The world today has been changed by the Internet. Directions, maps, news, movies, entertainment, social networking, recipes—what can’t we access online? No one can doubt the Internet’s impressive impact on education, either. There are hundreds of educational websites, helpful blogs, tips for teachers and students, and resources for school papers and reports to be found online. Whether we’re using the Internet for education, work, or entertainment, we all frequently rely on the information we obtain from the web.

Now imagine if you could only access a third of the material the Internet has to offer (and not the third you could choose, either). A little discouraging, isn’t it? But for some of your students, this limited Internet is a reality.

As native English speakers, we may not think about it often, but the majority of websites are in English. That means that students in America who don’t speak English fluently can be at a disadvantage when looking for information online. Take a look at the Wikipedia homepage, a good source for basic, overview knowledge on a variety of subjects. Though Wikipedia includes articles in over 200 languages, English has at least three times as many articles as the next most prolific language, German.

As another example, a Google search for Leonardo da Vinci returns almost four times the page results in English as it does in the next language (Italian). For academic research as well as much of the other information the Internet has to offer, English is the most content-heavy and accessible language.

But the Internet can still be a great tool for English learners. Students exploring online can find a wide array of information, read English in an assortment of contexts, interact with native speakers, and even write their own comments and questions. These opportunities can make the Internet a wonderful tool for English learners, as well as a great motivator. When students see all that the web has to offer, they just might get excited to learn more about English as well as technology.

So how can you help your English learners take advantage of all that the Internet has to offer without becoming overwhelmed by the staggering amount of information it presents (or becoming discouraged by what they can’t access)? Here are just a few suggestions.

1. Lead your English learners to helpful, kid-friendly websites. The Longman English Dictionary, for example, is a great English dictionary with simple definitions using only 2000 common words. Or, if you’d like to introduce your students to Wikipedia but are concerned about their comprehension level, direct them to the Simple English Wikipedia. Designed with children and English learners in mind, this version of Wikipedia has articles with shorter sentences and a simpler vocabulary (though it doesn’t contain as many articles as the original English version). If you’re looking to give your students the opportunity to write their own content online, Kidblog is a good way to give them experience with blogging and web publishing in a controlled, safe environment.
2. Teach students how to evaluate what they read online. I’m sure you know that everything you read online isn’t true, but do your students know that? Help them evaluate what they find online and discuss the difference between a trustworthy site and a not-so-trustworthy one. For example, you can teach them tips like looking at the domain ending (.com, .edu, .gov) to determine if a website might be accurate or not.
3. Increase your students’ academic vocabulary. Without an understanding of academic vocabulary words like interpret, theory, and identify, much of the helpful educational information your English learners find on the web will be hard to comprehend. In an earlier post, Lisa points out some great tips for increasing your students’ academic vocabulary.
4. Give them opportunities to explore. After your students read a book they find particularly interesting or complete a class reading assignment, encourage them to learn more by heading online. What extra information can they find on the Internet? Are there any facts they didn’t know and were surprised to learn?
5. Use Imagine Learning English. Use Imagine Learning English to help your students become familiar with learning, reading, and comprehending through a technological medium. They’ll be learning valuable academic vocabulary and applicable reading comprehension tips at the same time.

What other tips or observations do you have?  Do you have any other websites to recommend? Please share with a comment!