LibGuides: International Students: English Language Resources

Online English Resources

Intercultural learning : Critical preparation for international student travel

This interactive eBook adds a significant and valuable dimension to the process of preparing students for international study, increasing the potential for meaningful and transformative learning experiences.

Learn English
A free service from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation containing grammar, vocabulary, & learning tips. For beginners to more advanced levels of English.

Basics of English grammar
Learn the basic principles of English grammar.

BBC Learning English
Features news, videos, listening and reading exercises, quizzes, message boards, and discussion groups.

BBC Skillswise - English
Features practical literacy skills for adults.

Radio Australia - Learn English Series
Download English lessons from the Australian Broadcast Network. Lessons are available for Chinese, Indonesian, Khmer, Burmese and Vietnamese speakers.

English Grammar Guide
Learn about the rules of English usage.

English Speaking Basics
Useful for beginners who need help in understanding the basics of speaking English.

Grammarly Handbook
Provides help with grammar, sentence construction, and writing (including academic writing).

IELTS - Free Practice Tests
Provides free access to practice tests for beginners to academic levels.

The Sounds of English
Improve your English pronunciation, spelling, and reading. For intermediate level and above.

Magoosh IELTS Practice Test
High-quality, student-tested practice questions which have been adapted to mimic the official IELTS.

Academic Writing : A handbook for international students

All international students wanting to maximise their academic potential will find this practical and easy-to-use book a valuable guide to writing in English for their degree courses.

Hompohones

A visual exploration of words that look the same, sound the same, or are otherwise easily confused

Library glossary and defintions

Multilingual glossary of library terms

Abstract

1. Summary of the main content of an information source, such as a journal article. Abstracts may be included with the citations in an online index such as a database.

2. A brief, objective summary of the essential content of a book, article, speech, report, dissertation, or other work that presents the main points in the same order as the original but has no independent literary value. An abstract can be indicative, informative, critical, or written from a particular point of view (slanted). In a scholarly journal article, the abstract follows the title and the name(s) of the author(s) and precedes the text. In an entry in a printed indexing and abstracting service or bibliographic database, the abstract accompanies the citation.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty comprises two major catagories, academic fraud and academic integrity. Below are the definitions.

Academic Fraud

Academic fraud is making a false representation to gain an unjust advantage. Academic fraud includes:

falsification of data
reusing your own work that has been submitted previously and counted towards another course (this is known as self-plagiarism)
illegal pre-examination access to examination papers or questions
illegal post-examination alteration of marks or grades
copying from another student or allowing a student to copy from you
copying from notes smuggled into the examination room
using a device to communicate with others in or outside the examination room
improperly using an allowable device to access information
representing another student in an examination
allowing yourself to be represented by another student in an examination

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity governs the way in which you research and write while at ACPE. It is founded on the principles of respect for knowledge, truth, scholarship and acting with honesty. These principles and values are the foundation of academia.

Authority

The knowledge and experience that qualifies a person to write or speak as an expert on a given subject. In the academic community, authority is based on credentials, previously published works on the subject, institutional affiliation, awards, imprint, reviews, patterns of citation, etc.

Bias

1. Judgment unfairly influenced by subjective opinion when the situation calls for reliance based on objective fact.

2. To give a bias or one-sided tendency or direction to; to incline to one side; to influence, affect (often unduly or unfairly).

Bibliography

Alphabetical list, by author, of the resources used in preparing an essay, paper, article, book, etc.

Call Number

A combination of letters and numbers assigned to each book or other library item.

A unique code printed on a label attached to the outside of an item in a library collection, usually the lower spine of a book, DVD, journal, etc. Call numbers are also displayed in library catalogue records, to identify the specific copy of the work and give its location on a library shelf.

Citation

A reference which lists the bibliographic details of the material paraphrased, mentioned or quoted in your research. The reference provides information such as title, author, journal title, volume, issue, publisher and date of publication so as to identify the specific resource used.

Copyright

The right to publish and sell a work. It is granted to an author, composer, artist, and so forth by a government. The date of copyright usually appears on the VERSO or reverse side of the book's title page. A small "c" before a date indicates the book was copyrighted in that year.

Copyright is a type of legal protection for people who express ideas and information in certain forms. The most common forms are: writing, visual images, music and moving images.

Refer also to: Australian Copyright Council Online Information Centre

Database

A searchable, online library of journal articles and other items, such as book reviews, newspaper clippings etc.

Evaluate

To assess or appraise the quality, relevance, objectivity and accuracy of information.

Full-Text

1. Documents available online which are complete and entire.

2. An electronic resource that provides the entire text of a single work (example: Britannica Online) or of articles published in one or more journals, magazines, and/or newspapers.

Also spelled full text and fulltext.

Information Literacy

Skill in finding the information one needs, including an understanding of how libraries are organized, familiarity with the resources they provide (including information formats and automated search tools), and knowledge of commonly used research techniques. The concept also includes the skills required to critically evaluate information content and employ it effectively, as well as an understanding of the technological infrastructure on which information transmission is based, including its social, political, and cultural context and impact.

Intellectual Property

1. The rights of creative workers in literary, artistic, industrial and scientific fields which can be protected either by copyright or trademarks, patents, etc.

2. Tangible products of the human mind and intelligence entitled to the legal status of personal property, especially works protected by copyright, inventions that have been patented, and registered trademarks. An idea is considered the intellectual property of its creator only after it has been recorded or made manifest in specific form.

Journal

A publication with a set title, issued at regular and stated intervals (eg. quarterly), which is intended to continue being published for an indefinite period into the future. A journal contains documents, usually articles, written by different authors. The contents of any specific issue of a given journal will vary, however, most journals publish documents which deal with a particular academic discipline, subject or area of research. For example, International Journal of Educational Research.

Journals and especially scholarly journals, contain articles written by individuals with specialist knowledge and relevant qualifications in the subject and who will often have conducted the original research as described in the article. Articles are accompanied by extensive citations, a bibliography and commonly also include an abstract.

Keyword

1. A word (or phrase) used when searching an index such as an online database. Unlike subject headings, keywords are not part of the subject vocabulary of the database.

2. Descriptive word or phrase found in a record in an electronic database that aids in retrieval of documents. In full text searching, every word in a document becomes a keyword.

Paraphrasing

To restate, concisely and in your own words, the sense or meaning of a text or passage from a book, journal article, website, etc.

Peer Reviewed

A "quality control" and editorial procedure used in academic publishing, whereby a panel of experts checks (reviews) the validity and accuracy of the content of a document prior to its publication. The peer review process is a distinguishing feature of scholarly journals and is crucial to maintaining high standards and accuracy and authority.

Periodical

A magazine or other publication where the issues appear at stated or regular intervals and which is intended to go on indefinitely. Usually, each issue contains articles by several contributors.

Plagiarism

The presentation of the thoughts or works of another as one's own. This includes:

Copying or paraphrasing material from any source without due acknowledgment
Using another's ideas without due acknowledgment
Working with others without permission and presenting the resulting work as though it was completed independently.

Self Plagiarism

Reusing your own work that has been submitted previously as an assessed item for another course.

Research Strategy

A plan or scheme by which the activity of searching for and assessing information found is carried out. A search strategy usually involves a number of steps. Firstly, the analysis of the major concepts of the topic. Secondly, defining relevant keywords and their synonyms. Thirdly, searching appropriate information sources (eg. databases), and fourthly, assessing the quantity and quality (relevance) of the information found.

Validity

1. The quality of being valid in law; legal authority, force, or strength.

2. The quality of being well-founded on fact, or established on sound principles, and thoroughly applicable to the case or circumstances; soundness and strength (of argument, proof, authority, etc.). a. In the phrase of...validity.