***This guest post is contributed by Katheryn Rivas, who writes for online universities blog. She welcomes your comments by email at katherynrivas87@gmail.com.***
Online education has become one of the major avenues for extended learning that people are seeking in today’s society. With the structure of our lives and culture fluxing, non-traditional modes of learning are becoming more popular. More and more people are beginning families at different times in their lives, entering college at a different time in their life, and seeking more appropriate avenues to access the things they need. Online education has responded to the need for a more flexible educational system. Full time parents and employees are able to take classes from home to further their education. With the rise of online education has come the rise of online educational resources. Online education very much embraces the concept of education for anyone at any time. Open courseware speaks to this need as well. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is one of the leaders in open courseware initiative. These four courses are available for free online to students learning English as a second language.
Listening, Speaking, and Pronunciation
This course is designed to help students develop their listening comprehension and oral skills. This is an essential aspect of ESL learning. Pronunciation is one of the most challenging and important aspects of ESL learning. This open courseware class provides students with the tools and practice needed to master English pronunciation by focusing on “producing accurate and intelligible English, becoming more comfortable listening to rapidly spoken English, and learning common expressions, gambits, and idioms used in formal and informal contexts.”
Expository Writing for Bilingual Students
This course works to develop essential writing skills for confident academic and professional writing. This online course provides samples of expository writing that students will read and analyze. Students will also work on vocabulary development and develop skills to produce clear, accurate, and sophisticated prose. There will be lessons in grammar and mechanical problems for those who struggle there, but most of the course will focus on construction and composition.
Advanced Speaking and Critical Listening Skills
This course is designed to help students gain confidences and skills in spoken English. While this course is for advanced students, it is nonetheless worthwhile for students wishing to perfect their spoken English. The course focuses on appropriate oral presentation of material in various contexts. This course focuses on group discussions, classroom interactions, and research proposals. While it is intended for individuals wishing to enter English teaching positions, the workshop can be a useful resource for other advances ESL individuals.
