Here at the Magoosh Speaking blog, our goal is to help you in any situation. We have ESL resources for adults looking to improve their English grammar, vocabulary, speaking skills, and business English. Though we would like to include as much information as possible in our own blog posts, there are still a lot of other great ESL resources out there.
So, we’ve created a list of those materials with links. Bookmark this page and come back to it whenever you need some help!
We’ve divided these ESL resources into five categories, so you can easily find what you’re looking for based on the topic.
ESL Resources to Help Your Vocabulary and Grammar
- Magoosh Vocabulary Flashcards – Our FREE TOEFL flashcard application helps you master the 200 words you’ll need for the TOEFL test. You can use the application on your Android or Apple phone or directly on the site. We divided the words by difficulty level for ease of study.
- 7esl – 7esl wonderfully combines vocabulary and grammar resources. They have lists of vocabulary words and grammar concepts broken down by topics and include great picture graphics for visual learners.
- Grammarly – Grammarly is a one-stop-shop for all things grammar related. Their blog is full of breakdowns of grammar rules. Enter the topic (ex. commas, verb tenses, participles, etc…) into the search bar on their blog.
- Rong-Chang – Loads of grammar and vocabulary lists and exercises to help you master English. Click on the Vocabulary and Grammar tabs at the top of the homepage for free access based on topic or difficulty level.
- Dave’s ESL Cafe – Dave’s ESL cafe is known worldwide by English teachers. However, there is a section on the site for students that is a great ESL resource for all things grammar related.
- ESL Gold – ESL Gold has grammar topics broken down by level and their list is very extensive. Every concept is loaded with explanations, examples, videos, and exercises.
Resources for English Reading Comprehension and Speed
- ESL Flow – A comprehensive list of reading exercises (articles and various topics) and worksheets for every difficulty level. The title says lesson plans (for teachers), but they work for students as well.
- 5 Minute English – A great ESL resource for reading comprehension lessons, with tests on various topics.
- Spreeder – Spreeder is an application that allows you to copy and paste text into the program, so you can learn to speed up your reading pace. It works by flashing the individual words of the text at a rate you set. Start slow and speed up as your comprehension and speed levels increase.
- ESL Bits – Links to audio recordings of books, novellas, short stories, and speeches with texts (all free!) for you to practice reading comprehension.
- Dreamreader Audio ESL Resources – Links to practice articles for every level with audio recordings and questions to reinforce your comprehension.
- NaturalReader – A free online text to voice converter for home or on the go. If you need to hear what you’re reading to help your comprehension, this is a great copy and paste or drag-and-drop application. You can also change the voice and speed for convenience.
Business English and Employment Resources
- EnglishForMyJob.com – This is an ESL resource for those in the hospitality and service industries. Each link brings you to a list of vocabulary lessons useful in various fields within those industries.
- Business English ESL resources – The site is full of resources for business vocabulary and grammar and business reading and listening comprehension exercises. In addition, there are quizzes to help you master your new skills. It’s all free!
- Business English Pod – Business English Pod has over 500 lessons that cover Business essentials for ESL learners. There is a premium paid option that gives you access to applications and additional resources, but there are loads of free resources on the site.
- Business English Study – The site is full of great case studies of different international businesses with ESL lessons to help you along the way. The best part is that many of the ESL resources are free! Just click the ‘free lessons’ section. The lessons are ranked by difficulty.
- Learning British English (BBC) ESL Resources – Though the site is no longer updated, it contains loads of great business English resources. They’re tailored for British English, but it’s still a great resource for any ESL learner.
Resources for Improving Your English Writing
- Purdue Online Writing Lab – This resource from Purdue University is a treasure for writers of all types and levels (even paid writers like me!). And, there is a section dedicated to ESL students. This is a premiere, free writing resource everyone should take advantage of!
- University of Toronto Academic Writing – This is a comprehensive site for all things related to academic writing. The site is broken down into resources on how to plan, research, and properly source an academic paper. In addition, there are resources on a variety of other writing topics like application and admission letters.
- Paradigm Online Writing Assistant – An excellent guide for every writing style that can help you brainstorm ideas and start any project. This is a great ESL resource for advanced level ESL speakers that can help you refine your writing to make things sound as native level as possible.
- University of Richmond Writers Web – This is a site to help you move step-by-step through the writing process. This is a great resource for Intermediate and Advanced ESL learners to help you write clearly and concisely and properly punctuate your writing projects.
- Open Education Database: 150 Writing Resources – This is a link to a list of resources for all things writing related. Blogs, business, style guides, language skills, genres, news, media, and organization are topics included on the list. If you need help in any area of your writing, there is a link to a resource on this list.
Resources for English Speaking and Pronunciation
- Talk English Pronunciation Practice – Talk English provides a range of lessons on specific letters and sounds in English. Each lesson provides audio and instruction to help you master each concept.
- English Club Pronunciation Practice – English Club sorts its resources into different speaking and pronunciation concepts like linking words and sentence and word stress. There are also quizzes and games to help you learn.
- ESL Fast – Loaded with links to conversation resources broken down by topic to help you speak in any situation. There are audio files with the texts and the links are separated into speaking level.
- English Media Lab – This site is full of video and phonetic lessons to help anyone with pronunciation. The lessons have free quizzes and worksheets to help you test your abilities along the way.
- Train Your Accent ESL Resources – Hover your mouse over the ‘current activities’ section of this site for pronunciation lessons in various scenarios to help you master your speaking skills. Each lesson has audio, a transcript and a quiz to test your skills.
As always, our goal at Magoosh is to help you master your English language skills. We hope our ESL resources list provides some great links to help you on your language learning journey.
Do you have any ESL resources we didn’t link on our list? Leave a comment below and help your fellow ESL learners find more great resources!
