Resources

ESL & World Language Resources

ESL Resources

Online Software

    • Merit Software Access- Reading, vocabulary, grammar, and writing practice for intermediate to advanced ESL students.
    • Rocket Languages (currently unavailable)- Speak and understand a new language faster.
    • Need a username & password? Stop by the Language Center to request one, or you can email the center at language@nvcc.edu

Reading

  • Newsela Users can adjust the difficulty levels of news articles to match their reading skill level.

Dictionaries

  • Visual Merriam-Webster This website offers visual references to words, which is ideal to language-learning. Words are grouped in themes for easy reference. It is an invaluable resource for ESL/EFL students.
  • Picture Dictionary An excellent visual resource for beginning to intermediate level ESL/EFL students. Words are grouped in categories. This website offers fun activities to support learning vocabulary and spelling.
  • The Free Dictionary
  • This website provides comprehensive definitions of English vocabulary. It functions as a dictionary and a thesaurus and is a wonderful resource for ESL/EFL students who would like to expand their vocabulary.
  • Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online This is the online version of the CD-ROM of the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Updated Edition. It offers quick and easy ways to look up any word while you are working on the Web.
  • Word Reference: Free online bilingual dictionaries. Language forums dedicated to serious discussion about the meanings and translations of words, terms, and expressions in many languages.
  • Collins: Ideal dictionaries for English or bilingual word reference, plus thesauruses for expanding your word power.

Grammar

  • Articles Any English language learner knows that articles are one of the hardest grammatical units to master in the English language. This website from UNC provides one of the most detailed explanations on article usage.
  • The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation: Explains English rules with lots of helpful examples, amusing quizzes and video presentations on grammar rules such as use of punctuation and subject-verb agreement.
  • Grammar Lessons From 5-Minute English: Short and easy grammar explanations and exercises that you can practice any time.
  • Daily Grammar Lessons: A wealth of grammar lessons you can easily practice by clicking the Lesson Archive. This website offers daily grammar lessons and a quiz every Saturday.
  • Grammar Monster: An excellent website that gives clear explanations of grammar rules. It contains a comprehensive list of common grammatical errors made by ESL/EFL students.
  • Activities for ESL Students: A website with grammar and vocabulary activities.

Listening

  • Breaking News in English: Develop your listening skills by studying current events and news by podcast. This website was developed with ESL/EFL students in mind. Podcasts are usually two minutes long.
  • English Listening Lesson Library Online: This website contains lots of dialogues on various topics by English speakers worldwide. Each dialogue is accompanied with the written text of the dialogue and an audio slide quiz to test for listening comprehension.
  • Activities for ESL Students: An excellent site for ESL/EFL students. This website has hundreds of ESL podcasts and ESL grammar videos from YouTube to choose from. This site also offers a listen-and-read-along activity on lots of topics.

Pronunciation

  • American Speechsounds- Accent Improvement Software

Free Language Learning Apps

  • Hinative: A global Q&A platform where you can ask native speakers any language or culture question.
  • Quizlet: Simple tools for learning anything. Search millions of study sets or create your own. Improve your grades by studying with online flashcards, games and more.
  • Vocabulary: The world's smartest dictionary combined with an adaptive learning game that will have you mastering new English words in no time.

Interactive Websites

  • Lang-8: Post in the language that you are learning. Native speakers correct your writing. Return the favor by helping others learn your native language.
World Language Resources

Online Software

  • Rocket Languages- Speak and understand a new language faster. Need a username & Password? Stop by the Language Center to request one, or you can email the center at language@nvcc.edu

Multiple (World) Language Links

  • Digital Dialects: A website for beginning language students. It has a number of games to help students learn vocabulary generally taught in the first semester such as colors, numbers, greetings, etc.
  • DuoLingo: A popular platform for language learning.
  • LingoDeer: A language-learning platform for goal-setters!
  • Lingoda: An online language school that offers live classes with certified, native-speaking teachers.
  • Forvo: A website where you can practice pronouncing words in a variety of languages. You can search by language or by category.
  • Preply: A website offering free vocabulary and grammar practice through reading, listening, games, and quizzes in 23 languages
  • Mango: An online software program available through the NOVA library system. Using dialogs, Mango helps students practice vocabulary and communication skills. It is good for beginning to low intermediate students.
  • SCOLA: A comprehensive site for language learners and teachers. It features TV programming from around the world, including news, drama and documentaries in 160 languages, and provides other foreign language resources, language lessons, and learning material. Username: NVCC, Password (case-sensitive): SCOLA
  • Arte: A Franco-German TV network that promotes programming in the areas of culture and the arts.

Spanish Language Links

  • Conjugacion: Look up correct verb endings for over 500 common vocabulary in the verb table. Fully personalized study, including tenses, verb types as well as specific verbs to focus on. Built in Spanish-English dictionary and conjugation search/look up. Tests you on the verbs your need to practice the most.
  • Don Quixote: Contains brief grammar lessons, word of the day, verb conjugate, games, jokes and more. Registration is free and only takes two minutes.
  • E-Espanola: A site for beginning Spanish students. It provides lessons, auto correcting grammar exercises, vocabulary practice, and audio clips with transcripts to practice listening.
  • Online Lessons Using Video Clips: A site put together by the University of Texas that has Spanish lessons starting from the entry level all the way to advanced, covering a wide range of topics. Lessons are presented through 30 second video clips of native speakers along with helpful vocabulary lists and short grammar lessons.
  • Study Spanish.com: An online Spanish course consisting of vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation lessons and activities. It can be used systematically like a course or sporadically as a supplement to the lessons received in class.
  • Lo Mas TV: Contains a variety of video clips in Spanish, including music videos, commercials and TV show clips. Many of the clips contain English subtitles to assist in understanding. For those wanting something other than grammar exercises to practice Spanish, this is the place to go.
  • Online Spanish Dictionary: All in Spanish. Type a word in Spanish and you are given a list of definitions (in Spanish) along with examples sentences and expressions containing that word.
  • Todo Sobre Español: A website dedicated to talking “All About Spain”. For those interested in learning more about Spanish people, life, culture and travel go to this website for information. The site can be viewed in both Spanish and English. Try it in Spanish for practice; then switch to English to check for understanding.
  • Spanish Dictionary: This website offers dictionaries, translation, and verb conjugation in Spanish, as well as interactive flashcards, grammar practice, and Q&A forums.
  • French Language Links
  • Annenberg Foundation: Intended for college and high school classrooms and adult learners, it contains 52 half-hour video programs, audiocassettes, coordinated books, and a website.
  • Dictionary: Word Reference: A very comprehensive dictionary that includes a forum and discussions on translation specifics.

French Language Links

  • Conjugaison: Look up correct verb endings for over 500 common vocabulary in the verb table. Fully personalized study, including tenses, verb types as well as specific verbs to focus on. Built in French-English dictionary and conjugation search/look up. Tests you on the verbs you need to practice the most.
  • Europe 1: A privately owned radio channel, it is one of the leading French radio broadcasters and heard throughout France.
  • France Info: A 24-hour all-news radio channel.
  • Les Africains de la Chanson Francophone: Website presenting French African music, explaining the roots and meaning of its different types.
  • Radio France Internationale: A French public radio service that broadcasts in Paris and all over the world. This link provides a simpler version of news, with transcripts and audio.
  • Radio Nova: A radio station broadcast from Paris. Its playlist is characterized by non-mainstream or underground artists of various music genres, such as electro, new wave, reggae, jazz, hip hop and world music.
  • TV5Monde - A global television network, broadcasting several channels of French language programming.

Arabic Language Links

  • Al Jazeera: Provides a simpler version of news. It features reports on different topics such as Sports, Arts, Economy, and Health for Arabic learners. The website offers key words and phrases that will help you understand the news. It also has some Arabic poems explained in an easy way, and there are other activities that will help you practice and test your understanding of the language (e.g. multiple choices, matching, writing, translation, oral production, blank filling).
  • Arabic Learning Resources: Offers a variety of useful Arabic language learning links. It contains standard Arabic and different ARabic dialects such as Moroccan, Syrian, and Egyptian dialects. Most of the links are free.
  • ArabicPod101: Create a free account to get access to Arabic-learning podcasts and videos from beginner to advanced.
  • Arabic Typing Tool: A useful tool for typing in Arablic without using an Arabic keyboard or language component. Students can type the transliterated Arabic word and Yamli will write the word in the Arabic script. It’s a fast and easy way for students to type in Arabic without having to use special software.
English Handouts

Handouts

Math & Science Resources

Math Resources
Algebra-Geometry Formula Sheet (PDF) Derivatives-Integrals-Trig Formula Sheet (PDF)

Helpful Sites

  • MathGuys – Students ask questions and professionally trained tutors and professors respond by making FREE Math videos tailored to the particular question or by explaining the necessary steps in detail.
  • “Like” their Facebook page.
  • PatrickJMT – Free videos for topics such as Algebra, Precalculus, Calculus, Differential Equations, and Discrete Mathematics.
  • Paul’s Online Math Notes – Free math notes from a Professor. Includes Algebra, Calculus I, II, III, Linear Algebra, and Differential Equations.
  • KhanAcademy– Free videos and practice problems for countless topics.
  • Calc Chat – Offers free student solutions manuals for many math textbooks by Ron Larson.
  • Purplemath – Excellent resource for lessons in Algebra and Trigonometry. Click on links in “Lessons Index” to view the lessons.
  • MIT Open Courseware – Full, recorded lectures for learning at your own pace.
  • MTH151 (Math for Liberal Arts I), MTH285 (Linear Algebra), MTH286(Discrete Mathematics).
  • WolframAlpha – Solves many numerical problems for Math (including integrals, limits, and infinite series), Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, etc.
  • Graph – FREE open source software to graph functions, relations, derivatives, and integrals.

Calculators

MTH 163/164/166

MTH 173/271

MTH 174/272

MTH 277

Physics Resources
  • HyperPhysics – Summaries and guides for all physics topics.
  • Brightstorm – Brief videos of concepts and step-by-step worked problems.
  • Annenberg Learner – Brief videos of physics concepts.
  • MIT Open Courseware – Full, recorded lectures for learning at your own pace.
  • PhET – Interactive simulations of physical phenomena.
  • Physics Forums – A highly helpful advice forum.

Calculators:

Mechanics:

Waves / Acoustics:

Thermodynamics:

Electromagnetism:

Optics:

Chemistry Resources
Brightstorm – Brief videos of concepts and step-by-step worked problems.

Periodic Table:

Electrochemical Activity Series:

Chemistry-Assignment.com – Electrochemical Series

Geometry of Molecules:

pKa:

Organic Compounds Nomenclature Guideline:

Functional Groups Infra Red Absorption Table:

Wellesley.edu – IR Absorption Table

Amino Acids Table:

Sigma-Aldrich.com – Amino Acid Reference Chart

Organic Reactions List:

Educational Video Clips

Biology Resources
  • CELLS alive! – Interactive cellular models with explanations.
  • Learn.Genetics – Resource by The University of Utah providing all types of information regarding genetics.
FAQ
Bean Counter – Free tutorials, interactive videos for accounting and bookkeeping, software, etc. To begin, click on “Tutorial Center” on the top of the page and “My Bookkeeping Tutorial Site”.

Reading & Writing Resources

Accommodations and Accessibility Services Resources