Website Evaluation #2

Website Title: Voice of America News, Special English

Website URL: http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/index.cfm

Grade/Age Level: This news website is ideal for adolescent or adult English Language Learners (ELL) at the intermediate or advanced levels. Although not designed as an education program, teachers can use this website to provide authentic language input in both written and oral modes.

Language & Content:
Voice of America (VOA) News, Special English, is an extension of their main news website, an international broadcasting service funded by the US government. The Special News section started in 1959 with its goal to “communicate by radio in clear and simple English with people whose native language was not English.” Over the years, VOA has continued this initiative and expanded to about 14 main news programs such as American Stories, Education Report, In the News and This is America.
Programs are broadcasted around the world several times a day through the internet and also on Satellite TV. Over the internet, stories can be heard using Windows Media, Real Audio or downloaded as an MP3. Written text is also provided which is a great asset for ELLs. Feeds, pod casts and news by email are also available. Reading comprehension questions are provided for some of the news stories. In addition to providing current news, VOA Special English provides a program “Words and Their Stories” which is aired every Sunday and focuses on idioms. They also have “Wordmaster” which provides lesson and news on grammar, idioms, slang, regional English and topical issues. Such articles include “Native American Influence on English” and “Hawaiian Language.” Various word games are also available.
External links include online talking dictionaries, Peace Corps Teaching English page, US Department of State Office of English Language Programs and the US Institute of Peace Teaching Guide on Peace Education. All links are highly recognized, work well and are great for ESL teachers.
As described on their website, what’s unique about Special English news stories and ideal for English Language Learners is 1) they contain a core vocabulary of 1500 words for which they include an online dictionary called “Word Book”, 2) only short, simple sentences in the active voice are used and the writers do not use idioms and 3) broadcasters read the stories at a pace “two-thirds the speed of standard English.”
Through the various news programs (both written and oral) along with pronunciation guides, online dictionaries, reading and grammar exercises and various games, this website can help meet numerous language learning goals. Teachers can also build their own lessons around one news story or grammar article/exercise. Beyond reading/listening comprehension and pronunciation, this site also helps improve the understanding of various American English dialects, idioms and American culture.
Overall, this website is easy to navigate and has a clean layout. Obviously its strengths are 1) the ability to provide news using simple, American English (as opposed to some of the BBC English programs), 2) its diversity (grammar, slang, and regional dialects) and 3) its emphasis on American culture. I like what this website offers and I plan on using it on my website and in some of my lessons. The only recommendation I have is that some of the wonderful resources are buried under a few links. I think they should be highlighted on the main page so both teachers and students could find them easier.