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Reading books is the most efficient way of learning a language and reading aloud to children of any age is said to be extremely beneficial. An audiobook is the next best thing after a parent - or even teacher - reading aloud to a child. So, I started by adding a new category of Audiobooks to the Beginner level.
There is a fine line between children's stories online and audiobooks. I have tried to separate audiobooks into a category where the students can read along as the narrator reads aloud. Also, I prefer Audiobooks to be real books, already published in book form. Sometimes, however, an audiobook has no text at all and is only meant to be listened to.
I got so thrilled by the idea that I continued to add Audiobooks to the Elementary Level. During the process I learned that esl-bits.org was available again, so I added my recommendations of Audiobooks even to the Intermediate level.
Listening Comprehension practices and tests are a very common request in social media. I happened to find a Cambridge YLE* Starters Listening Series with practice and sample tests for beginners and added a few of them to the Elementary Level. (*Young LEarners)
A new unit for Teen Beginners about Transportation was added as #11 to the Course Plan, pushing both Shopping and Jobs one step further.
Calendars: I added some more 'Other Calendars' on the WebEnglish.seCalendar Page and wrote a blog post with some ideas of how to use the Calendars in class, as no-preparation-needed additions to your lessons.
Examples of Digital Citizenship: Communicating with respect, respecting other’s privacy, seeing things from another perspective, adding helpful information/context to a discussion or wiki page, supporting others by offering useful feedback, encouraging them, or sharing work they’re proud of, etc.
WebEnglish.sehas collected an array of talks and short programmes with a motivational and inspirational message to young, Intermediate-Level students under the category of Inspiration. There are enough to start every lesson or at least every week with as a lesson starter.
