Language
A
Brief Look at the History of English
In just a few pages, the history of the English language is
outlined in this Merriam Webster site. There are sample
texts from various periods to show how English has developed
and changed,. some of which would be fascinating for students
to try to decode. Information about changes in spelling
makes worthwhile reading for interested students, and provides
some background when discussing current spelling practices.
An
on-line English Grammar
This one is produced by the Hampstead School of English.
It is clear and relatively easy to use. Most suitable
for teachers, and students who have already know something about
grammar, such as the names and functions of parts of speech.
Kay
Vandergrift's Special Interest site
This site is useful for teachers looking for resources to develop
students' contextual understanding. It covers a range
of topics including 'gender and picture books' and books dealing
with male and female coming of age. The fascinating "A Scholarly
Snow-white" resource for students and teachers is worth
a look. Alternative versions of the story and many resources
to explore it are presented.
Online
English
A valuable site with online dictionaries, thesauruses, grammar,
usage and style.
Paradigm Online
Writing
A comprehensive interactive online writer’s guide and handbook.
Punctuation
Part of a handbook for technical writers and editors, this chapter
provides a helpful guide for students to visit with punctuation
queries. The organisation is clear and the explanations
straightforward.
Spelling It Right
Spelling it Right comprises seventy pages of advice and free
worksheets on spelling and is used by many parents, students and
teachers throughout the world.
The
Semantic Rhyming Dictionary.
This is a great site for finding rhymes to create poetry, slogans,
titles... whatever. Lots of fun to play around with.
The search facilities enable you to hunt for multi-syllable
rhymes, creating some intriguing possibilities. For students
writing song lyrics, this is an especially useful resource.
