Useful Links for Pre-sessional Students
- Language learning on the Web
- Finding sites for study purposes
- Finding sites for other kinds of information
One way to find your way around the World Wide Web is to use a search engine. However, that is not always the quickest means to find the information you are looking for. The purpose of this page is to help you find your way to good, useful sites around the Web.
Language learning on the Web
You can find some interesting language learning activities
on the Web at the following sites: Here is a set of learner dictionaries that are online. You can keep the dictionary page open in Netscape while you are working on an assignment in another programme, and use the dictionary to check the meanings of words.
If you want to find a picture to insert into your project paper, or to use in an oral presentation, you can use:
Johan Graus has compiled a useful set of links for EFL students and teachers:
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Finding sites for study purposes
You can access the University Library catalogue (Unicorn) from any computer on the campus. Click on the 'Main' button and you will enter the catalogue search page. You will have information on how to search the catalogue in your 'Using the Library' worksheet.
One of the first places for you to look is the website of the department you plan to enter; many departments at the University of Reading have sets of useful links to sites related to research carried out in that department. Go to the university's list of departments and then search the department site for 'Links' pages.
The Library Unicorn System allows you to access websites related to your subject area. Follow the link to find your particular subject.
The WWW Virtual Library page is an index of 'virtual libraries' that cover most areas of research. The headings are: Agriculture, Business and Economics, Computer Science, Communications and Media, Education, Engineering, Humanities, Information Management,International Affairs, Law, Recreation, Regional Studies, Science, Society.
The Resource Discovery Network provides a UK-based gateway to searches of virtually all subject areas.
You can also look at the Academic Info Index page and search for information under your research area heading.
Other useful sites are:
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Finding sites for other kinds
of information
You might want to find out more about Reading and about the UK as well. Here are some useful links:
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You may need
to investigate global issues during your pre-sessional course. The following is
a good starting point:
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The following sites are good places to start off a search for information about
different countries around the world. This list cannot be exhaustive and there
will be areas of the world that are not covered. If you have suggestions about
sites that could be added to this list, please send them to me at the e-mail address
shown below.
For information about the Arab world in the Middle East and North Africa
For information about Asia: For a list of links for African countries: For Latin America and the Caribbean For American Studies links: For statistics and other facts about all countries in the world:
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