As some of you probably know already, iTunes has a special section for university lectures and classes.  Different universities, including some of the best in the United States, provide free lectures and demonstrations on a variety of topics from some of their best professors.  You can find the free courses by clicking on iTunes U in the menu of the iTunes Store.

These videos audio lectures are especially good for those of you studying for the TOEFL or IELTS exams, since you will get a lot of native speaker speech on topics similar to those found on the tests.  Of course, you want to start with a subject you know something about, and (with luck) a professor who speaks clearly.

For some useful advice on how to use iTunes U, take a look at Warren Ediger’s Successful English website where he has a special section on the TOEFL.

~Jeff

As many of you know, California has many immigrants who speak English as a second language. The State of California has developed a special website to help adults learn English online. It is full of short, interesting news stories with additional materials to help you improve your English. These stories are good for both intermediate and advanced students. The site is called the California Distance Learning Project (CDLP).

How to use this site: Warren Ediger, one of the best ESL classroom teachers and online tutors I know, has detailed suggestions on how you can use this site to help improve your English. Warren gives you specific steps on how to make the best use of the articles and stories you will find on the CDLP website.

Warren’s website, SuccessfulEnglish.com, also has other good ideas on learning English through reading, on preparing for the TOEFL, and on some common questions related to English learning and teaching.

Take a look at both the CDLP and SuccessfulEnglish.com today for some good resources.

~Jeff

I like reading fiction (stories not based on fact or real events) and some of my favorite books are mysteries. Mysteries are fiction stories where a crime–usually murder (killing)–is committed and a detective, such as a police officer or a private detective, finds out who committed the crime. That’s why a mystery novel (fiction book) is sometimes called a “Who done it?” - Who has done this crime?

I recently read a book called, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency written by Alexander McCall Smith. The setting (location) of this book is Africa, in the country of Botswana. (The author was born in Botswana and now lives in Scotland.)

The main character in this novel is a woman named Precious Ramotswe who opens a detective agency (business). She is a smart woman who understands human nature, or the way people naturally think and act. This book, and the other six books in the series with the same characters, are about the cases she solves and also about her life and the lives of the people around her. The simple mysteries are, in many ways, not the center of the novels; her insights (deep understandings) into people and the events of people around her take precedence (priority; are most important). These books are simply-written and are charming (attractive; delightful).

There are many types of mysteries stories. Hard-boiled detective stories have tough men who carry guns and solve crimes with brains, but also with brawn (physical strength). In contrast, a cozy mystery has little violence and usually focuses on a small community of people, often in a village or small town. If you are familiar with the classic mystery writer Agatha Christie, then you know what a cozy is. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (and the other books in this series) are cozies.

If you like mysteries and are looking for books that are not too difficult to read in English, check this out.

~ Lucy