Monthly Archives: September 2011


Create your Language ePortfolio now! 1

The EAQUALS-ALTE ePortfolio (e ELP) has been created to act as a tool to help you develop your capacity to reflect on objectives, ways of learning and success in language learning, as well as plan and assume more responsibility for your own learning.

The ePortfolio uses electronic technologies as a container (rather than the folder in the paper-based version) allowing you to store items in many media (scanned documents, audio, video, graphics) – this becomes a digital archive of your work which allows you to develop a portfolio that meets your goals.

It is important for you to register for access to the ePortfolio as your email address will be used to keep you informed of upgrades to the ePortfolio.

Register to download your EAQUALS-ALTE ePortfolio

You can also download the EAQUALS ALTE Guided Pathway: A Guide to Navigating the EAQUALS ALTE Electronic European Portfolio. This Guided Pathway will help you work with your eELP.

View EAQUALS ALTE Guided Pathway PDF


busuu.com Mobile Apps (iOS, Android)

busuu.com brings you the perfect app to learn languages on the go:

  • Extensive vocabulary – over 3,000 words and key phrases
  • From beginner to advanced intermediate levels (A1 – B2)
  • Covering 150 different topics using day-to-day situations
  • Comprehensive audio-visual learning material with photos and recordings by native speakers
  • Sections include vocabulary, dialogues and interactive tests
  • Works on iPhone (incl. iOS 4, optimized for Retina display), iPad, iPod touch and Android – no internet connection required
  • Free version includes 20 complete learning units – full content can be purchased inside the app!
  • Learning progress can be synchronized with your profile on busuu.com, the famous online community for learning languages with over 3,000,000 users

Download them directly from the iTunes Store or the Android Market to your mobile device!


Busuu! Learn English online for free! 1

Busuu.com is an online community of people who love learning languages. The busuu website contains materials for people learning English, French, German, Spanish, Portugese, Italian and Russian. There are interactive language courses and lessons, and opportunities to practice your language skills with other members of the busuu community. You can join busuu.com free.

And, best of all,  there is a special Listen to English group on busuu where you can discuss and write about the topics in Listen to English podcasts and other language material.


Download Podcasts to your SmartPhone! 1

There is a new feature on Listen to English which allows you to download podcasts direct to your iPhone or other Smart Phone.

Below each podcast there is a link “Download to your SmartPhone”. Click the link to display a QR barcode. If your phone has a camera, an internet connection and a barcode reader, the phone will be able to read the barcode and download the podcast mp3.

This feature is still experimental. Please let Peter Carter know if you find it useful, and if you find any problems with it.

Here, the image above right is an example of this podcast


Try something new 1

I have something new for you to try.

There is an organisation called TED, which stands for “Technology, Entertainment and Design”. You can find its website here. TED is interested in ideas – Ideas Worth Spreading. It organises a couple of conferences every year, but – much more important – it makes videos of most of the talks and presentations at its conferences, and puts them on the internet for everyone to see, or to download if they wish. The talks are no more than 20 minutes long, and many of them are much shorter. They cover all sorts of topics, from science to society; some are serious, some are funny; all of them are interesting. The page for finding these talks is here.

Now, here is the bit that makes these talks really useful for English learners. Most of the talks have subtitles in English, and many have subtitles in other languages too. There is a box below each video where you can select the subtitles. And on the right hand side of the webpage (on the TED site), most of the talks have a transcript as well as notes about the speaker, and a summary of the talk. So you can follow the talk in English, or in your own language, as you wish. You can even click on the transcript to restart the video from any point, so you can play a section several times if you find it difficult to understand.

I have chosen one short talk to give you an idea of what TED can offer. It is by Matt Cutts, and in three and a half minutes he tells us how to Try Something New for 30 Days. Have fun!