only advise it to more advanced students. First and foremost, the website works as a dictionary. But it has a catch: every entry includes a mnemonic to memorize the meaning of the word. The problem is that these mnemonics only work if you already have an intermediary level of English. Nonetheless, keep this dictionary handy!
Vocabulary.com
This website is a free resource to improve your English vocabulary and it works more or less like a game. First, you need to read excerpts from English texts and you can lookup every word you don’t know in their dictionary. The meaning of the word is explained using real life examples. If you think you haven’t memorized the word, click on “learn this word” and it will be added to your custom learning program. Words added to your program will come up in quizzes and follow-up questions,which makes everything feel like a game.
Cambridge’s pronunciation dictionary
If you don’t know how to pronounce a word, check it online on this dictionary. Once you type in a word, you have two recordings of how it is pronounced: one in in British English and the other in American English. If you want to hear more recordings with different accents you can also check How to Pronounce, but it’s not indicated in the website which is which.
Grammarly
If you don’t know how to pronounce a word, check it online on this dictionary. Once you type in a word, you have two recordings of how it is pronounced: one in in British English and the other in American English. If you want to hear more recordings with different accents you can also check How to Pronounce, but it’s not indicated in the website which is which.
Duolingo
Duolingo exists both as an app and online. It purports to be a “gamified school”: programs are divided into lessons and lessons are unlocked as you go along. There are also other quirks – like badges and experience points. The problem with Duolingo is that you have no one to answer your questions and no one to correct your pronunciation. So, as a sole method to learn a language, it fails. However, it’s a funny way to practice vocabulary and some grammar: and one that fits into your phone! If you’re learning English from Spanish, it’s not a bad idea to give up Candy Crush for Duolingo.
Hellotalk,Go speaky and Coffee Strap
All of these apps match you with people from all over the world so that you can write to them, send voice messages and make video calls. Hellotalk only works on mobile and is akin to WhatsApp. In case you have trouble understanding voice messages, it is also capable of transliterating them. Go Speaky and Coffee Strap, on the other hand, have a Facebook Messenger-like appearance. None of them is really better than the others: it’s a matter of who is online at a given time and the languages they intend to learn. (Although Spanish-English is a very common combination in all of them.)
What do you think? Are you using any of these online resources to learn English? Or do you think you’ve found better options? Let us know in the comment section below.
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