1. resources for the adult
ESL student
A subject guide presentation by Anna Iwanski

2. Introduction
This particular topic- ESL (English as a Second Language) Resources- was chosen for
supplementing a public library in order that non-native Americans might be able to find the
resources they need for learning English. As an ESL tutor myself, I realize that once a
student graduates from an ESL program that she may not be aware of the free resources
available to her virtually or traditionally. Therefore it is my goal in this presentation to
devise a list of supplemental resources that are usable for beginner to advanced ESL
students in order to continue their English studies through personal instruction.
The titles following, in a range of formats from websites, CDs and books are geared towards
their use as both educational and recreational materials.
To best fit the intended audience, all the resources that follow are free and accessible either
through a public library or through a computer at home.

3. • Adelson-Goldstein, J., & Shapiro, N.
(2009). Oxford picture dictionary.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Non-circulating item.

4. Oxford Picture Dictionary
• This dictionary is excellent for any level ESL student with its color pictures and Spanish vocabulary
to help associate each item with its English translation.
• Common English words are broken down into sections and further specified to topics (for example,
time and measurements).
• An index, entirely in Spanish, links to the page where the English word can be found.
• Also included are lists of regular/irregular verbs and English pronunciations.
•

5. a4esl.org
• The Internet TESL Journal. (2013).
Activities for esl students. In a4esl.org.
Retrieved from a4esl.org.
• Website, free access.
• a4esl.org is an ideal resource for free
grammar and vocabulary practice.
Quizzes range in level from easy to
difficult. Some basic level vocabulary
quizzes also include pictures for
associating the word with the item.
• There are also a range of bilingual
quizzes for fifty different languages (all
are paired with English).

6. A4esl.org continued.
News stories with downloadable audio files and Youtube news stories by the site authors
with closed captioning allow for guided practice. New news stories are posted frequently.
Another valuable resource for learners is the Daily Page for ESL Students, which gives a
new quiz, slang and word of the day. It also links to dictionaries, search engines and daily
pronunciation practice.
All resources are labeled and accessible by the main page,
which is divided in half by English Only and
Two Languages.

7. Esl-lab.com
• Davis. R. (2013). Randall’s esl cyber
listening lab. Esl-lab.com. Retrieved
from www. Esl-lab.com.
• Website, free access.
• The main feature of this website are the
listening quizzes—both basic and general
levels in easy to hard levels—each of
which has the learners listen to a brief
sound clip of a conversation in English
and then to answer questions about what
they heard.
• Once lessons are graded (in a matter of
seconds), the correct answers are
revealed.

8. ESL-Lab continued
• There are also academic-geared quizzes ranged from easy to hard which are practice for
the TOEFL/TOEIC tests.
• Vocabulary lessons offer about 20 words per lesson topic with audio of a speaker saying
the words aloud to help with pronunciation. A few practice questions follow each lesson.
• All features of the website are grouped into six topics on the main page, which are labeled
and allow for simple navigation.

9. • Collis, H. (1987). 101 American English
idioms. New York: McGraw.

10. 101 American English Idioms
• This books explains many of the common American idioms that are likely to be heard in
in the conversations. Each page is a single entry with half the page dedicated to an
ingenious illustration of the idiom and the rest of the page gives a brief explanation of the
idiom and a short story showing how it is used.
• Although the resource is several years old, its format makes it an ideal learning resource
for an advanced ESL student. It is entirely in English.
• An index at the end simply lists the idioms and their meanings.

11. • Fogarty, M. (2011). Grammar girl’s 101
misused words you’ll never confuse
again. New York: Mignon Fogarty, Inc.

12. Grammar Girl’s 101 misused words
This book differs between often confusing word uses– for example, imply versus infer—
noting their proper uses and often giving tips for how to remember the differences.
Small, relatively easy book for advanced ESL students that helps with proper English usage
and understanding. It is entirely in English and laid out with one entry per page so the
information does not feel too overwhelming.
Contains no table of contents nor index. Instead, the entries are alphabetized in the book.

13. Barber, T. (n.d.) Famous firsts series. (Vols.
1-5). Edmonton, Alberta: Grass Roots
Press.

14. Famous Firsts Series
This nonfiction series is an ideal supplementary resource for beginner/intermediate ESL
students. These books offer the chance to develop practice through reading without resorting
to children’s materials.
The books are written at a 5th grade reading level, but are specifically written for adults with
topics they may find relevant.
Books in this series also include Matthew Henson & Robert Perry and First Women in
Space.

15. Ingles sin Barreras
• Lexicon Publications. (2007). Ingles sin
barreras. Los Angelos, CA: Lexicon
Publications.
• This self-teaching resource ranges twelve
separate lessons, each with a cd, dvd,
reading and an exercise book.
• Lesson topics begin simple with
greetings and then progress to everyday
vocabulary such as food and clothing,
heath, with the final lesson going over
information for the citizenship test.
• The rate and method of learning the
lessons are chosen by the learner.
• Circulating resource

16. Open Door Series
Scanlan, P. (Ed.). (2002-present). Open
Door Series. (Vols. 1-12). Edmonton,
Alberta: Grass Roots Press.
• This fiction series, written by a collection
of Irish authors, was written specifically
for low-English literate adult students.
• Books are written between 2-6 grade
levels. They are between 70- 114 pages.
• These books allow for ESL students to
enjoy easy to read fiction as they work
on learning the language.
• Authors include Joseph O’Connor,
Michael Scott and Cecelia Ahern.

17. Ingles para Entrevistas de Trabajo
• Ingles para Entrevistas de Trabajo=
English for Job Interviews. (2007).
[Compact Disk]. Miami, Fla. : NPG
Music.
• This CD presents vocabulary specific to
interviewing and jobs making it ideal for
an ESL student wanting to learn those
specific terms in order to find a job.
• The CD is only one hour and comes with
a phrase booklet for referring to the
vocabulary.

18. Urban English Social (playaway)
• Urban English Social. Volume 2, Music,
movies, sports and games: Casual
American English for Spanish speakers.
(n.d.) [Sound recording (Playaway)].
Solon, OH : Findaway World.
• This is a helpful resource for users who
learn best through listening to English
rather than speaking it. The format of the
device allows it to be taken and played
anywhere.
• The lessons consist of a word and phrase
of the day in addition to an English
conversation that is first presented slowly
and then at normal speed.
• The playaway is 1 ½ hours and only
requires AAA batteries and headphones.

19. Conclusion
If you need more help, or have questions about any of these resources, ask a librarian. They
will also be happy to point you towards more resources for learning English.

20. Bibliography
• Adelson-Goldstein, J., & Shapiro, N. (2009). Oxford picture dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Barber, T. (n.d.) Famous firsts series. (Vols. 1-5). Edmonton, Alberta: Grass Roots Press.
• Collis, H. (1987). 101 American English idioms. New York: McGraw.
• Davis. R. (2013). Randall’s esl cyber listening lab. Esl-lab.com. Retrieved from www. Esl-lab.com.
• Fogarty, M. (2011). Grammar girl’s 101 misused words you’ll never confuse again. New York: Mignon Fogarty, Inc.
• Ingles para Entrevistas de Trabajo= English for Job Interviews. (2007). [Compact Disk]. Miami, Fla. : NPG Music.
• The Internet TESL Journal. (2013). Activities for esl students. a4esl.org. Retrieved from a4esl.org.
• Lexicon Publications. (2007). Ingles sin barreras. Los Angelos, CA: Lexicon Publications.
• Scanlan, P. (Ed.). (2002-present). Open Door Series. (Vols. 1-12). Edmonton, Alberta: Grass Roots Press.
• Urban English Social. Volume 2, Music, movies, sports and games: Casual American English for Spanish speakers. (n.d.)
[Sound recording (Playaway)]. Solon, OH : Findaway World.