ESL Independent Study Lab

Since I have been talking to students about this blog, many students have made requests about various resources they are looking for. WHile the internet is one of my favorite resources to share with students, many students seem to feel overwhelmed about finding what they are looking for or what might be useful to them. One of the best general resources is the ESL Independent Study Lab. This website is a collection of hundreds of websites related to the basic academic skills: reading, listening, writing, speaking, etc.- all broken down into levels from beginner to advanced. When you visit this site, you will find all kinds of resources that you can use. Put this one on your favorites/bookmarks. I am sure that when you start using this site, you will never run out of ideas for your independent study.
As both teacher and student, I have learned independent study is one of the key elements to success. If you develop a regular habit of independent study, you will succeed in whatever endeavor you engage in. You can not hope to real your goals if you merely accept the tasks that others give to you. In school , this means that just coming to class and doing your homework is not enough. You have to be hungry for knowledge. You have to want it for your own reasons, not for those supplied by your family or teachers. This is why it is so important to be exploring what interests you. If you are not interested in a thing, there is no way you will give it the commitment required to realize your extraordinary potential. If you don't know what interests you, then make that your next study goal: finding out what is interesting to you in this world.