The Learning Centre is a support service for students who are studying ESL at VIU. You can come to the Learning Centre to get extra practice with listening, speaking, reading, writing, pronunciation, spelling, and vocabulary. Students can work one-on-one with a qualified ESL instructor, work in small groups, or engage in self-study activities.
The Learning Centre also hosts special workshops on a variety of topics.
You can find out more about the Learning Centre and our schedule on the ELC Learning Centre Facebook.
The Learning Centre is located at Building 255, Room 175.
Study Support
- One-to-one help from an ESL teacher
- Conversation practice
Study Space
- For individual study
- For group work
Resources for Individual Learning
- Listening, pronunciation, and reading software programs
- Presentation skills practice space
- Level-appropriate reading materials
- Vocabulary building
Intersession 2023 Schedule
May 3 - August 11
| Day | Time | Program |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 12:30pm - 2:30pm | All levels |
| Tuesday | 12:30pm - 2:30pm | All levels |
| Wednesday | 12:30pm - 2:30pm | All levels |
| Thursday | 12:30pm - 2:30pm | All levels |
| Friday | Closed | - |
All Levels
(unless otherwise indicated)
Listening
| Website | Description |
|---|---|
| Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab | Listening activities (stories, conversations, and lectures) at 3 levels; also has listening scripts |
| Breaking News English | Listening to news stories at 7 different speeds in North American and British accents. |
| Agenda Web | Listening activities (dialogues, stories, dictations, podcasts, audio books) at 3 levels. |
| ESOL Listening Practice Tests | Listening practice tests organized into 3 ESOL level |
| CBC Learning English | Video and audio based on Canadian news with various listening and understanding exercises at 2 levels |
| BBC 6 Minute English | 6-min videos with vocabulary and transcript; intermediate/upper intermediate levels |
| English Numbers | Listening for numbers from 1- 999,999,999; also includes listening for fractions, decimals, and percentages, as well as for years, months and dates |
| Dictations Online | Listen and write a dictation at different levels of difficulty |
| Learn English Feel Good | Practice your English using movie and audio |
Reading
| Website | Description |
|---|---|
| Breaking News English | Reading exercises (and comprehension for Level 6) at 7 levels using thousands of real-life news stories; supported by audio |
| Read Works | Free, award-winning reading exercises (comprehension & vocabulary) at multiple levels. Talk to a Learning Centre instructor for help to join a class created by the Learning Centre. |
| Agenda Web | Reading activities (comprehension, summarizing, skimming & scanning, stories) at multiple levels. Some reading supported by audio. |
| Literacy Net | Readings on a variety of topics using real-life news stories, followed by comprehension exercises; intermediate to upper intermediate levels |
| Grammar Bank Reading Comprehension | Short articles with follow-up comprehension questions; intermediate/advanced levels |
| My English Pages | Readings on a variety of topics, followed by comprehension exercises; advanced level |
| Page by Page Books | Hundreds of classic stories & books that are provided for free; mixed levels |
Writing
| Website | Description |
|---|---|
| Guide to Grammar and Writing | Covers the writing process, grammar, sentence structure and organization; includes over 170 interactive grammar quizzes. |
| Centre for Independent Language Learning | How to write memos, e-mail, letters, resumes, essays, and reports; get help with grammar, topics, and referencing |
| Purdue Online Writing Lab | Writing process; citation (for advanced level) |
| Online Writing Exercises | Videos and quizzes to improve your writing |
| Sentence Structure Writing Practice | Practice writing sentences from scrambled words. |
| ESL Writing | Many links to writing help |
| Random Subject Generator | Creates a new writing topic every time you click on “Generate a Subject”; mixed levels |
Grammar
| Website | Description |
|---|---|
| English Grammar Online | Variety of grammar lessons, exercises, and tests organized by topics. |
| The Road to Grammar | Variety of grammar lessons and quizzes organized by topics. |
| Grammar-Quizzes | Variety of grammar exercises and quizzes. |
| Learn English Today | Grammar exercises, vocabulary lists (includes Business English) & games, idioms and proverbs, links to other resources |
| English Page | Grammar and vocabulary exercises with in-depth tutorials |
| A4ESL | Over 1,000 activities (grammar quizzes, vocabulary, idioms, slang, and phrasal verbs) in 3 levels |
Speaking / Pronunciation
| Website | Description |
|---|---|
| Rachel’s English | Clear video lessons on pronunciation: individual sounds, intonation, linking, rhythm, and stress |
| Sounds of English | Covers most vowel and consonant sounds as well as rhythm and stress |
| Focus English | pre-recorded conversations on a variety of topics; students can listen and repeat |
| Perfect Pronunciation | A variety of lessons to practice listening to and repeating the different sounds of English |
Vocabulary / Spelling / Typing
| Website | Description |
|---|---|
| Academic Word List Highlighter | Copy and paste any text to see which academic words are used/ |
| NGSL Highlighter | Copy and paste any text to see the most common words highlighted |
| iWeb | Explore the word frequency of any word. |
| Vocabulary.com | One of the best vocabulary websites for building your knowledge and skills |
| New General Service List | Study the most common words in English here. |
| NGSL/NAWL Quizlet | Study the NGSL and NAWL using Quizlet |
| Spellquiz | Practice your spelling at different levels |
| AAA Spell | Type in words you want to learn how to spell & the website creates 10 practice exercises for those words |
| Guide to English Spelling Rules | Spelling rules |
| Spell-It Game | Fast paced and challenging spelling games |
| Spelling Bee | Improve your spelling – 2 different levels |
| Learn Typing | Beginner and advanced typing lessons; information on keyboard shortcuts |
Online Dictionaries
| Website |
|---|
| Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English |
| Merriam Webster |
| Dictionary.com |
Multiple Skills
Online Thesauruses
| Website |
|---|
| Thesaurus.com |
| Collins Dictionary English Thesaurus |
| Website | Description |
|---|---|
| Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab | Hundreds of listening activities (stories, conversations, and lectures) at 3 levels; also has reading, grammar, and vocabulary exercises |
| Breaking News English | Thousands of interactive English lessons at 7 levels, including listening/ reading comprehension, grammar, spelling, and vocabulary exercises |
| Agenda Web | Hundreds of ESL exercises including vocabulary, grammar, verbs, listening/reading comprehension |
| English Club | Listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary lessons & exercises |
| Study Zone | Grammar, reading, vocabulary exercises at 5 levels |
| Learn English Feel Good | Practice multiple skills using this website |