Useful English study links
Below are useful websites for self-study that you can access to help you develop your independent study skills and English skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking and grammar.
Select the Clarity English program that best suits your particular needs from the list below. You can come back anytime and try these resources while you are enrolled as a Deakin student. Click 'practice' or 'continue as guest'.
Study skills success
A course to help you develop your academic study skills. It focuses on skills such as critical thinking, independent learning, lectures, seminars and research.
Tense buster
Exercises to help you improve your understanding of grammar. From elementary to advanced.
Active reading
Improve your reading skills. The active reading program includes dozens of text, video and audio activities at all levels.
Road to IELTS
IELTS preparation program has interactive activities, advice videos and practice tests.
Business writing
For intermediate to advanced level learners who need to write business letters, emails and reports.
Useful websites for self-learning
These sites have video lessons
- Learn English (British Council): Skills, grammar, vocabulary, listening, reading, videos, games, lessons, and more
- Learning English (BBC): A variety of video lessons with transcripts and activities
- English for adults: Reading, writing, spelling, grammar, speaking, and listening
Other good sites
- ESOL Courses: Listening, reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, songs, and English for getting a job
General
- English Club: Greetings in business, reading and listening
- EnglishClub: Reading about business skills, vocabulary and quizzes
Vocabulary
- Audio English: Accounting vocabulary – pronunciation and listening exercises
- Audio English: Banking vocabulary – pronunciation and listening exercises
Reading and writing
- Manythings.org: Reading and listening about health topics
- Manythings.org: Reading and listening for medical workers – select your own speed
- VOA (Voice of America): Reading and listening - health and lifestyle topics
Vocabulary related to health
- Your dictionary: Vocabulary – type 'nursing' into the search bar to find relevant vocabulary lists
- Harvard Health School: Medical word list
- English Club.com: Sample conversations – vocabulary and reading comprehension
Politeness training
- English for my Job.com: Although not directly related to nursing, this will give you an idea about how to respond to requests from senior staff and patients
Study support
- Study support at Deakin: Advice on academic style, referencing, paraphrasing, and more
Listening and note-taking
- ABC radio: A good listening resource with topics of interest: listen and make notes, listen again to check, listen for useful phrases and vocabulary, listen to see how much you understand, and listen to the structure of the stories
- UEfAP – Listening comprehension and note-taking: Listening, note-taking advice, and practise
Reading and writing
- VOA (Voice of America): Reading and listening – health and lifestyle topics
- VOA (Voice of America): Watch, listen, read, and answer questions on educational topics
Vocabulary
- Manythings.org: Commonly used proverbs – quizzes
- Manythings.org: Expressions in English – Listening and Reading – Choose your speed
- teachervision: Education-specific vocabulary
- VOA (Voice of America): English in a minute: learn common idioms or phrases
Teaching resources and vocabulary
- Your Dictionary: Teacher resources and vocabulary – type 'teaching' into the search bar for links to resources and vocabulary
Politeness training
- English for my Job.com: Although not directly related to teaching, this will give you an idea about how to respond to requests from senior staff and others
Study support
- Study support at Deakin: Advice on academic style, referencing, paraphrasing, and more
Explanations and exercises
- Clarity English: Complete grammar exercises aimed at your level (click tense buster, then log in with your username and password)
- Perfect Grammar: Explanations, exercises and downloadable PDFs
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test
- IELTS.org: Find out about the IELTS test and see some sample questions
- Learn English (ABC): IELTS exam criteria
Free practice tests
- British Council: Free IELTS practice tests
- IELTS.org: Free IELTS practice tests
- IDP Education: Free IELTS practice tests
Speaking examples
- IELTS Official (YouTube): Sample Band 8.5 – part 1
- IELTS Official (YouTube): Sample band 8 – part 3
- IELTS Official (YouTube): Sample band 7 – part 3
- IELTS Official (YouTube): Sample band 5 – part 2
Study tips
- Exam English: IELTS exam tips
These listening websites are a good way to improve and build upon your listening ability:
Video
- Behind the News (BTN): Watch, listen and read
- TedEd: Listening comprehension, vocabulary and thinking
Listening with exercises
- AudioEnglish.org: GE 1 Telephone phrases
- News in Levels: World news for students of English
- Slow English: Intermediate listening and reading about Australia – includes quiz and vocabulary
Speak with real people
- Deakin English – Facebook: Join a DUELI Club activity.
Speaking and pronunciation skills
- Study support at Deakin: Participating in discussions and seminars.
- Elemental English – YouTube [US}: A series of lessons to practise speaking: pronunciation, intonation, connected speech, stress.
- Learning English: Listen and read – pronunciation videos and downloadable PDFs.
- mmmmEnglish – Youtube: How to improve your speaking and practice – speak clearly [Aus].
Conversation
- VOA (Voice of America): GE 1–GE 4 – English lessons [US].
- Audio English.org: Intermediate to upper intermediate – listen, read, repeat and role-play activities.
Presentation skills
- Skillswise: Giving a presentation.
The following websites are aimed at students across all levels - general English, IELTS and EAP:
Reading skills
- Clarity English: complete reading exercises aimed at your level
Academic reading skills
- Study support at Deakin: reading strategies, critical thinking, and researching for your assignment
Reading comprehension
- 5 minute English: short reading comprehension texts
- Using English: reading and questionnaire about cheating and plagiarism
Reading and listening
- ABC Online: read the current news
- ESL online Readers: Select a level, then a story. Read and listen
- The Conversation – read and listen to news podcasts – intermediate level and above
Elementary – intermediate
- DigitalDialects.com: GE1–2 – basic vocabulary, read, listen, say, and play games (slow to load)
- Audio English.org: GE1–3 – vocabulary, listening, pronunciation and quizzes
- Online Picture Dictionary: GE 1–3 – online picture dictionary
- My English Dictionary: GE 1–4 – word lists with pictures and audio
Mixed level activities
- Skillswise (BBC): videos and games – plurals, root words, prefixes, suffixes, plurals, and tips for memorizing vocabulary
- LearnEnglishFeelGood.com: Spelling – listen to the word and write it then check your answer
Australian slang and phrases
- Insiders Guide: essential Aussie slang for international students
- Study in Australia: An International Student's Guide: Australian slang
Idioms/slang
- Using English.com: dictionary of English idioms and phrases by topic
Use the following websites to revise what you have learnt in the classroom and to improve your overall writing skills:
Writing exercises
- Manythings.org: choose the correct word – GE 2 – GE 5/EAP 1
Writing response
- Deakin University: write your story for Deakin's Navigator blog
- Write & Improve: a free tool to improve your writing
Sentence structure and punctuation
- The Punctuation Guide: intermediate to advanced – find out what the different punctuation symbols mean
- David Appleyard: punctuation
- Skillswise (BBC): sentence structure – punctuation, past present or future tense, instructions
- OWL (Purdue online writing lab): punctuation
- Manythings.org: word order – GE 1–GE 3
Academic skills
- Study support at Deakin: academic skills and referencing
- Academic support: language for essays and research
- Deakin Guide to Referencing: Harvard referencing guidelines
- Cheating and plagiarism: reading comprehension activity
- The Writing Centre: hedging and word forms