The Ultimate Firefox Add-on Combo to Learn English

Learning English can be a challenge so the tools should be easy and fun to use. Most of all, they should be simple, helpful and not get in the way.

This post describes three great add-ons that you can install on Firefox and that would certainly help you in your journey of improving your level of English.


The Multi-Translator

This new translator has everything you need. It has the ability to get translations from up to three sources (Google/Bing/Pragma) in more than 60 languages. It has a drag and drop ability, a ctrl-M quick translate, and you can even type in your own text for translation. It does however lack the ability to translate the whole page, but I do not think that is needed when you are trying to learn English.



Add this Multi-Translator to Firefox


The Dictionary - Audio Companion

Yes, a dictionary but with one great feature that allows you to hear the word being pronounced. Pronunciation is very important, why learn English if no one can understand you? I chose this add-on not only because of the audio pronunciation tool, but also because it’s other great features like a thesaurus, idioms, example sentences and many more.



Add this Dictionary - Audio companion to Firefox


The Spell Checker

There is a lot of bad spelling online. If you are using the web to learn, you need to make sure that you are learning correctly. This add-on simply highlights all the spelling mistakes on a page. It doesn't get in the way and it’s a helpful time saver when you are translating text or listening to it.



Add this Spell Checker to Firefox

This is a guest post by Ernest Smuga. Ernest is the creator of English Language Learning Software i Immersion. Check out i Immersion on Facebook.

GrammaTube - Causative Verbs in English: let, get, have, make

Causative verbs are used to express that someone or something caused someone or something else to do a particular task. This might sound a bit confusing, but if you watch the videos that we’ve compiled you’ll see that it’s not that difficult.

These YouTube videos will show you how to use several causative verbs like let, get, have or make.

Grammar can be one of the most difficult skills to develop in English but it is without doubt the key to progress throughout your learning. A good grammar base will help you to write properly and speak in English, hence improving communication with other people.

Good video with examples about the causative verbs in English



Link to the video on YouTube

Structures and causative verbs in English



Link to the video on YouTube

Causative verbs with Passive and Gerunds



Link to the video on YouTube

Good video that explains the passive causative



Link to the video on YouTube

Learn American English shows us how to use the verb "have" in the causative form



Link to the video on YouTube

How to use the verb "make" as a causative verb



Link to the video on YouTube

3 Wonderful Google Chrome Extensions for English Language Learners

Learning a new language is one of the most difficult tasks you can take on once you enter adulthood. There are few things you can learn that will add more to your professional resume or enlighten you more culturally.

While learning English as a second language is no doubt difficult, it is one of the most useful tools you can have as a professional. There are an endless amount of tools and resources available today that can help you master almost any task at hand. With applications for better blogging, browser extensions for computer programmers, and much more, the internet is full of possibilities.

As internet technology continues to grow and expand, more and more endlessly useful tools and resources are popping up online. These three Google Chrome extensions are extremely useful and intuitive tools to help you learn English right from the comfort of your personal computer.


Phras.in

While learning the specifics of grammar and punctuation are essential steps in learning English thoroughly, one of the first steps in learning English is typically learning common conversational phrases.

Phras.in is a wonderful browser extension that can help people learn the eccentricities and peculiarities of various phrases in the English language. The extension has an intuitive interface that makes it simple to use and extremely useful. Compare two phrases to see which is used most often or which is correct. The application will show you the number of times that phrase is used through the web in real world sentences. This helps you decide which phrase is more common and gives you access to immediate examples of how that phrase is used in various sentences.



Add Phras.in to Google Chrome


Google Dictionary

This Chrome extension is one of the most popular dictionaries downloads available online and is extremely useful for English language learners and otherwise. This tool allows users to find the definition, part of speech, pronunciation, examples, synonyms, antonyms, and much more of any word they see while browsing online by simply double clicking on any word in the browser.

This dictionary has many other languages and tools that are extremely useful for any individual surfing the web. However, it can be extremely useful for users wishing to learn English online. Save time by having a dictionary right at your fingertips at all times.



Add Google Dictionary to Google Chrome


Learn English Assistant

This Chrome extension is an extremely useful resource for learning English at home. The Learn English Assistant extension collects various resources that are available online, so that you have all of your English language resources in one easy to access location. While this tool does not offer you any specific language guidance, it does make finding useful resources much simpler. The resources that this extension collects are geared towards both ways to learn spoken English as well as ways to write English correctly.



Add Learn English Assistant to Google Chrome

This is a guest post by Nadia Jones who blogs at accredited online colleges about education, college, student, teacher, money saving, movie related topics. You can reach her at nadia.jones5 @ gmail.com.

VocaTube - the Olympic Games in English

With the London Olympic Games just around the corner, it’s time for us to join the Olympic spirit. For this, we have compiled a series of videos from YouTube with which you’ll be able to learn all the English vocabulary about the Olympic sports.

Remember that vocabulary can only be improved with practice and listening through repetition. It’s difficult for everyone to understand from the beginning but you’ll notice that the more hours you listen, the better your understanding.

Good video with English Sports Vocabulary – elementary English



Link to the video on YouTube

Video with general vocabulary for Sports in English – elementary English



Link to the video on YouTube

Vocabulary with Winter Olympic Sports – elementary English



Link to the video on YouTube

Subtitled video with sports in Britain – intermediate English



Link to the video on YouTube

Introduction to London Summer Olympics 2012 – advanced English



Link to the video on YouTube

English vocabulary about the Olympic Games (part 1) – advanced English



Link to the video on YouTube

English vocabulary about the Olympic Games (part 2) – advanced English



Link to the video on YouTube

English vocabulary about the Olympic Games (part 3) – advanced English



Link to the video on YouTube

Visit the official website for the London 2012 Olympic Games

Nobuna - improve your level of English through listening games

There is no doubt that in order to get a good level of English, you need to be patient and repeat things a lot. The first time you watch a video or listen to something you probably don’t understand a great deal, but with second and successive hearings as your ear gets used to English the sounds will become more familiar.

This is the idea behind Nobuna, a great website that allows you to improve your level of English by watching videos and completing listening games.

The way it works is very simple; as you go through the exercises, you’ll be absorbing a lot of information by listening to and analyzing the texts. You’ll also be learning and using new words as you fill in the blanks.

The recommended system at Nobuna to learn English is to watch and listen to the entire video without interruption and try to understand the dialogue. Then you watch and listen to the video a second time and try to fill in the blanks. When you’re done with the exercise (it doesn’t matter if you haven’t filled in all the gaps), click on “Finish” to view your results and check them against the video to identify your mistakes and look up words you didn’t understand in the dictionary.

You can see more information about Nobuna on the following video



Link to the video on YouTube

Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed. Visit Nobuna now!