Web Review #1

Beware of False Fronts !

Not every website is what it claims to be !

@ While browsing the web today, I found The Centre for Language Training and Assessment-Activities website http://www.clta.on.ca/clta03.htm hosted at the official website of a respected ESL organization. So naturally one would assume that each website listed on the site would be credible. The site describes the Centre for Language Training and Assessment-Activities as a site suitable for Levels 1-8 ESL learners, with an overall website rating of 5 stars. The homepage of the Centre for Language Training and Assessment-Activities lists its main selections as Learning On-line, Learning English, Educational Software and On-line School. It lists popular selections as Finance, Computer Training, Distance Education, Study Abroad and Arabic Language. It lists favourites as Prepositions, Language Courses, Computer Programs, Vocabulary and Accounting.

@ However on this day I found the Centre for Language Training and Assessment to be a false front for a flurry of Casino pop-up ads and a multitude of advertisements for paid on-line services. Some links do take the browser to credible sites offering courses for TESOL/TESL Teacher Training Certification, Hebrew, "Chinese" and other language courses, etc., but most of the links simply lead the browser to unannotated or poorly annotated lists of sites already accessible on the Internet through any general search engine.

@ The CLTA website could be used with care by instructors of English as a Second Language as a general research tool in the ESL field. The site could also be used by Level 7-10 ESL and ELTE students for reading, research and critical thinking activities. However, I think that there are more credible sites available which actually do offer the the Language Training and Assessment Activities claimed by CLTA.

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@ Suzan's rating * star

@ An example of the care and critical thinking skills necessary when using the Internet as a research tool can be seen at: http://descy.50megs.com/descy/webcred/webcred/dhmo.html

Coalitions have been formed and Petitions have been submitted to consumer groups and government agencies to urgently Ban this dangerous substance - Dihydrogen Monoxide! .... It's water :)

Thank you to TESL Instructor Frank Bieri for pointing out this humourous site in his course, "Teaching With Technology" !