California Distance Learning Project (CDLP)

http://www.cdlponline.org California Distance Learning Project

This free site offers great listening to stories coming from the news, for Adult Basic Education and Intermediate to Advanced ESL learners. Some stories also have a video component. Possible life skills topics include: working, law and government, family, school, health and safety, housing, money, science and technology, services, going places and nature. Some are generic while others have some relevance to California, namely Sacramento County.

In addition to just listening to the story, read at a moderate speed by a native speaker, learners can go over hearing key vocabulary words, mastering their spelling and then utilizing hasic comprehension in a multiple choice format. Some lessons also have a matching game, a what did you learn activity, a writing activity and additional links to other Web sites.

(originally reviewed on the AELC Instructor Blog (http://wccniuesl.blogspot.com) in 2005, this current review is by AELC instructor Robin Bosworth)

ABE/GED, ESL: Ways to get Started Writing

http://www.litwomen.org/perspectives/2007/prompts_wp2.doc Women's Perspective

This is a lesson plan to get students started with writing. There are pre-writing exercises, and writing prompts.

Writing: ESL, ABE/GED Story Squared

http://www.storysquared.com/ Story Squared

"Want to be creative but don't have the time? Start a story on StorySquared and see where it goes. Friends and family contribute to a story thread that you create. The results can be funny, imaginative, or just plain strange. Try it out now and see! Start your story “Once upon a time…” Send it to the people you want to contribute. You and your friends read the story as it unfolds! "
Above is the lead into this site. It's an interesting tech twist on an old writing technique that would be great for imtermediate and higher level ESL students, and would also obviously work on an online environment. There are public stories that you can add to, or create an entirely new story.

The ESL Experience in the Writing Center

http://projects.uwc.utexas.edu/praxis/?q=node/24

ESL Writers: A Guide for Writing Center Tutors, a corpus of practical guidance for writing center consultants.

This is a review of the above text. It has some good discussion of what is necessary to teach non-English natives how to write in English.

Business and Writing Site

Communication Expressway, Judy Small Business ezine designed to help people improve office, technology, presentation, and writing skills. http://www.ossweb.com/ezine.html