The Purdue OWL Writing Lab

With the vast number of ESL websites available, I ultimately decided to review one close to my home in Indiana: The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University. I had heard about it years ago, but never used it, let alone evaluated it.  This review focuses on OWL as a potential resource for ESL Teachers and Students at Purdue and beyond.

Software/Website Title: The Online Writing Lab at Purdue (OWL)

Website URL: https://owl.english.purdue.edu

Grade/Age/Proficiency Level: Primarily adults, but one of the many categories deals with Grades 7-12 Instructors and Students. The ESL section seems to target students who are at least at the intermediate level of English speaking, reading, and writing.

Language and Content:

1. Mission: "The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue.  Students, Members of the Community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-classroom instruction." (home page)
The purpose of the OWL section is to "offer over 200 free resources including: Writing and Teaching Writing, Research, Grammar and Mechanics, Style Guides, ESL, and Job Search and Professional Writing."
The purpose of the ESL Instructors and Students section is "to provide resources for ESL instructors and students."
2.  OWL is the online component of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Content related to ESL studies is divided into one category for ESL Instructors/Tutors, and another for ESL Students.  Multiple sub-topics are found under each category. A few noteworthy links are: Tips for Writing in North American Colleges, Plagiarism and ESL Writers, and U.S. Higher Education: A Cultural Introduction.
3. The site links to many external documents: guides to both MLA and APA citation style, a guide to avoiding plagiarism, a guide to developing a resume, a special section for 7-12th grade instructors, Adult Basic Ed. (GED, ESL, etc.). Within the ESL Section are handouts and worksheets on numerous topics: Grammar and Mechanics, Plagiarism and Academic Integrity, Practice and Exercises, Workplace Writing.  Five areas stood out as being effective tools for ESL writing students: Tips and Terms for International Student's Job Search, Writing for a North American Business Audience, and Writing and Research Help by Email.  Impressive!
4. The entire site is useful to anyone who writes or teaches writing, hence it's vast scope.  The ESL Section provides a good variety of resources, from instructional materials, to advice and suggestions, links to professional organizations, and additional ESL resources.  Anyone wishing to learn, improve, or enhance writing skills in English would find this site interesting. International college/University students in the U.S. who are trying to improve their English will be interested in this site.
5. The site provides helpful instructional materials to both ESL teachers and students, all of whom have differing goals.  If a student wishes to improve his/her grammar, find practice exercises and handouts on Prepositions, Irregular Verbs, or How to Use Adjectives and Adverbs, among other topics, they may do so.  The site provides writing guidance for ESL learners on campus as well as off-campus, and directs them to related services.
6. There are links to ESL exercises that can be used for practice in classrooms or as supplemental assignments.  As far as assessment and feedback go, the only online opportunity for such is through the OWL Mail Box (email) on the home page.  Users are invited to submit "brief, writing-related questions to the Mail Tutors." Aside from that, those located on or near the West Lafayette campus may receive in-person assistance in the Writing Lab or satellite locations.
7. The website layout and graphics are visually interesting and the navigation is easy.  Each page is fairly concise; not too cluttered with information, as many sites tend to be.  The site map and keyword Search Box assist with navigation.
8. While a bit overwhelming, the OWL website is an excellent resource.  The only criticism I have is that it seems to be edited only annually (last update was Sept. 4, 2014), and the most recent entries in a few of the sub-sections were from 2012.  Yet much of the information on the site is, in a word, timeless, so I'll not put too much stock in everything having to be au courant. There are many features that are super: a) a site map, b) access to an RSS feed of Purdue News, c) a link to Purdue OWL Podcasts on "Boilercast," d) a link to Purdue OWL Vidcasts, and e) contact information. Another nice surprise is the presence of OWL@Purdue on YouTube! I watched a few (Welcome to the OWL, Fluency in English, and Academic Writing in the U.S. (conventions, linear structure).  The ESL section of the OWL website tends to be geared to the needs of Purdue students, as one might expect, but provides plenty of information for "outsiders" as well.  At one time, the site included a "Grammar Gang" blog, but it has "gone on holiday" as of Sept. 2014, with plans to return in the future.
9. The only improvement I can suggest would be to update the site more frequently.

Speaking of Busuu.....

Today I'm reviewing a mobile App for language learning called BUSUU. My selection was based on the fact that it was 1) free, 2) interactive, and 3) covered listening, speaking, vocabulary, reading, and writing.  It was also current, having last been updated on June 24, 2015. There are many ESL apps floating around that simply are not kept up to date.  I used Version 7.0, 51.6MB, and I'm guessing that it's published in Europe, but unsure of which country. The website is located at: http://www.busuu.com, and the mobile app may be downloaded onto Apple or Android devices by clicking a button at the bottom of the home screen.

I was intrigued by the name Busuu, and it turns out to be a language used in Cameroon.  According to the website, there was "an ethnological study in the 1980's" claiming that "Busuu is spoken by only 8 people."  Hoping that there would be more by 2015, I checked Wikipedia and found that as of 2005 there were only 3!!! The two developers hope to have Busuu as one of the languages that can be studied on the app someday!  They'd best get busy. As it stands, the following languages are offered: English (UK), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Turkish. Apparently, there are "more than 45 million users globally," and PC Magazine cites it as a "Best Free Language Learning App."

The website/app is simply designed and easy to navigate.  I selected English as my target language, and worked through a Beginner (A1) lesson as well as an Intermediate (B1.1) lesson. Other levels are offered, along with a Travel Course and a Business Course. Words and phrases were spoken with a clear British accent in both male and female voices.  Visual images of words were also provided; graphics, sound, and colors were realistic. I moved through both lessons with no problems.  The first was about greeting people and the second was about giving opinions on art and film.  Along the way, the learner receives immediate feedback and lots of encouragement. I deliberately made mistakes in order to see what happened, and still received praise to continue. The lessons utilize click- and- drag modes in order for the learner to construct sentences or put phrases in correct order.  There are also fill-in-the-blanks questions. I felt that all the words and settings presented were very appropriate. At the end of each lesson, a summary of the learner's answers appears. (I even won "Busuu Berries!")

I would recommend this product as a supplemental activity for learners who primarily need to practice their speaking skills, vocabulary, and pronunciation.  I like that it offers several different levels and varies the tasks. I might ask a student to do certain lessons as homework, or as an in-class activity.  It's possible to earn a Busuu Certificate if one goes through all of the lessons in a category, so that might serve as a good "extra-credit" assignment. To my surprise, after I had signed off, a beeping noise blurted from my laptop, and three people asked to chat with me in English! I hadn't realized this was part of the software, and declined them since I had to go to a meeting.  But this feature offers instant, two-way "collaborative learning" for those who wish to partake. I only tested the free section of Busuu, so I'm unsure of the Premier Package that is offered for a monthly fee.

A New Look

A fresh template today, and it seems more fitting to have a background of books on a shelf.  After all, I'm a librarian.  In reality, I worked increasingly with computers as technology entered the library and books were moved to distant locations.  But the bookshelf remains as an icon, I suppose.

I have jumped in to L544 "feet first" and have to say that I'm having a blast.  This is my second crack at setting up a blog. We all know that old saw: "If at first you don't succeed,........"   I'm sure that blogging is only the first of many technologies that I will learn this summer, and this is exactly the kind of challenge I've been looking for.  I hope to add more to this spot as the days and weeks go by.