Here are a few helpful apps and websites that I have found along the way. Good luck with your English! Feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance.

Wilt U zakelijk Engels leren? Of zoekt U naar Engels leren voor kinderen in Arnhem? Dan bent u bij mij aan het goede adres. Neem vrijblijvend contact met mij op.

Included on this page:

• Word studies (looking up and practicing new words, irregular verbs)
• English in Context:  Listening (sometimes combined with other skills)
• Grammar and Writing opportunities
• Test preparation (eindexammen, IELTS, enz.)
• Helpful tips and advice

WORD STUDIES HELPFUL APPS AND WEBSITES

Google Translate (App,, website) – Please, only look up ONE WORD AT A TIME!!!  Also, it is very important that you check all of the possible translations and select the one which best fits the text you are reading.  And remember, Google is a computer, not a dictionary!  (Need something even more reliable?  I recommend the van Dale.)

(Advanced) English Learner’s Dictionary (App, website) – These are my current favorite dictionaries.  The definitions are clear and include references to both American and British English.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary (App, website) – This is a nice, easy to use American dictionary with simple definitions.

Quizlet.com (App, website) – make your own vocabulary lists and practice them.  My advice is to practice your words for about 5 minutes at least 2-3 times every day.  40-50 words per week is a reasonable goal for most people to learn with this amount of practice.  If you want to learn more words, then you will need more practice sessions each day. 

WRTS.nl (App, website) – make your own vocabulary lists and practice them using the “meerkeuze toets” feature available in the paid version of the website/app.  My advice is to practice your words for about 5 minutes at least 2-3 times every day.  40-50 words per week is a reasonable goal for most people to learn with this amount of practice.  If you want to learn more words, then you will need more practice sessions each day. 

Irregular verbs apps and games:

• IV game (i OS only)  https://apps.apple.com/us/app/iverbs-irregular-verbs/id1413069218  This app allows a user to look at flashcards, mark favorites, practice words in sentences, practice the 3 forms, and play a game!  Looks like a great app!
• irregular verbs balloon game (android only)  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cosmolapti.verbsballoon&hl=en  This app is simple but fun and addictive.  Tap on the balloons with the correct verb forms in time to unlock each new set of 5 verbs.  Many of my students love this game it avoids needing to spell words that you haven’t learned yet.  (If you have issues with spelling, I would advise you to learn the words first, then tackle any difficult spellings.)  This app is one of my favorites!
• learn irregular verbs English (i OS)  https://apps.apple.com/app/id1286732738?ign-mpt=uo%3D4  This looks like a fun app to practice with.  It includes flashcards and 3 different games to play.
• English irregular verbs (android)  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?hl=en&id=com.irregularVerbs88.android.IrregularVerbs88  Want to practice typing many words, all on the same screen?  This looks like a nice app, too.
• iv (android and  i OS) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gedev.irregular&hl=en  This app asks you to type the 2nd (simple past) or 3rd (past participle) forms of the verbs when you practice.  It also includes a flashcard list (with pictures and example sentences!), and it can remember which words you have the most trouble with.  
• color verbs (adroid, maybe on
   i OS??) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nikitadev.irregularverbs&hl=en  This app offers you a few letters to choose from and asks you to form the 2nd (simple past) and 3rd (past participle) forms of the verbs.  It can also let you mark verbs in a variety of colors and let you practice those by color grouping.  This app also includes silly illustrations with English definitions and example sentences which show up on both the flashcards and on the practice sets.
• Irregular verbs of English (i OS)  https://apps.apple.com/us/app/irregular-verbs-of-english/id870062494  Use the English definition as a clue to guess which irregular verb is requested, or use the infinitive form as a clue to guess (and spell) the other two forms, by choosing the necessary letters from a cluster of possible letters.

ENGLISH IN CONTEXT:  LISTENING (SOMETIMES COMBINED WITH OTHER SKILLS) HELPFUL APPS AND WEBSITES

ESL-Lab.com  Although this website is very old-fashioned and full of adds, I really love it for the content!  The audio clips are recorded by native speakers (mostly American English) who speak quickly and naturally for 2-4 minutes.  Idioms and a 5-question quiz are included in each exercise, which keeps things a more realistic, even for the beginning student of English!

British Council Magazine: 
For adults at all levels (includes transcripts and other excercises)
For teens (at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels)
For kids (including lots of other activities that connect to these fun songs and stories)

BBC Learning English (App, website) – listen and read about recent events, as published by BBC News

Grammar explained + extra practice helpful apps and websites

Present Perfect vs. Past Simple explained on YouTube

Have you found something you’d like to share?  Email me a link via the contact form on this website and I will consider posting it for others to reference!

GRAMMAR AND WRITING OPPORTUNITIES HELPFUL APPS AND WEBSITES

English Grammar In Use (App, eBook) – This is an electronic version of the English Grammar in Use book by Raymond Murphy.  The explanations are thorough and clear,  and the exercises challenging as well as enlightening.  If you only need to work on a specific topic, I believe it is possible to download the contents for free and then buy access to the chapters you need.  The content of the app/eBook is identical to the printed textbook.  (Many of my students prefer to buy the textbook with eBook code.)

Nu beter Engels (App, website) – This app offers short daily quizzes with answers at 3 different levels for students of any background.  There is also an explanation for the answers, so you can learn why things are said in certain ways.  

Change A View – This website’s goal is to promote positive and constructive debate about anything and everything.  I see it as a great place for my students to practice their written English!  So find a thread that interests you and join the conversation!

To make your writing more interesting and easier to read, try using a variety of transition words.

TEST PREPARATION RESOURCES

Eindexammens voor alle niveaus en opleidingen  –  Exammenblad.nl  –  includes information and practice exams for all eindexammens at all levels.  Beware:  the tests generally become a little more difficult from one year to the next, so begin with the oldest test you can find and work towards the current year.

IELTS  –  Free practice tests  This website is massive!  The link I have posted brings you to a page with complete practice tests.  On the left side of the page, you can also find links to specific skills which you may want to practice.

Are you wondering how the IELTS is scored?  This website explains the scoring system nicely, including what each “band” means in terms of fluency and language use and what the various criteria are.  
https://crushthegretest.com/ielts-scoring/