ESL

Delaware Technical & Community College Libraries

English as a Second Language

Subject Guide



Library Catalog / Call Numbers / Periodicals / World Wide Web / Websites / Online Subject Guides



LIBRARY CATALOG

The Delaware Library Catalog is the library’s online catalog, and will help you search for books, periodicals, pamphlets and audiovisual materials. If you want to limit your search to items located at a specific Delaware Tech campus library only, use the drop down menu for "library" and select that campus library.

You can search the Delaware Library Catalog using a title or author’s name if you have that information. If not, you can search using a keyword or subject heading. In a keyword search, type a word or phrase in the search box and click on the "search" button. The catalog will look for that word or phrase somewhere in an item's title or subject content. In a subject search, type a word or phrase in the search box and select "subject" from the drop down menu and then click search. The catalog will look for that word or phrase in the list of subject headings related to the item. Some examples of subject headings are listed below.


          English language--Composition and exercises--Study and teaching
          English language--Conversation and phrase books
          English language--Examinations - Study guides
          English language--Grammar - Study and teaching - Activity programs
          English language--Idioms
          English language--Pronunciation by foreign speakers
          English language--Rhetoric - Study and teaching - Foreign speakers
          English language--Spoken English
          English language--Textbooks for foreign speakers
          English language--United States - Pronunciation
          Newspapers in education
          Reading (Adult education)
          Test of English as a foreign language--Study guides


Additional subject headings may be found on the screen with detailed information about a specific title.


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CALL NUMBERS

Browsing the shelves in your library's Reference and Nonfiction (Circulating) Collections can also lead you to books you may not otherwise find. The main call numbers for materials on or related to Enlish as a second language are:


          PE1128 - PE2815

AE5: These are encyclopedias in the reference (non-circulating) collection that have information on various countries.

You many also browse the Delaware Library Catalog, using the Keyword search for books on the history and culture of various countries. Most of these books will be in the call number areas beginning with the letters D, E, F and G.


PERIODICALS AND PERIODICAL INDEXES

You can find additional information on a topic by researching articles in periodicals, e.g. journals, magazines or newspapers. To find an article you will look up a specific topic in a periodical index, which can be in paper format or online. Often online indexes are referred to as “databases.”

In a paper periodical index, articles are listed by subject heading or author’s name. Consult the Delaware Library Catalog to see if any of the Delaware Tech libraries own the periodical.

Also, you can use an online periodical index to search for articles on a specific topic. Typically, you will search by typing a keyword, e.g. English language, and then you will be given a list of articles related to the keyword. You will have access to the entire article online if “Full Text” is indicated. If you find an article using an online periodical index, keep in mind that these are actual periodical articles, not web sites.

If an article you want is not available in paper format or full-text online in the library, consult with the librarian about requesting it via interlibrary loan.

The periodical indexes listed below may be used to locate articles on or related to English as a second language. Use subject headings such as those used in searching the library catalog to locate articles on English as a second language.


EBSCOhost (online database) - Select Academic Search Premier and/or MasterFILE Premier

FirstSearch (online database) - Select the General or Current Events Topic area, then select one or more databases for that area

Check your library for the availability of the following paper indexes:

Education Index

Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature Index

Social Sciences Index

New York Times Index



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WORLD WIDE WEB

You may also wish to consult web sites for further information on your topic. To begin your research, go to Delaware Tech Library Services and follow the link for Student Resources. Then try any of the following links to find web sites on your topic:

Tech Topics (Look for the subject: English as a Second Language)

Subject Guides from Other Institutions/Websites (on the Student Resources page)

Another option is to choose the link for Internet/Web Search Engines, also accessible from the Student Resources page. This will lead you to a listing of search engines and directories. Choose one to begin searching the World Wide Web. Ask the library staff for a copy of the handout entitled “Criteria for Web Page Evaluation” to help you evaluate the web sites you find.


WEBSITES

Try one of the following links for additional information on English as a second language:

Activities for ESL/EFL Students (Free English Study)

The Center for Adult English Language Acquisition (CAELA)

Dave's ESL Cafe

ESLgold: English Study and Learning Materials

ESL Resources, Handouts and Exercises (Purdue Online Writing Lab)


For additional assistance in your research, please consult the Librarian.

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Delaware Technical & Community College
Wilmington Campus Library
333 Shipley Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
302.573.5427

Delaware Tech Librarians       Comments? Questions? lferris@college.dtcc.edu

Revised 2/2007