Language Learning Activities - Creating, Finding, & Using them

Computer based games, activities, and quizzes are perhaps the most common examples of CALL.  These can be created with downloadable software or online services.  It is possible to create activites using a program on your computer (like Hot Potatoes) or online site (like Proprofs, Quzlet, or Google Forms).  There are also many, many activities already online that you can access and sometimes download.

---

Finding Activities

   Online Activities  (some made with Hot Potatoes, some not) and test taking prep

• AgendaWeb - Free English Exercises
• 5 Minute English- Hundreds of Short Self-Study English Lessons/ Free ESL Online
• Englishpages.com
• SpellingCity
• Exercises for Beginners
• Learningchocolate.com
• Manythings.org
• StarFall.com
• Jezarka's Interactive Exercises
• Elllo.org - English Listening Language Lab Online
• A4ESL.org - Activities for ESL/EFL Students (English Study)
• ESL Blues
• Real-English.com - ESL Videos ESL Lessons.
• Business English Grammar Lessons
• English Exercises Online
• English Works! Exercises Main Index
• ESLBears: ESL Activities and Exercises
• English Language Centre Study Zone
• Teaching ESL
• Rong-Chang.com
• Adult Learning Activities | California Distance Learning Project
• Breaking News English Lessons: ESL Plans Teaching Current Events
• Learn English Online at Open English World
• English Learing Activities List (Emily Chen)
• http://busyteacher.org/ (printable handouts)
• ITESLJ's links to Games & Quizzes
• Delicious.com/learningcall/activities

Game Sites for Young Learners

• Eslkidstuff.com Games 
• ESLGamesWorld
• Mark's English School
• List of ESL Games

Sites designed specifically to provide test taking peparation

• http://www.english-test.net/
• http://www.gettoefl.com/practice.htm
• http://www.easyenglish.com/
• http://www.eslgold.com/
• http://www.selfaccess.com/ (click 'free samples')
• http://www.examenglish.com/
• http://toefl.practice-tests.learnhub.com/

---

Creating Activities

 Hot Potatoes: If you don't already have Hot Potatoes installed on your computer,  you can download it (for free) here

Guide:  Jeff's Hot Potatoes Guide  Jeff's screencast guide
Other Guides:  Official HotPotatoes Tutorial  MakeUseOf.com Guide

Look at examples of different kinds of Hot Potatoes activies below

Jquiz	JCloze	JMatch	JMix	JCross
exercise	exercise 1  exercise 2	exercise 1 exercise 2	exercise 1 exercise 2	exercise1

Look at a couple of websites that use Hot Pototoes

• Englishpage.com
• English Online France

---

Other programs and web-based tools

 (You don't need to do anything with these. There just here for future reference.)

• ProProfs Quiz School  Example here
• Quizlet (Flash Cards)
• QuizStar
• Script-O!
• The Study Place
• Charles Kelly's Online Quiz Generator
• EclipseCrossword Puzzle Maker

You can find more at this list and description of online activity tools. 

---

Optional Tasks:

•  Hot Potatoes
  -Create any kind of Hot Potatoes activity.  Jeff's Hot Potatoes Guide The activity can be very simple (i.e. a 3 questions quiz, a gap activity with a few blanks, etc. ).
  - Save it (Save as & Create webpage) in c:\temp and save a copy on your USB drive. Make sure the file name includes your name and class#.
  -  If time permits, try different kinds of  activities
• (Optional) Post a Hot Potatoes Activity on your  blog.  (details here - Cick 'Questions' above)
  Create a new post on your blog.
  Then paste this code into a blog post (make sure to use  'Edit HTML tab, not Compose tab)
    <iframe src="URL Here" frameborder="0" height="500" width="600" scrolling="auto"></iframe>
  In another tab, upload it to your Dropbox public folder and 'copy public link'. 

• (Optional) Use Google Forms (guidehere) or Proprofs.com Quizmaker  and try to  create a basic quiz or survey with at least two questions.  Post a link to that quiz (or embed it) in a blog entry on your blogger.com blog. 
• Explore some of the websites below which have many, many different kinds of activities.